Create and Publish a New Episode in Simplecast

This guide walks you through the full episode workflow from upload to distribution:

• How to add a video/audio episode
• How to schedule and publish audio episodes
• How to schedule and publish video episodes
• FAQs

In Simplecast, you can create and publish both audio and video episodes in a single workflow. You can distribute your audio episodes on all major podcast apps and publish video episodes directly to YouTube. You can also convert each format into the other. For each audio episode, you can automatically create a video version (also known as an audiogram) to publish it on YouTube, while you can also opt to extract high-quality audio from a video episode to publish across podcast apps via RSS. 

Considerations:

• While you can upload both audio and video files for an episode in the same workflow, you must schedule and publish them separately—audio through the RSS section and video through the YouTube section. See details below in the Scheduling and Publishing guide. 
• Once your video is published on YouTube, you can update most of its metadata — such as the title, description, tags, category, and privacy status — right from Simplecast. 
• Video ad markers are not yet supported for video episodes.

Add your Episode

1. On your show’s dashboard, select the Episodes tab. 
2. Click the Add Episode button in the top-right corner of your dashboard.
3. Enter the Episode title in the text box. The Episode Title you enter in Simplecast is mapped automatically to the YouTube Episode Title for video episodes published on YouTube.
4. If the episode contains explicit language, click the corresponding checkbox.
5. If you are adding an audio episode and you want Simplecast to automatically convert it into an audiogram, click the Create Audiogram checkbox. Later, in the scheduling and publishing section, you can publish this video version of your audio episode on YouTube.

6. Upload your video file: 

a. Click the upload box to select a video file from your computer or drag and drop a video file on top of the box to upload.

• Supported formats: MP4 and MOV. The file size cannot exceed 50 GB.

Note: Depending on your file size, the upload might take between one and 30 minutes. 

• If you want to cancel the upload, you can do it while the video is uploading by clicking the three-dotted menu on the right side of the video file box and selecting Cancel Upload.

• Once uploaded, you can play your video in the Episode Details page by clicking the uploaded file. 
  • If you uploaded the wrong video, you can remove it and replace it with another file:
    • On the Episode Details page, click the ⋯ menu on the video file tile.
    • Select Delete.
    • Upload the correct file.

b. Extract an audio version (Optional)

Above the Video Upload box, on the right, you’ll find the Audio Extraction toggle. When enabled, this feature generates a high-quality MP3 version of your video, which can be published across podcast apps via RSS—after you select the appropriate feed and schedule or publish the audio version of the episode. 

This option can also be managed in Show Settings, where you can enable it for all video episodes of your show.

• If enabled at the show level, the episode toggle defaults to ON, and you can turn it off for specific episodes if you want.
• If disabled at the show level, the episode toggle defaults to OFF and you can turn it on as needed per episode.

Note: Audio extraction may take a few minutes depending on the file size. You can save your episode while extraction is still in progress—the process will continue running in the background.

You can preview or download this audio version at any time. To do so:

• Once you’ve finished entering all episode information, click Save to store your entries.
• In your episode dashboard, scroll down to the Promotion section and locate MP3 Download.
• On the right side, click Episode Audio to copy the MP3 link.
• Open a new browser tab, paste the MP3 link into the address bar, and press Enter.
• Click Play to preview the audio version of your video.
• In the browser player, click the three-dot menu (⋮) for the MP3 file and select Download to save it to your computer.

7. Upload an audio file. 

a. Upload your own audio file (optional)

If you have a finalized audio version of your episode:

• Click the Upload Audio box to select a file, or drag and drop it into the field.
• Recommended: Upload MP3 files at 128 kbps.
• Supported formats: MP3, M4A, WAV
  • M4A and WAV files will be transcoded to MP3 (128 kbps).
  • MP3 files at 128 kbps or lower will not be re-encoded.

If you opted to generate an audiogram (see Step 5 above), after saving your episode details, go to the YouTube Distribution section of the Episode Details page to schedule or publish the audiogram.

b. If Extract Audio is enabled

If you uploaded a video file and turned on the Extract Audio toggle, the audio file field will show that the extraction is in progress.

Note: Audio extraction begins when you save your episode and may take several minutes depending on file size.

c. If you plan to monetize the audio episode, add Ad Markers after the upload—set pre‑roll, mid‑roll, and/or post‑roll positions to define where ads should be inserted in the audio (RSS) version.

Note: Ad markers apply to the audio RSS version only; video ad markers aren’t supported.

8. Continue adding episode details: 

Episode Type

Select the appropriate Episode Type:

• Full – A complete episode of your show.
• Trailer – A short, promotional preview of an upcoming show or season.
• Bonus – Extra content such as behind-the-scenes material or interviews. More on episode types

Season

• This option is available only if your Show Type is set to Episodic with Seasons or Serial.
• Click the drop-down menu to select an existing season or Add a New Season.

(Learn more about show types.)

Episode #

• Enter the episode number to define its order within the show or season.
• The last published episode number is displayed below for reference.

Episode Summary

• Provide a brief, one- to two-sentence overview of the episode.
• Use plain text only—hyperlinks and formatting are not supported here.

Episode Notes

• Add a detailed description of the episode, including discussion topics, segment highlights, timestamps, and relevant links.
• We recommend including social media links and contact information to encourage audience engagement.
• You can format your text using the built-in text editor (bold, italic, lists, links) or click MARKDOWN to switch to Markdown mode.
• Episode Notes are automatically mapped to the YouTube Episode Description for video episodes published on YouTube.

Note: Images are not supported in Episode Notes.

Episode Notes Footer

Use the Episode Notes Footer to add text at the end of all your Episodes. The Episode Notes Footer is automatically mapped to the YouTube Episode Description for video episodes published on YouTube.

Episode Contributors

List everyone featured or mentioned in the episode. Contributor names appear in your RSS feed and may also display in podcast directories that support contributor metadata.

Search Keywords

Add relevant keywords to improve discoverability and help new listeners find your episode. Search Keywords are automatically mapped to YouTube tags for video episodes published on YouTube.

YouTube Visibility Status

Choose how your episode appears on YouTube:

• Public (selected by default) — Visible on your channel and eligible to appear in search, recommendations, and browse. Subscribers may receive notifications. Shareable and embeddable.
• Unlisted — Not shown on your channel, in search, or recommendations. Anyone with the direct link can watch; the link can be shared and the video can be embedded. No subscriber notifications.
• Private — Only you (and specific accounts you explicitly grant access to) can view. Not shareable or embeddable; hidden from your channel, search, and recommendations.

You can change visibility later after publishing.

YouTube Category

Select the category that best describes your video (e.g., Education, Entertainment, News & Politics, People & Blogs, Science & Technology, Sports, Music, Comedy). This helps YouTube understand the context of your content and may improve discoverability.

Note: Category applies to the YouTube upload only; it does not affect your RSS distribution.

Episode Art (Optional)

The square image that represents the episode across podcast apps/directories, your Simplecast site, and embed players.

• Default behavior: If you don’t upload episode art, Simplecast uses your show art.
• Optional override: Upload episode-specific art for this episode.
• Specs: 3000×3000 px (square), JPG recommended; PNG/GIF accepted.
• Best practices: High-contrast imagery, minimal text, readable at small sizes, keep key elements away from edges.

YouTube Thumbnail

Set the image viewers see before playback.

• Default behavior: Simplecast uses your show art.
• Optional override: Upload a YouTube-specific thumbnail during publish if you want a different image on YouTube.
• Recommended specs: 1280×720 px (min width 640), 16:9 aspect ratio, JPG/PNG/GIF, up to 2 MB.
• Best practices: High contrast, faces when possible, minimal text, and brand-safe margins so key elements aren’t cropped on mobile.
• The YouTube Thumbnail in Simplecast is automatically mapped to the YouTube thumbnail for video episodes published on YouTube. If you do not set the YouTube Thumbnail at the episode level, Simplecast will use the YouTube Thumbnail you’ve set in Show Settings.

Episode Privacy

• Toggle Private on to hide the episode from your RSS feed, Simplecast site, and embed players.
• Private episodes can still be shared via a shareable link, and analytics are collected as usual.
• Alternate Episode URL (Optional)
• Add an alternate link where listeners can find your episode—for example, a dedicated page on your own website.

Note: The episode metadata you enter—Title, Episode Notes/Footer, Search Keywords, and Thumbnail—is synced to YouTube and serves as the single source of truth for both RSS and YouTube publishing. Episode details are mapped as follows:

9. Save your Episode Details

When finished adding your episode information and a video file has been uploaded, click Save Draft in the top-right corner. You will be automatically directed to the Episode Publishing/Scheduling page, where you can schedule or publish the episode.

On the Episodes tab, video episodes are marked with a camera icon and audio episodes with a waveform icon, making it easy to distinguish the two formats at a glance.

Schedule & Publish Audio Episodes

You can schedule episodes to publish on a future date and time or select a past date in the calendar picker and and publish immediately to a date and time in the past.

The following steps take place after filling out the Episode Details and uploading the audio file:

​Click on Save Draft: When finished adding Episode Details and an audio file has been uploaded, click on 'Save Draft' in the top-right corner. You will be automatically directed to the Episode Promotion Page where you can schedule or publish the episode.
​

Schedule or Publish Now: Click the drop-down menu and select 'Publish' to publish the episode immediately or check 'Schedule' to select a date and time when you want to publish the episode. Episodes can be scheduled to publish in the future or you can select a past date and publish to that date immediately.

To Schedule Episode:

1. Click the dropdown menu

2. Select 'Schedule'

3. Select Date from the calendar picker

4. Select Time at the bottom of the calendar picker

5. Click off the minimize the calendar

6. Click on the green 'Schedule' button

7. Click 'Yes' to confirm or 'No' to Cancel

ℹ️ Scheduling times are based on your Publishing Time Zone settings found in 'Show Settings'. Learn more about publishing time zones.

To Publish Episode in the Past:

1. Click the drop-down menu

2. Select 'Schedule'

3. Click the back arrows on the calendar if necessary

4. Select a past date and time

5. Click on the green 'Publish' button

To Publish Episode Immediately:

1. Click the drop-down menu

2. Select 'Publish' and you should see the adjacent checkmark

3. Click the green 'Publish' button

4. Click 'Yes' to publish the episode to your RSS Feed immediately

5. Click 'No' to cancel the publishing of the episode

How To Edit Scheduled Episodes

Edit Scheduled Date:

Update your scheduled date and time to a date in the future.

Unschedule:

Unschedule episode and set back to Draft Mode.

​Publish:

Publish episode immediately to your RSS Feed.

Instructions:

1. Click on 'Episodes' in the top navigation menu

2. Click on an Episode Card that is labeled as 'Scheduled'

3. Click on the ellipses (...) and select Edit Scheduled Date, Unschedule, or Publish

4. Follow the prompts

How To Un-Publish Episodes or Change Publishing Date

Unpublishing an episode will remove the episode from your RSS Feed, Simplecast website, and all of the podcast directories (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc).

Note: It can take up to 24 hours for all of the directories to update and remove the episode after an episode has been unpublished. 

To unpublish and episode:

1. Click on Episodes in the top navigation menu

2. Click on the already published episode to open the Episode Promotion page

3. Click on the ellipsis (...) next to the publish date and time

4. Click on 'Unpublish'

5. Click 'Yes' to unpublish the episode and click on 'No' to Cancel.

Schedule & Publish Video Episodes

Important! If you extracted an audio version for your video episode or uploaded your own audio file, you need to schedule/ publish it following the usual process for audio episodes. 

You can publish a video episode on one or multiple YouTube playlists. And you can choose a different publication date for each playlist. 

1. On the Episode Publishing page, navigate to the YouTube section. A list of all YouTube playlists your show is connected to is displayed, along with their current episode status (i.e., Scheduled/Published)
2. Navigate to the playlist to which you want to publish your episode. 
3. To schedule an episode for future publication:

• Click the Schedule Episode field and select the date and the time from the calendar picker.
• Click the Schedule drop-down and select Schedule. 

4. To publish it immediately, click the Schedule drop-down and select Publish. 
5. Repeat steps b, c, and d for any additional playlists you want to schedule.

Tip: Click the Channel/Playlist name  to navigate directly to YouTube to the respective channel/playlist. 

Edit Schedule / Publication Date

You can change the scheduled or publication date for a specific episode and playlist. 

Navigate to the playlist for which you want to change the scheduled or publication date. On the right, click the three-dotted menu, and select the appropriate action. The following options are available:

For published episodes: 

• Edit Publish Date - Update the publication date for an already published episode. 
• Unpublish - Removes the episode from YouTube. 
• Schedule to Unpublish - Pick a date and time for your episode to be unpublished and hence removed from YouTube. 

For scheduled episodes:

• Unschedule - Removes the schedule date and sets it back to Draft Mode.
• Edit Scheduled Date  - Pick another date and time for your episode to go live.

Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.

Cancel a video upload to YouTube

You can only cancel a YouTube upload while the publishing process is still in progress—that is, when the Processing label appears in the episode’s YouTube destination. Uploading and processing a video on YouTube can take several minutes, depending on file size.

1. Open the episode’s publishing page and navigate to the YouTube section.
2. On the playlist showing Processing, click the three-dots menu (⋯)  
3. Select Cancel Upload.
4. In the confirmation modal, click Confirm to halt the upload.

What happens next

• The YouTube upload has stopped and will not be published.
• The YouTube destination status is cleared (you can schedule/publish again later).
• The settings for the audio episode are unaffected.

FAQs

Can I replace a video that has already been published on YouTube?

Yes. You can replace a video for an episode that’s already been published to YouTube. However, replacing a video will remove the original from all designated YouTube playlists and set it to Private (no longer publicly viewable).

When you upload a new video in its place:

• The replacement will have a new YouTube link (video ID).
• All YouTube performance metrics (views, likes, comments, etc.) will reset and reflect only the new video’s performance.
• The new video will take over the visual preview and metadata in Simplecast.
• It will inherit any existing Simplecast metadata fields at the time of re-upload.
• The original video will no longer be accessible via public view in the UI (Simplecast & YouTube).

Note: This change cannot be undone. Once replaced, the original YouTube video and its metrics cannot be restored in Simplecast. You can unpublish in Simplecast and restore the previous video in YouTube by changing its status from Private to Public. 

If I enable YouTube for my show, can I still upload a separate audio file, or does the audio have to come from the video file?

Yes, you can still upload a separate audio file. When your show is connected to YouTube, you have three options for each episode:

• Upload a video file and auto-extract audio
  Simplecast will automatically generate an audio file from your video and use it for RSS distribution.
• Upload a video file and a separate audio file
  You can disable automatic audio extraction and upload your own finalized audio file instead.
• Upload a video file only
  You can choose to publish only the video episode to YouTube without distributing an audio version to podcast apps.

Can I edit a video after it’s been uploaded?

No. If you need to update a video file, you must delete it from Simplecast, make your edits in your editing software, and then upload the revised version.

Can I add chapters to my video content?

Not in this release. Chapter support may be considered in a future update.

Are there file type or size restrictions I should know about?

Yes. You can upload MP4 and MOV files, and the maximum file size is 50 GB.

Will YouTube still monetize my video content if I upload it through Simplecast?

Yes. YouTube continues to manage monetization directly in YouTube Studio under its existing monetization policies. This release supports publishing and analytics only.

What happens to videos already on my YouTube channel before I enable the integration?

Simplecast analytics and publishing features apply only to videos you upload through the YouTube integration after it has been enabled. Videos published to YouTube prior to setup will not appear in Simplecast or be tracked in Simplecast reporting.