A directory is a destination. Not your source of truth.

Track access and inclusion separately

Apple distinguishes direct following by RSS URL from discovery inside its catalog. That illustrates a broader operational distinction worth recording: whether a feed can be retrieved and whether a destination has accepted the show. Keep evidence of each result instead of assuming that one establishes the other.

Keep a maintainable listing record

Record the destination, public listing URL, submitted feed address, controlling account, and last meaningful verification. Do not place login secrets in a general editorial document. Add the procedure for a correction or ownership change. A modest map you can maintain is more useful than a neglected list of every possible destination.

Prioritize the intended audience

Choose destinations according to audience relevance and your ability to support them. Before submitting, prepare approved show text and artwork. After submitting, record what actually appears and which administrative actions remain unresolved. Do not promise a universal approval time or invent a total number of listeners reached by submission alone.