What is a podcast RSS feed

What does RSS stand for?

RSS stands for “rich site summary”, but is often referred to as “really simple syndication”. In short, it’s a standardized, computer-readable format for documents like podcasts. Podcast RSS feeds allow listening services and aggregators to automatically check your podcast for new content, download it, and let listeners know that it is available. You can learn more about RSS feeds on wikipedia.

What is a podcast RSS feed?

Your podcast’s RSS feed is how podcast listening apps and services read and understand your show. The feed is structured data that lets podcatchers know when new content has been added or edited, and what files are linked to what episodes. Your RSS feed contains all o the content that makes up your podcast, and so it’s very important that it is always available, correct, and up-to-date.

How do I find my RSS feed in Shortwave?

If you’ve already created your podcast in Shortwave, you can find it on the podcast’s details page. The URL for that page will look something like https://app.goshortwave.com/podcasts/[your-podcast-id]. To find it:

  • Log into your administration dashboard at https://app.goshortwave.com
  • Select your podcast from the list of shows on your dashboard

On this page, you should see a button labeled “Show RSS”. That button shows your podcast’s RSS feed. You can then either view and copy the show’s RSS feed URL, or click the copy button from the page.

What do I do with my RSS feed?

You’ll need your RSS feed URL when you’re ready to submit your show to different listening services like iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher. You can find guides to getting listed on different services here: Getting Your Podcast Listed.

You should never need to update your RSS feed manually if you’re using Shortwave - we automatically generate all changes when you modify your show.

What do I do if my RSS feed isn’t working?

If you are getting feed validation errors from a podcast listening service provider, check out our feed validation tutorial.

If you are unable to see your feed at the proper URL, or if you are receiving an error message, please contact us at [email protected].