[FAQ]

I create a lot of audio content for my podcast, and I’m looking for new ways to share previews with my email list. I had the idea to embed a short, playable audio clip directly into my newsletter so people could listen right there in the email.

Is this a good and effective strategy in 2025? I’m wondering if it actually works in most email clients like Gmail and Apple Mail, or if there are major downsides like deliverability problems or technical glitches.

[Jeff Bullas]

While the idea of embedding a playable audio clip directly into an email is very appealing for engagement, its effectiveness in practice is severely limited by a major technical challenge: a lack of consistent support across major email clients.

First, to make audio playable within an email, you typically need to use the HTML5

Second, while some email clients, particularly Apple Mail, do have better support for embedded audio, you cannot control which email client your subscriber uses to open your message. Because of this inconsistency, you cannot guarantee a reliable or uniform experience for your audience, which makes it a risky strategy for any important piece of content.

Third, the much safer, more reliable, and universally recommended best practice is to simulate an audio player. This is a very effective alternative. You would create a static image that looks like an audio player – this could be a simple bar with a “play” button icon, or perhaps an image of your podcast cover art with a waveform graphic overlaid on it.

You then take this entire image and link it directly to your audio file. This could be a link to the episode on your website, on a podcast platform like Spotify, or a direct link to the audio file itself.

When a subscriber clicks this image, they are taken to a web page where the audio will play for them reliably in their browser. This method works across all email clients, provides a consistent experience for every user, and still effectively drives traffic to your audio content. It also allows you to accurately track the clicks on that link, giving you a clear measure of engagement.

In summary, due to the inconsistent support across major email clients, embedding playable audio directly into an email is not a recommended or reliable practice. The standard professional approach is to use a compelling image that looks like an audio player and link it to your audio content hosted online.

[Author]

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