An RSS feed is a web-based file that lists all your podcast episodes and metadata in a format apps can read.
It automatically updates podcast directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify when you publish new episodes
Listeners receive new episodes instantly through their podcast app via your RSS feed
Podbean creates and maintains your RSS feed for you—no coding or setup required
Your Podbean RSS feed acts as the central source for distributing your podcast everywhere people listen
As a podcaster, you’ve likely heard the term RSS feed. It might sound technical, but it’s essentially the backbone that powers your podcast’s distribution.
In fact, without an RSS feed, your podcast wouldn’t automatically reach popular listening platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
In this post, we’ll demystify what an RSS feed is, how it works in the context of podcasting, why it’s absolutely essential for podcasters, and how Podbean makes RSS feeds and distribution effortless.
By the end, you’ll see why an RSS feed is your podcast’s best friend in getting heard – and how Podbean can help manage it for you.
What Is an RSS Feed?
RSS (which stands for Really Simple Syndication) is essentially a web feed that allows content to be distributed automatically to other websites or applications. In the context of podcasts, an RSS feed is a specially formatted XML file that contains all the important information about your podcast and its episodes.
Think of it as a dynamic “catalog” or digital blueprint of your show. This feed includes details such as your podcast title, description, cover art, category, author name, and whether your show is explicit or not. It also lists every episode you publish with each episode’s title, description (show notes), publication date, and a link to the audio file.
How Does an RSS Feed Work for Podcasts?
When you publish a new episode on your podcast hosting platform, your RSS feed is automatically updated to include the new episode’s information.
You don’t have to manually notify anyone; the feed itself takes care of that. Podcast directories and listening apps (like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.) that have your feed URL will regularly check (or “poll”) your RSS feed for updates.
In practice, podcasters do not upload their audio files to each listening platform one by one – that would be impractical given the number of podcast apps out there. Instead, you submit your RSS feed URL to each major podcast directory or platform.
Once your feed is registered with a platform, that platform essentially has a direct line to your podcast content. The podcast app will fetch the information from your RSS feed to display your show’s details and will see new episodes as you publish them.
For example, when you want to appear on Apple Podcasts, you use Apple’s Podcasts Connect portal to provide your RSS feed URL (instead of uploading audio files directly to Apple). Apple’s system then reads your feed to import your podcast title, description, artwork, and episodes. After that, whenever you release a new episode, Apple Podcasts checks your feed, finds the new episode, and automatically lists it for your subscribers.
When someone “subscribes” or follows your podcast on one of these apps, the app is essentially bookmarking your RSS feed. New episodes seem to magically appear for listeners because the app continuously monitors your feed and pulls in any new content you post.
Why Podcasters Need an RSS Feed
If you want listeners to find, subscribe to, and automatically get updates from your podcast on popular apps, you absolutely need an RSS feed – it’s non-negotiable in podcasting. Here are a few key reasons why an RSS feed is so crucial:
Listing on Podcast Directories
Podcast directories like Apple Podcasts require an RSS feed to list your show. Without a feed, you can’t get your podcast onto these platforms at all.
The RSS feed is the vehicle that carries your podcast into directories’ catalogs. Most people discover and listen to podcasts via these directories, so no RSS feed means a huge chunk of your potential audience might never find your show.
Automatic Distribution
With an RSS feed, your podcast distribution is automated. You only need to upload your episode once (to your host), and your RSS feed will update on all subscribed platforms without extra effort.
Wide Audience Reach
Thanks to RSS, your podcast can be available on multiple apps and services simultaneously (Apple, Spotify, Google, and so on) which dramatically widens your reach. Listeners can use their preferred app to follow your show, but all those apps are pulling from the same feed.
Consistency and Control
The RSS feed ensures that the information about your podcast is consistent everywhere. If you update your show’s description or cover art in your feed (via your host), that update propagates to all apps pulling from the feed. You maintain control in one place (your hosting platform) and the feed syndicates that out. It’s a single source of truth for your podcast’s info.
Subscriber Convenience
From a listener’s perspective, RSS feeds make subscribing worthwhile – once they follow your show, they get new episodes delivered to them automatically. You don’t have to rely on them checking your website or remembering to download new episodes. The feed keeps your audience engaged by automatically notifying and providing new episodes in their app of choice.
Podbean and RSS: How Podbean Simplifies Podcast Distribution
The good news is that you don’t have to build or manage the RSS feed by yourself. Podcast hosting platforms like Podbean handle the heavy lifting for you.
The moment you create a podcast on Podbean and input your show details (title, description, artwork, etc.), Podbean automatically generates a proper RSS feed for your podcast. There’s no coding required and no need to manually format XML — Podbean’s system creates the feed and updates it every time you publish an episode.
You can easily find your Podbean RSS feed URL in your dashboard under your podcast’s feed settings.
That’s the link you’ll submit to podcast directories (and you can also share it with listeners who want to subscribe using a feed reader or non-standard app).
Example: Podbean’s dashboard showing the RSS feed URL for a podcast. You can copy this URL to submit your show to directories or to share it with anyone who wants to subscribe directly via RSS.
Not only does Podbean create your RSS feed, but it also manages and optimizes it.
The platform ensures your feed stays up-to-date and includes all the required tags and information that places like Apple Podcasts and Spotify expect to see. This means you don’t have to worry about technical standards – Podbean’s got it covered.
Each time you upload a new episode on Podbean, the episode is automatically added to your feed (with the correct title, description, file URL, etc.), and that update is instantly available for all podcast apps to pick up.
Furthermore, Podbean makes distribution even easier with its built-in integrations. In fact, Podbean is an official partner of several major platforms.
For example, Podbean is an Apple Podcasts partner, allowing you to submit your podcast to Apple’s directory with just one click from your Podbean dashboard (no need to manually copy-paste the RSS URL into Apple’s site if you use this one-click submission).
Likewise, Podbean’s status as a Spotify “passthrough” partner means that when you submit your show to Spotify (which Podbean guides you through), Spotify will fetch episodes directly from your Podbean RSS feed just like any other podcatcher.
By using Podbean, you’re leveraging a platform that not only gives you a robust RSS feed but also actively works to spread your podcast everywhere people listen. This lets you concentrate on making great episodes rather than fiddling with technical details. Podbean essentially makes “Really Simple Syndication” truly simple for creators!
Final Thoughts
Ready to launch your podcast and share it with the world?
Podbean is here to help.
With Podbean, you get an all-in-one podcast hosting platform that generates your RSS feed, hosts your audio files, and distributes your episodes to all major podcast directories with minimal effort on your part. It’s professional yet user-friendly – a perfect balance for creators of
Start your podcast with Podbean today! Sign up for a free account on Podbean and let us handle the RSS feed and distribution while you focus on creating amazing content.
Join thousands of podcasters who trust Podbean to power their podcasts. It’s time to get your voice out there – and with Podbean, your podcast will be just a click away from listeners everywhere.
Highlights
As a podcaster, you’ve likely heard the term RSS feed. It might sound technical, but it’s essentially the backbone that powers your podcast’s distribution.
In fact, without an RSS feed, your podcast wouldn’t automatically reach popular listening platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
In this post, we’ll demystify what an RSS feed is, how it works in the context of podcasting, why it’s absolutely essential for podcasters, and how Podbean makes RSS feeds and distribution effortless.
By the end, you’ll see why an RSS feed is your podcast’s best friend in getting heard – and how Podbean can help manage it for you.
What Is an RSS Feed?
RSS (which stands for Really Simple Syndication) is essentially a web feed that allows content to be distributed automatically to other websites or applications. In the context of podcasts, an RSS feed is a specially formatted XML file that contains all the important information about your podcast and its episodes.
Think of it as a dynamic “catalog” or digital blueprint of your show. This feed includes details such as your podcast title, description, cover art, category, author name, and whether your show is explicit or not. It also lists every episode you publish with each episode’s title, description (show notes), publication date, and a link to the audio file.
How Does an RSS Feed Work for Podcasts?
When you publish a new episode on your podcast hosting platform, your RSS feed is automatically updated to include the new episode’s information.
You don’t have to manually notify anyone; the feed itself takes care of that. Podcast directories and listening apps (like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc.) that have your feed URL will regularly check (or “poll”) your RSS feed for updates.
In practice, podcasters do not upload their audio files to each listening platform one by one – that would be impractical given the number of podcast apps out there. Instead, you submit your RSS feed URL to each major podcast directory or platform.
Once your feed is registered with a platform, that platform essentially has a direct line to your podcast content. The podcast app will fetch the information from your RSS feed to display your show’s details and will see new episodes as you publish them.
For example, when you want to appear on Apple Podcasts, you use Apple’s Podcasts Connect portal to provide your RSS feed URL (instead of uploading audio files directly to Apple). Apple’s system then reads your feed to import your podcast title, description, artwork, and episodes. After that, whenever you release a new episode, Apple Podcasts checks your feed, finds the new episode, and automatically lists it for your subscribers.
When someone “subscribes” or follows your podcast on one of these apps, the app is essentially bookmarking your RSS feed. New episodes seem to magically appear for listeners because the app continuously monitors your feed and pulls in any new content you post.
Why Podcasters Need an RSS Feed
If you want listeners to find, subscribe to, and automatically get updates from your podcast on popular apps, you absolutely need an RSS feed – it’s non-negotiable in podcasting. Here are a few key reasons why an RSS feed is so crucial:
Listing on Podcast Directories
Podcast directories like Apple Podcasts require an RSS feed to list your show. Without a feed, you can’t get your podcast onto these platforms at all.
The RSS feed is the vehicle that carries your podcast into directories’ catalogs. Most people discover and listen to podcasts via these directories, so no RSS feed means a huge chunk of your potential audience might never find your show.
Automatic Distribution
With an RSS feed, your podcast distribution is automated. You only need to upload your episode once (to your host), and your RSS feed will update on all subscribed platforms without extra effort.
Wide Audience Reach
Thanks to RSS, your podcast can be available on multiple apps and services simultaneously (Apple, Spotify, Google, and so on) which dramatically widens your reach. Listeners can use their preferred app to follow your show, but all those apps are pulling from the same feed.
Consistency and Control
The RSS feed ensures that the information about your podcast is consistent everywhere. If you update your show’s description or cover art in your feed (via your host), that update propagates to all apps pulling from the feed. You maintain control in one place (your hosting platform) and the feed syndicates that out. It’s a single source of truth for your podcast’s info.
Subscriber Convenience
From a listener’s perspective, RSS feeds make subscribing worthwhile – once they follow your show, they get new episodes delivered to them automatically. You don’t have to rely on them checking your website or remembering to download new episodes. The feed keeps your audience engaged by automatically notifying and providing new episodes in their app of choice.
Podbean and RSS: How Podbean Simplifies Podcast Distribution
The good news is that you don’t have to build or manage the RSS feed by yourself. Podcast hosting platforms like Podbean handle the heavy lifting for you.
The moment you create a podcast on Podbean and input your show details (title, description, artwork, etc.), Podbean automatically generates a proper RSS feed for your podcast. There’s no coding required and no need to manually format XML — Podbean’s system creates the feed and updates it every time you publish an episode.
You can easily find your Podbean RSS feed URL in your dashboard under your podcast’s feed settings.
This URL typically looks something like https://feed.podbean.com/YourPodcastName/feed.xml.
That’s the link you’ll submit to podcast directories (and you can also share it with listeners who want to subscribe using a feed reader or non-standard app).
Example: Podbean’s dashboard showing the RSS feed URL for a podcast. You can copy this URL to submit your show to directories or to share it with anyone who wants to subscribe directly via RSS.
Not only does Podbean create your RSS feed, but it also manages and optimizes it.
The platform ensures your feed stays up-to-date and includes all the required tags and information that places like Apple Podcasts and Spotify expect to see. This means you don’t have to worry about technical standards – Podbean’s got it covered.
Each time you upload a new episode on Podbean, the episode is automatically added to your feed (with the correct title, description, file URL, etc.), and that update is instantly available for all podcast apps to pick up.
Furthermore, Podbean makes distribution even easier with its built-in integrations. In fact, Podbean is an official partner of several major platforms.
For example, Podbean is an Apple Podcasts partner, allowing you to submit your podcast to Apple’s directory with just one click from your Podbean dashboard (no need to manually copy-paste the RSS URL into Apple’s site if you use this one-click submission).
Likewise, Podbean’s status as a Spotify “passthrough” partner means that when you submit your show to Spotify (which Podbean guides you through), Spotify will fetch episodes directly from your Podbean RSS feed just like any other podcatcher.
By using Podbean, you’re leveraging a platform that not only gives you a robust RSS feed but also actively works to spread your podcast everywhere people listen. This lets you concentrate on making great episodes rather than fiddling with technical details. Podbean essentially makes “Really Simple Syndication” truly simple for creators!
Final Thoughts
Ready to launch your podcast and share it with the world?
Podbean is here to help.
With Podbean, you get an all-in-one podcast hosting platform that generates your RSS feed, hosts your audio files, and distributes your episodes to all major podcast directories with minimal effort on your part. It’s professional yet user-friendly – a perfect balance for creators of
Start your podcast with Podbean today! Sign up for a free account on Podbean and let us handle the RSS feed and distribution while you focus on creating amazing content.
Join thousands of podcasters who trust Podbean to power their podcasts. It’s time to get your voice out there – and with Podbean, your podcast will be just a click away from listeners everywhere.
Happy podcasting!
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