Updated November 9, 2021
Most recent update:
As of November 2021, Apple Podcast Connect has reinstated the "Refresh" button allowing podcasters to push through any changes made to their RSS feed that may be appearing too slowly. Read more from Apple here.
Even though podcasting is an audio medium, your show's artwork is the first thing a new listener sees in their feed. So, making sure the cover art for your show stands out is important! However, if you've recently updated your podcast artwork you may not be seeing the new look in Apple Podcast. Why is that?
What's changed?
Apple Podcasts has recently launched updates of their app and their Apple Podcasts Connect platform. In the aftermath of these updates, many podcasters (and podcast listeners) have experienced frustrations in their experience.
One such issue is new artwork not showing up in the Apple Podcasts library. If you've just spent hours designing your new artwork, this could be really discouraging.
What can be done?
Historically, once you log in, you would need to manually update your new artwork within Connect and press "refresh feed". With the sudden disappearance of the refresh feed button, many podcasters are left thinking "what now?" According to Apple, the updates to your RSS feed will be detected (if submitted correctly) within 24-48 hours and you'll no longer need to push through the update. Therefore, all you need to do is update your artwork from within your Acast dashboard and wait. If your issue persists, we suggest reaching out to Apple for assistance.
Other known issues
Submissions and Connect crashing have not been the only issues our podcasters have been experiencing. A few of the other known issues include:
Episodes taking longer than usual to appear in the Apple library.
Episodes disappearing entirely
Apple Podcasts Connect is crashing or not loading for many users.