Podcasters who have shows on Apple Podcasts may have received an email from Apple. For those that did not get that email, Podnews has posted a copy of it. It turns out that part of the information in that email was incorrect.
The email from Apple started with “Dear Podcast Provider”. The email was focused on pointing out updates “to help improve the experience for your listeners on Apple Podcasts.” Here is a portion of the email that is correct:
Manage Show Launches
You can now hide shows while being reviewed for approval. This way you can easily manage the launch of new shows directly from Podcasts Connect.
Simply select Hide Podcast after submitting it for review – this action will not impact or delay the feed’s review process. When approved, you can then select Unhide Podcast and allow up to 24 hours for your show to become searchable on Apple Podcasts.
Learn more about planning and promoting your new shows on Podcast Marketing Best Practices.
Podnews received a response from an Apple Podcast support team member who confirmed that the portion of the email about Updates to Host and Guest Image Specifications was inaccurate. Apple updated the aspect ratio of images of hosts and guests displayed on the show and episode pages (but made some mistakes). The correct information is:
Requirements:
- Square aspect ratio
- Minimum Size: 1440 x 1440 pixels, Preferred: 2400 x 2400 pixels
- Format: PNG or JPG
Guidelines:
- One person per image
- Talent should face and look into the camera
- Fit the entire face of the person within the image
- Follow the eyebrow and lip guidelines
- Leave padding between the edge of the image and the face
- No borders of any kind
- No pixelation or low-resolution images
- No typography or logos of any kind
- Don’t crop head, ears, or chin.
There is a Holiday Submission Schedule that podcasters need to know about. If you plan to release new shows on Apple Podcasts in November or December, be aware of the following periods of delayed submission activity: November 22 to December 2, and December 23 to January 2.