On Apple Podcasts, being seen means being heard. With 50% of listeners discovering new podcasts by browsing their app, optimizing your visibility is essential. Thanks to the app’s four main tabs—Home, Browse, Library, and Search—you can maximize your chances of being discovered. Here’s how to use them strategically to attract more listeners. 🚀
When we talk about growing an audience, we often think about social media promotion, collaborations, or communication campaigns. But there’s one often-overlooked lever: optimizing your visibility directly within listening platforms.
According to a 2024 study by The Podcast Host, 50% of listeners discover new podcasts by navigating their listening app. In other words, if your show doesn’t appear in the right places, you might be missing out on a huge audience.
At Ausha, we recommend a four-step strategy inspired by the four main tabs of Apple Podcasts. Why? Because each tab represents a unique opportunity to improve your visibility and attract more listeners.
Apple Podcasts has four main tabs located at the bottom of the app:
In this article, you’ll learn how to leverage each tab to boost your visibility. Ready to optimize your presence on Apple Podcasts? Let’s go! 🚀
When a user opens Apple Podcasts, they immediately land on the Home tab, or “Listen Now” in English. This section features:
Getting featured here means maximum visibility among listeners as soon as they open the app.
Apple Podcasts regularly highlights shows through editorial selections. Unlike what you might think, this isn’t purely algorithm-driven—there’s an editorial team that handpicks podcasts to showcase.
The good news? You can submit your podcast for consideration by filling out a dedicated form.
📌 Good to know: Apple places high importance on visuals. A professional, eye-catching cover, well-designed promotional assets, and a strong brand identity can be key factors in getting selected.
➡️ Submit your podcast for editorial promotion here and make sure your visual identity is polished before sending your request.
The second tab on Apple Podcasts, “Browse”, is entirely dedicated to charts and trending content. This is where you’ll find:
The more your podcast appears here, the higher your chances of being discovered by new listeners.
Apple Podcasts rankings are based on several factors:
In other words, to maximize your chances of ranking higher:
If you want to optimize your strategy, you need to monitor your position in the charts regularly. That’s where Ausha Charts comes in—a completely free tool that lets you track your ranking on Apple Podcasts by country, category, and platform.
💡 Actionable Tip: Check Ausha Charts to see where you stand and analyze trends from top-performing podcasts in your category.
Unlike the previous tabs, this one is more personal. It gathers podcasts that the user has already listened to or subscribed to.
I get it—this might seem like the tab where you have the least control. But don’t let that fool you—you can still make an impact!
Because the more subscribers you have, the more Apple Podcasts sees your show as engaging and relevant. And that can help boost your visibility in the other tabs.
Subscribing is a simple but crucial action. The challenge? Many listeners don’t think about it on their own. It’s up to you to remind them!
To do this, at the beginning and end of each episode, encourage your audience to subscribe to your show so they receive notifications and find your podcast easily in their Library.
Here’s how you can prompt subscriptions in a clear and direct way:
Want to create a sense of exclusivity? Try:
Or, to foster engagement and connection with your audience, say:
💡 Actionable Tip: Add a call to subscribe at the beginning and end of every episode to maximize audience engagement.
Last but definitely not least: the Search tab. When a user looks for a new podcast, they typically type a keyword into the search bar. If your podcast is well-optimized, it has a better chance of appearing in the results—and being discovered.
Podcast search engine optimization is called PSO (Podcast Search Optimization). The goal is to strategically integrate high-value keywords into:
The key is to select keywords your audience is actively searching for—ones with a high search volume but moderate competition.
At Ausha, we’ve developed the PSO Control Panel, a tool that helps you analyze your podcast’s search performance and optimize your metadata to rank higher in search results.
With the PSO Control Panel, you can:
💡 Actionable Tip: Make a list of 20 relevant keywords, analyze their presence on Apple Podcasts, and strategically integrate them into your titles and descriptions.
As you’ve seen, visibility on Apple Podcasts isn’t random. Each tab in the app is a key opportunity to introduce your podcast to new listeners.
🚀 In summary, here’s what you can start doing today:
✔️ Request editorial promotion to appear on the Home tab
✔️ Track and improve your ranking with Ausha Charts to gain visibility in Browse
✔️ Encourage subscriptions consistently so your podcast stays in listeners’ Library
✔️ Optimize your metadata with the PSO Control Panel to rank higher in Search results
💡 Remember: The easier your podcast is to find, the more listens you’ll get!
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