Private Podcast | Which podcast apps support protected podcasts?

For a protected podcast, use the personal RSS feed URL from your invitation or listener account. Keep the full URL private. Its access token can give another person access to your feed.

Apple Podcasts on iPhone and iPad

Open Library in Apple Podcasts.
Open the More menu.
Select Follow a Show by URL.
Enter your personal RSS feed URL.
Select Follow.

See Apple's instructions for feeds.

Pocket Casts

Put the full personal feed URL in the app's search field. Then follow the podcast. If you use the submission form, select Private. See Pocket Casts instructions for private feeds.

Other apps

Overcast: use Add URL on the Add Podcast screen.
Podcast Addict: select +, then RSS feed. Enter the feed URL. If the feed requires a username and password, enable Authentication.
Downcast: add the feed manually. If necessary, enter your listener credentials.

For other apps, use the app provider's current instructions for private RSS feeds. Menu names can differ between app versions and languages.

Private following is different from public submission

The app steps above add your personal feed to your own library. They do not submit the publisher's show to a public directory. A publisher should never use a listener's token URL for public submission.

Spotify

The personal-feed method above is not a way to add an arbitrary private RSS URL to Spotify. Protected listening on Spotify uses a separate supported access connection, such as Spotify Open Access. See the Spotify Open Access setup. It is not automatically enabled by creating a protected podcast. The podcast owner must confirm that the required connection and listener access are configured.

If the owner has not provided a Spotify access route, use one of the compatible private-feed apps described above. Do not submit your personal feed publicly to make it work. For a different app, check that its current instructions explicitly support adding private RSS feeds. See public links versus protected access before choosing how to share the podcast.

If access fails

Make sure that you copied the full URL. If access still fails, contact the podcast owner. Give the owner the app name and the error message. Do not put passwords or personal feed URLs in public forums or screenshots.