How do I create and launch a private podcast?

You've decided what you're building (maybe with a little help from Which private podcast should I launch first?), and now it's time to make it real. This is the walkthrough for creating the private podcast you actually want your audience to hear, from setup to a live subscribe link they can open.

By the end of this guide, you'll have:

✅ Created your private podcast and chosen the right feed type

✅ Written a description your audience sees in their podcast app

✅ Uploaded your own episodes

✅ Added your listeners and provided their private subscribe link

This takes about 15 minutes once your audio files are ready, and then your private podcast is live.

This guide assumes you've already decided what you're launching. If you're still weighing options (a course, a membership, a lead magnet), start with Which private podcast should I launch first? and come back once you know. Creating the private podcast is the execution step, and the decision comes first.

Everything you set here is editable later, so you're not locking anything in. (Worth remembering if you're tempted to overthink the name or cover art!)

From your dashboard, create a new feed. This is where your private podcast gets its identity: its type, its name, and the description your audience reads before they hit play.

Your feed type controls how episodes are delivered (all at once, on a schedule, and so on). For most first private podcasts, the Instant feed is the right starting point, and it's what the majority of creators use when using it for a course or something to be binged all at the same time.

If you haven't settled on a type yet, see What are the different feed types? for a breakdown of each one before you choose.

This is the title your listeners see in their podcast app, so name it the way you'd want it to show up in their library. You can change it anytime.

The description is your private podcast's first impression. It shows up in podcast apps next to your cover art, so it's doing the work of telling someone "yes, this is the thing you signed up for."

A strong description covers, in a sentence or two: what the private podcast is, who it's for, and what they'll get out of listening.

Your cover image is what listeners see in their podcast app. If you have your cover handy, drop it in.
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You don't need final artwork to get started. Click "Don't have an image, Use one of ours!" and pick from four pre-made covers. You can change your cover image anytime from Feed Details, so it doesn't need to be perfect.

(For the full walkthrough, including how to replace a preset later, see How to use Hello Audio's preset images for your podcast feed.)

Now you'll add your episodes. On the episodes page, drag and drop your audio files to upload them.

A few things that help here:

You don't need all your episodes ready to get your people listening, however, there needs to be at least one episode that is published in order to subscribe to a private podcast.

This is the step that turns your private podcast from "built" into "ready for an audience." Each listener you add gets their own private subscribe link, unique to them, which is how Hello Audio keeps a private podcast private.

To launch, add your listeners to the private podcast. You can add people one at a time or in bulk (via copy paste).

There are a lot of options when adding listeners, so we recommend reading over the How do I add listeners to my feed?

For everything on how your audience actually subscribes once you've added them (the apps they can use, what the link does, where they tend to get stuck), point them to the Listener Hub.

Adding a listener is what makes a private podcast live, but "launched" really means your audience has the link in hand and can start listening.

Most creators have a checkout or landing page that the listener subscribes to. Then Hello Audio sends the email with their link.

If you want a page that also creates the opt in for the private podcast, Hello Audio gives you a signup page for that. It's less common, so if that's your path, see How do I create a signup page for my feed? for the setup.

The moment someone subscribes, you've moved that content off their screen and into their ears!

Your first real feed is live. From here, the work shifts from setup to growth:

Yes, all of it. Name, description, feed type, episodes, and listeners are editable after launch, so nothing you set now is permanent.

No. But you do need to have at least one episode. You can add more later. Every new episode shows up for your existing listeners automatically, so there's no need to wait for a "complete" feed.

Each listener gets a private subscribe link that opens your private podcast in their podcast app. The full walkthrough of how that works on their end (and the apps they can use) lives in the Listener Hub, which is the resource to send them if they get stuck.

First, confirm they're using their own subscribe link (links are unique per listener and won't work if shared). If they've subscribed but new episodes aren't appearing, most podcast apps check for updates every few hours rather than instantly. For more help with this, see How do I get my listeners to subscribe to my private podcast?, and feel free to send the Listener Hub link to help them with their particular app if they're stuck.

Episode order follows either the publish date or the drag and drop organization you did in your feed. If something's out of place, open the episode and check its date or position setting. You can reorder episodes anytime without affecting your listeners' subscriptions. One of the most common issues is around personal settings. You have to tell your app how to deliver the episodes (newest first, and so on), so your settings may not match your intention. Go to the Listener Hub for help with your particular app. This is also what your listeners will experience, so plan for this to happen with popular feeds.

You can adjust your setup later, so a reasonable choice now beats waiting until you're certain! Choose the type that matches what you set out to build, and if you're unsure, What are the different feed types? lays out the differences.

Need help getting your first feed live? Message us in the chat or email [email protected] and we'll help you get up and running.