What is Podcast Feed?
A podcast feed is the complete RSS XML document that serves as the single source of truth for your podcast. Every directory, app, and aggregator reads this same feed to display your show and deliver episodes to listeners.
Feed Components
Your podcast feed contains two main sections:
Channel (Show-Level)
The channel element holds metadata about your podcast as a whole:
- Show title and description
- Artwork URL (minimum 1400×1400, recommended 3000×3000)
- Categories and language
- Author and owner information
- iTunes tags for Apple-specific metadata
- Podcast 2.0 tags for enhanced features
Items (Episodes)
Each item element represents one episode:
- Episode title and description
- Enclosure pointing to audio file
- GUID for unique identification
- Publication date
- Duration and episode number
- Episode-specific artwork (optional)
Feed URL and Distribution
Your feed URL is the single link you submit to directories:
https://feeds.example.com/your-podcast
Key characteristics:
- Should never change (use redirects if migrating)
- Must be publicly accessible
- Should load quickly (affects directory polling)
- Cached by most directories (updates may take hours to propagate)
Feed Size Considerations
| Episodes | Typical Size | Load Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | ~50 KB | Instant |
| 100 | ~500 KB | Fast |
| 500 | ~2.5 MB | Moderate |
| 1000+ | 5+ MB | Consider pagination |
Very large feeds may benefit from <podcast:liveItem> or pagination strategies to maintain performance.
Why It Matters
Your podcast feed is the foundation of your entire distribution strategy. Unlike other media where content lives on specific platforms, your podcast feed is yours—it works with any app, anywhere in the world.
Why your feed matters:
-
Universal distribution: One feed, every platform. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Index—they all read the same feed.
-
Platform independence: If you leave one hosting provider, your feed URL can redirect to a new host without losing subscribers.
-
Consistent experience: Every listener sees the same show title, description, and artwork because it all comes from one source.
-
Debugging foundation: When something displays incorrectly in an app, checking your feed reveals whether it's a feed issue or an app parsing problem.
Feed quality impacts:
| Feed Quality | Impact |
|---|---|
| Valid, fast-loading | Quick directory updates, reliable distribution |
| Has validation errors | May be rejected by directories |
| Slow to load | Delayed updates, potential timeout failures |
| Missing metadata | Poor display in apps, lower discoverability |
The single source of truth principle: Never manually edit your feed XML. Changes should always flow through your hosting platform to maintain validation and consistency.
How to Use This in Dispatch
Your podcast feed is automatically generated, validated, and optimized:
Automatic feed management:
- Generated from your show and episode settings
- Updated instantly when you publish or edit
- Validated against RSS and podcast specifications
- Optimized for fast loading and parsing
Find your feed URL: Go to Settings → Distribution to copy your RSS feed URL. This is the link you'll submit to directories.
What's included automatically:
- All required RSS elements
- iTunes tags for Apple compatibility
- Podcast 2.0 namespace support
- Proper encoding and escaping
Feed validation: Any issues with your feed are flagged in your dashboard with specific guidance on how to resolve them.