Podcast subscription and consumption in the US is growing rapidly every month. Statistics show that one out of every five Americans has listened to a podcast. This means the market and the audiences for this medium is growing.

Although the data is pretty encouraging for many podcasters, there is still the challenge of making it amongst the many podcasts from all over the globe. Many bloggers are already starting their own podcasts, which makes the industry a tad bit competitive.

Making it on top of the charts and to the new and noteworthy section on iTunes are sure ways of gaining traction and new audiences to your podcasts. But, how do you really make it to the top?

What is new and noteworthy?

This part appears on top of every podcast category on iTunes. This is where new and interesting podcasts appear. This appears on the front page of every category.

Sometimes, this section only has two rows depending on the screen or device used. At most, there can be 16 new and noteworthy podcasts that can be shown at a given time.

Why it matters?

Appearing on this list will allow you to gain more listeners to your podcast. This will get people’s attention and help drive the popularity of your podcast.

Most often when you’re in the new and noteworthy, you get thousands of downloads for your podcast. This also increases reviews and subscription rates. However, the numbers might vary depending on your show.

Your goal is to make a good impression while you are a part of the new and noteworthy podcasts. This pushes your podcast on top positions for every category you’re in.

Making it to new and noteworthy

Once your podcast has been accepted by iTunes, it spends its first eight weeks, more or less, on this section because it is new. This is the easy part. As long as your podcast is less than eight weeks old, you’re already in.

However, the noteworthy bit can be a challenge. This is mostly dependent on the iTunes algorithm, which is not transparent to begin with.

The iTunes secret

Many of the podcasts who are also on the new and noteworthy list are those who already have a big audience through their own blogs or have big names. For one who is starting out on their journey to podcasting, this might seem scary.

However, it is important to note that iTunes is secretive about their algorithm. It is completely unknown how you get ranked. Apple is not transparent with how their algorithm works.

Ranking higher on iTunes

Since decoding this secret is difficult, your only solution to dominate in your category on iTunes is to create high quality shows.

• Good audio quality. If you have an audio podcast, make sure that the sound quality is good. It matters to your listeners that you produce shows with good audio quality. This has to do with the editing, equipment, and the way you are recording. Ensure that you are recording during a quiet time and in a quiet environment. Nobody wants to listen to a show filled with ambient and background noises. Whether it’s traffic or crying babies, it will be annoying to your listeners.

• Reviews. Getting reviews is also another strategy to improve your ranking on iTunes. You don’t need to have a ton of reviews, but start with a good solid number on your show. You can start by asking your Facebook followers and friends to listen to your show and do a review and also personally email your subscribers or friends. Make sure that you ask for written reviews and not just ratings. Reviews make you and your podcast look credible. This gives potential listeners an idea as to how you produce and what your shows are all about.

• Downloads. Having tons of downloads can make so much of a difference in making into that list. However, the number of downloads that you need to make it might vary depending on the category that you are in. For competitive ones, you might need to have hundreds of downloads in a day.

• Great copy. Don’t underestimate the power of having a good copy for your show. Don’t just put your podcast title and the name of the show. If possible, be creative with your episode titles to entice more potential listeners to download your podcast. Think of it as writing an interesting magazine title.

• Multiple episodes. If you are just launching your podcast, ensure that you have multiple episodes ready. Don’t just publish a single podcast episode. Having a few ready gives your podcast some sort of activity. Having three or more episodes ready gives listeners more opportunity to download more of your podcast.

Getting that coveted ranking on iTunes takes work and effort on your part. It is about being conscious of everything that you put out for your audiences. If you need assistance in your rankings, reach out to podcast engineers.

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