Podcasts Setup

This guide walks you through the steps to enable and configure podcasting for your site’s categories, generate the correct RSS feed, and submit your podcast to major directories like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

1. Prepare Your Category

A podcast feed is generated by listing all posts inside a specific category. You must therefore group your episodes in a category on the CMS. Before enabling podcasts, ensure each category you want to use has:

1. A Featured Image: Upload an appropriate cover image for the category under the Category Image field.

2. At Least One Post with an MP3 Attachment:

   • Create or edit a post within the category.
   • Attach an MP3 audio file (your podcast episode) via the media uploader.
   • Publish or update the post so it appears in the category feed.

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2. Enable Podcasting in a Category

1. In the CMS sidebar, navigate to Publisher > Categories.

2. Find your target category (e.g., “Technology”, “Comedy”) and click the Edit button.

3. Scroll down to the Podcasting section.

4. Configure the following fields:

   • Enable public podcast feed for this category: ✔️ Check this box.
   • Explicit content: (Optional) Check if your podcast contains explicit language.
   • Language: Enter the two-letter language code (e.g., en for English).
   • Author’s E‑mail: Provide a valid email address for directory listings (e.g., info@domain.com).
   • Category: Choose a podcast genre from the dropdown (e.g., Comedy, Technology).

5. Verify the Podcast Feed URL at the bottom of the section—copy this URL to use when submitting to directories.

6. Click Update category to save your changes.

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3. Validate Your RSS Feed

Before submitting, open your podcast feed URL in a browser or RSS validator (e.g., Cast Feed Validator) to ensure:

• The feed loads without errors.
• Episodes appear correctly with titles, descriptions, enclosures (MP3 URLs), and images.

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4. Submit to Apple Podcasts

1. Sign in to Apple Podcasts Connect: https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/.
2. Click the + button and select New Show.
3. Paste your Podcast Feed URL and click Validate.
4. Review the show details imported from your feed.
5. Click Submit. Apple will review your show (may take 24–48 hours).

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5. Submit to Spotify

1. Go to Spotify for Podcasters: https://podcasters.spotify.com/.
2. Log in with your Spotify account.
3. Click Add your podcast.
4. Paste your Podcast Feed URL and click Next.
5. Verify the show details and click Submit.
6. Spotify will review and list your podcast (usually within a few hours).

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6. Tips & Troubleshooting

• No Episodes Showing?

  • Confirm at least one published post in the category has a valid MP3 attachment.
  • Check the post’s visibility is public, not private or draft.

• Feed Validation Errors?

  • Ensure your category has a featured image; most directories require <itunes:image>.
  • Verify enclosure URLs point to an accessible MP3 file (correct MIME type).

• Updating Episodes:

  • New posts with MP3s in the category automatically appear in the feed.
  • It may take a few minutes for directories to refresh updated feeds. We aim to immediately purge cache when changes occur, but you may still see cached response at some times.