Distribution is the name of the game when it comes to any kind of content, and podcasting is no different. We all want easy, and ideally automated, ways to share our content everywhere our audience is already hanging out.
To help with this, we’ve built beautiful, responsive players and Playlist Players to allow you to easily share your content on websites.
But what about sharing on social media, in platforms like Slack and Teams, or on other community platforms?
Sometimes it’s a bit cumbersome.
Not anymore, we’ve brought the power of automatically embedded players to Castos.
Here’s how it works.
You’ve just published your best episode yet. The content is fire, the audio quality is pristine, and you’re ready to share it with the world.
So you copy that episode link and paste it into your LinkedIn post, Slack channel, or community platform like Skool.
What happens next? A plain, boring text link that looks like this:
Your audience sees a generic link with zero context about what they’re about to click. No episode artwork, no play button, no indication this is even audio content. Most people scroll right past it.
This isn’t just a cosmetic problem…it’s costing you listeners.
But what if your audience saw this instead?
You’re in luck, that’s what you get now.
Why Plain Links Kill Your Content Distribution
When your episode links don’t display properly, several things happen that hurt your podcast growth:
- Reduced Click-Through Rates: Plain text links get significantly fewer clicks than rich media previews. Your audience needs visual cues to understand what they’re clicking on and why it’s worth their time.
- Lost Context: Without episode artwork, titles, or descriptions visible in the preview, potential listeners have no idea what your content is about. They’re essentially clicking blind.
- Missed Social Proof: When your episodes don’t display with proper branding and professional-looking players, you miss opportunities to showcase your podcast’s quality and legitimacy.
- Platform Algorithm Penalties: Social media algorithms favor content that generates engagement. Plain links that get ignored hurt your reach and visibility for future posts.
- Wasted Promotion Efforts: Every time you share a plain link, you’re essentially throwing away the time and effort you put into creating that promotional post.
The bigger problem?
This happens everywhere you share: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Slack workspaces, Microsoft Teams channels, Discord servers, and community platforms like Circle or Skool.
Each missed opportunity compounds.
Introducing oEmbed Support: Your Episodes Now Embed Everywhere
Today, we’re solving this distribution challenge with oEmbed support for the Castos player.
Here’s what changes immediately: When you share a Castos episode link anywhere that supports oEmbed (which is most places), your link automatically transforms into a rich, interactive player preview.
Instead of seeing a generic link, your audience now sees this:
- Your episode artwork prominently displayed
- The episode title and description
- A play button they can click without leaving the platform
- Professional player branding
- Clear visual indication this is audio content they’re going to love
How oEmbed Works (The Simple Version)
oEmbed is a web standard that allows platforms to automatically generate rich previews for shared links. When you paste a Castos episode URL into a supported platform, that platform asks Castos: “Hey, what should this link look like?”
Castos responds with all the information needed to display your episode beautifully—artwork, title, player controls, and more. The platform then shows this rich preview instead of a plain link.
The best part?
This happens automatically. You don’t need to do anything different. Just share your episode links like you always have, and they’ll now display with embedded players.
Where Your Episodes Will Now Auto-Embed
oEmbed support means your Castos episodes will display with rich players across these platforms:
- Canva
- WordPress
- Medium
- Discourse
- Kickstarter
- IndieGoGo
- Bit.ly
- Coursera
- Trello
- Udemy
- Fuse.tv
- AirBNB
- Sharethis
- Asana
- Notion
- Gumroad
- Atlassian tools
- Linear
- Drift
- Coda
- Pitch
- Most social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn
- Most community platforms like: Skool, Circle, Mighty Networks
The list continues growing as more platforms adopt oEmbed standards.
Getting Started: It’s Already Live
The best news? oEmbed support is already active for all Castos customers. You don’t need to:
- Update any settings
- Install new plugins
- Change how you share content
- Pay additional fees
Simply share your Castos episode links as you normally would. The platforms will handle the rest automatically.
Maximizing Your oEmbed Impact
To get the most from this new capability:
Optimize Your Episode Artwork: Since your artwork now displays prominently in social previews, ensure it’s high-quality and eye-catching. Consider artwork that works well at small sizes.
Write Compelling Episode Titles: Your episode titles appear in rich previews, so make them engaging and benefit-focused.
Share Strategically: Test different sharing approaches on various platforms to see where your embedded players generate the most engagement.
Track Performance: Monitor your Castos analytics to see which sharing channels drive the most plays from embedded players.
Ready to See oEmbed in Action?
Your Castos episodes are already equipped with oEmbed support. The next time you share an episode link on LinkedIn, Slack, Discord, or any supported platform, watch as your plain link transforms into a rich, engaging player preview.
Want to experience the full power of Castos’s distribution tools? Start your free 14-day trial and see how professional podcast hosting can amplify your content across every platform where your audience spends time.
Your episodes deserve more than generic links. Give them the rich, professional presentation that turns casual scrollers into engaged listeners.
