How To Create An RSS Feed For A Podcast


Published: | By POWR

So, you’ve already started on your podcast, or you are coming up with new content. Either way, you love what you do, and you dream of attracting a massive amount of followers. You can build up fans by swiftly notifying your listener base of relevant content as soon as it’s available.

Really Simple Syndications (RSS) can help you do this. It allows content creators to reach their followers quickly. It also allows listeners to discover new podcasts on their preferred platforms. Applications like RSS Feed widgets even let you showcase the content of public RSS feeds from an external website on your digital workplace. 

What Is A Podcast RSS Feed?

A podcast-only RSS feed distributes audio content throughout the Internet. An RSS feed will promote your podcast to your listeners by highlighting it on their listening platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Google Play. 

You can also submit your RSS feed to various RSS directories. These directories are automatically updated as new content comes in.

But you might be wondering if RSS feeds are still being used, since there are so many other platforms for getting updated info - such as twitter and Google News. Well, the answer is most definitely. An RSS feed is the one of the only ways your audience can directly discover your podcast’s content, without it being hosted on a different platform like Spotify. Your podcast will not appear on your website or other podcast directories without an RSS feed, making it extremely difficult for people to find. 

Podcast RSS-Feed Requirements

Aside from the audio file, some of the recommended tags for the most popular podcasting platforms (e.g. Google Play and Apple Podcasts) include the title, description, category, author, summary, image, show notes, language, and explicit rating.

Podcast Hosting

To create a podcast RSS-feed URL, you first need to host your podcast. There are two primary ways to make your podcast RSS feed—from scratch or through a podcast hosting provider.

Creating An RSS Feed

You may opt to create an RSS feed from scratch. If you already host content on a website and maintain a server, you can host podcasts and generate your RSS feed. Free and open-source RSS creation programs allow you to upload your podcasts to your website and manage the feed by yourself.

Through an RSS creation program, you can begin by creating a new feed, giving it a title, and including the URL on your website. You then input the definition of your feed and line it up for generation. As you add content, register the unique URL of each piece of content to the RSS feed. Once done, you can generate an XML file that allows listeners to subscribe to your RSS feed.

Upload Podcast Files To The RSS Feed

Once you’ve successfully created an RSS feed for a podcast, you must then upload your podcast’s audio content. Your RSS feed will only pick up the latest content you create and upload.

After you’ve chosen to create your RSS feed, you’ve got to make sure that you upload your latest podcast files to your website or to the same URL from which the RSS feed is pulling. 

While uploading new podcast files, add the URL of those files to the RSS feed through your chosen RSS creation program or application. This way, it recognizes the newly added file and delivers it to podcast distributors such as Google, Apple and others.

You just need to upload your new podcast content through a hosted podcast platform at the soonest possible time. Through distributors like RSS.com, you can upload your latest podcast, and the RSS feed automatically picks it up.

Submit A Podcast RSS Feed To Distributors

You want your podcast to be available on as many platforms as possible. To target wider audiences, you may submit your RSS-feed URL to Google Play, iTunes and other platforms.

How To Locate Your Podcast RSS-Feed URL

You may find yourself in a situation where you already have a website hosting your podcasts, or you’ve already set up your RSS feed. The next step is to locate the URL for the RSS feed to submit to the podcast distributors of your liking, which you can do by utilizing your different podcast tools.

With a service such as RSS.com, you have to visit the site to retrieve the RSS-feed URL. With a tool like PowerPress plug-in for WordPress, opening the plug-in already reveals the RSS-feed URL.

Optimize The RSS Feed For Podcast Distribution

Remember that the RSS feed lies at the core of your podcast distribution. Optimization is crucial for any RSS feed. Having the best podcast in the world won’t be worth much if you don’t optimize for searchability. This would leave your podcast languishing in obscurity as a result. 

You created the content. Now get it out to users with an optimized RSS feed!

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