Project: Podcast RSS Feed

Once you have created a podcast (mp3 file), the next step is to create an RSS feed. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication;" it is a text (XML) document that contains information about your podcast and allows users to subscribe to your podcast. Subscribers use applications like iTunes to download your mp3 file. What's more, whenever you update the feed, iTunes will automatically download the latest podcast file to the subscriber's computer.

Making an RSS feed is ridiculously simple (it just looks hard). Launch Dreamweaver (or even a text editor like Text Edit or Notepad) and create a new document (a new XML document in Dreamweaver). Save it as "feed.xml" and put it in the main level of your root folder. Then copy and paste the code below. I've broken it up into chunks, so you'll have to copy & paste each section separately.

Some tags are required; some are optional. The ones in red are required by iTunes (for more information on iTunes requirements click here). Code that is in bold-face is information that you must change/update to refer to your own podcast (you will notice that a lot of it is redundant).

Once you have finished, save your document and upload it (along with your mp3) to the server. To test it launch iTunes. In iTunes go to Advanced > Subscribe to podcast, and enter the URL of your feed.

You can also check your code with an RSS Validator and a feed validator. If you pass, you can stick these cute icons on your page:

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">	These tags are required (the portion in red is required by iTunes only). Type them exactly as they appear here.
<channel> <title>Your podcast title</title> <description>A short description of your show (as a whole). Individual episodes will be described later. </description> <link> http://www.danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/yourName/ </link>	In an RSS feed you have a "Channel" and one or more "Items". The Item(s) come later. Both the Channel and the Item(s) require a Title, Description and a Link. This title should be for your podcasts as a whole, not individual episodes. Episode titles come later. The link of course should point to your root folder.
<language>en-us</language> <copyright>Copyright 2006</copyright> <lastBuildDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:30:00 -0600</lastBuildDate> <pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:30:00 -0600</pubDate> <webMaster>yourEmail@whatever.co (Your Name)</webMaster> <atom:link href="http://danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/ yourName/yourFeed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss </docs>	Not required, but recommended. Update the copyright as needed. I just use the same date for both <lastBuildDate> and <pubDate>; Change them every time you update your podcast(s). The date format must be followed exactly (the -0600 is for Central Standard Time). For more info on the date format click here (see section 5). The <atom> tag actually lists the url of the xml file (sort of a link to itself) to make it easier for podcatchers to cache the file.
<itunes:author>your name </itunes:author> <itunes:subtitle>A description of your show as a whole, as you did in the description tag above. </itunes:subtitle> <itunes:summary>A description of your show as a whole, as you did in the description tag above.But this one can be a lot longer with lots of descriptive detail if you like. </itunes:summary> <itunes:owner> <itunes:name>Your Name</itunes:name> <itunes:email>yourEmail@whatever.com</itunes:email> </itunes:owner> <itunes:explicit>No</itunes:explicit> <itunes:image href="http://www.danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/ yourName/picture.jpg"/> <itunes:category text="Games & Hobbies"> <itunes:category text="Hobbies" /> </itunes:category>	These tags are required by iTunes should you wish to post them to the iTunes store. A lot of these are redundant and the content can be cut from similar tags in the preceding section. If you have explicit language in your podcast, change the "explicit" rating to "yes." The <itunes:image> tag points to a picture on your site that can be displayed in certain players like iTunes. If you have no picture you can leave that tag off. The categories must be chosen from the official iTunes lists (see here). Note that the second "category text" tag is a non-container tag, enclosed in an identically named container tag.
<item> <title>The Title of Your Podcast Episode</title> <link>http://www.danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/ yourName/number1.mp3</link> <guid>http://www.danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/ yourName/number1.mp3</guid> <description>A description of your podcast episode. This one can be fairly lengthy. Some people will put in all their show notes and specific links referenced during the show.</description> <enclosure url="http://www.danfergusdesign.com/ studentSites/yourName/episodeName.mp3" length="11779397" type="audio/mpeg" /> <category>Podcasts</category> <pubDate>Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:30:00 -0600</pubDate>	Within the "channel" you must have one or more "items." The information for each podcast episode will be contained within an item. As episodes are updated you can either swap-out the information in this item or add a new item (with all of the updated info). In theory you can have an indefinite number of items. Note that <link>, <guid> and <enclosure> both contain identical urls to the episode on your site. The <enclosure> tag is actually the most important tag of all, for it is the one that spurs iTunes or whatever Podcatcher is being used to go out and download new episodes when available. The "length" attribute refers to the length of the podcast in bytes. Video podcasts (vodcasts) will use a different mime type. MP4s, for example use video/mp4 or video/mpeg. You must use "Podcasts" within the <category> tags if you are making a podcast (as opposed to other kinds of feeds).
<itunes:author>Your Name</itunes:author> <itunes:explicit>No</itunes:explicit> <itunes:subtitle>Your Podcast's Subtitle. </itunes:subtitle> <itunes:summary>A description of your podcast episode. This one can be fairly lengthy.</itunes:summary> <itunes:duration>00:24:30</itunes:duration> <itunes:keywords>keyword1, keyword2, keyword3, keyword 4, etc </itunes:keywords>	A lot of redundant information again. "Duration" however is new—list the duration of the episode in hours:minutes:seconds. Two digits each. You can also create a list of keywords to aid in podcast index searches. Obviously, they should relate to your current episode.
</item>	Close the </item> tag. Note that if you wish to include another episode, place a new <item> immediately after the previous </item> tag.
</channel> </rss>	Finally, close the </channel> and </rss> tags

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

These tags are required (the portion in red is required by iTunes only). Type them exactly as they appear here.

<title>Your podcast title</title>

<description>A short description of your show (as a whole). Individual episodes will be described later. </description>

In an RSS feed you have a "Channel" and one or more "Items". The Item(s) come later. Both the Channel and the Item(s) require a Title, Description and a Link.

This title should be for your podcasts as a whole, not individual episodes. Episode titles come later.

The link of course should point to your root folder.

<webMaster>yourEmail@whatever.co (Your Name)</webMaster>

<atom:link href="http://danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/
yourName/yourFeed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />

<docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss </docs>

Not required, but recommended. Update the copyright as needed.

I just use the same date for both <lastBuildDate> and <pubDate>; Change them every time you update your podcast(s). The date format must be followed exactly (the -0600 is for Central Standard Time). For more info on the date format click here (see section 5).

The <atom> tag actually lists the url of the xml file (sort of a link to itself) to make it easier for podcatchers to cache the file.

<itunes:author>your name </itunes:author>

<itunes:subtitle>A description of your show as a whole, as you did in the description tag above. </itunes:subtitle>

<itunes:summary>A description of your show as a whole, as you did in the description tag above.But this one can be a lot longer with lots of descriptive detail if you like. </itunes:summary>

<itunes:owner>
<itunes:name>Your Name</itunes:name>
<itunes:email>yourEmail@whatever.com</itunes:email>
</itunes:owner>

<itunes:explicit>No</itunes:explicit>

<itunes:image href="http://www.danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/ yourName/picture.jpg"/>

<itunes:category text="Games & Hobbies">
<itunes:category text="Hobbies" />
</itunes:category>

These tags are required by iTunes should you wish to post them to the iTunes store. A lot of these are redundant and the content can be cut from similar tags in the preceding section.

If you have explicit language in your podcast, change the "explicit" rating to "yes."

The <itunes:image> tag points to a picture on your site that can be displayed in certain players like iTunes. If you have no picture you can leave that tag off.

The categories must be chosen from the official iTunes lists (see here).

Note that the second "category text" tag is a non-container tag, enclosed in an identically named container tag.

<item>

<title>The Title of Your Podcast Episode</title>

<guid>http://www.danfergusdesign.com/studentSites/ yourName/number1.mp3</guid>

<description>A description of your podcast episode. This one can be fairly lengthy. Some people will put in all their show notes and specific links referenced during the show.</description>

<category>Podcasts</category>

Within the "channel" you must have one or more "items." The information for each podcast episode will be contained within an item. As episodes are updated you can either swap-out the information in this item or add a new item (with all of the updated info). In theory you can have an indefinite number of items.

Note that <link>, <guid> and <enclosure> both contain identical urls to the episode on your site.

The <enclosure> tag is actually the most important tag of all, for it is the one that spurs iTunes or whatever Podcatcher is being used to go out and download new episodes when available. The "length" attribute refers to the length of the podcast in bytes.

Video podcasts (vodcasts) will use a different mime type. MP4s, for example use video/mp4 or video/mpeg.

You must use "Podcasts" within the <category> tags if you are making a podcast (as opposed to other kinds of feeds).

<itunes:author>Your Name</itunes:author>

<itunes:explicit>No</itunes:explicit>

<itunes:subtitle>Your Podcast's Subtitle. </itunes:subtitle>

<itunes:summary>A description of your podcast episode. This one can be fairly lengthy.</itunes:summary>

<itunes:duration>00:24:30</itunes:duration>

<itunes:keywords>keyword1, keyword2, keyword3, keyword 4, etc </itunes:keywords>

A lot of redundant information again.

"Duration" however is new—list the duration of the episode in hours:minutes:seconds. Two digits each.

You can also create a list of keywords to aid in podcast index searches. Obviously, they should relate to your current episode.

</item>

Close the </item> tag. Note that if you wish to include another episode, place a new <item> immediately after the previous </item> tag.

</channel>

</rss>

Finally, close the </channel> and </rss> tags

Web Reference

Podcast: RSS Feed

Code

Comment