What is a Podcast RSS Feed?

When people think of podcasting, they think of microphones, scripts, and guests. But podcasting has many more technical aspects; one of them is an RSS feed. When you’re just getting started, you may find yourself asking: What is a podcast RSS feed? Why is it important? And what do I need to know?

This article aims to answer those questions and more, ensuring that you’re properly informed and equipped to run your podcast smoothly.

What is a Podcast RSS Feed? Why is It Important?

Think about this for a second. You’re scrolling through Apple Podcasts, and you wonder if your favorite podcast has uploaded any new episodes yet. You look in your favorites, scroll through, and behold: you see a brand new episode. This simple act, which we take for granted, is made possible by RSS feeds.

An RSS feed is essentially a file that automatically updates information. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” This file lets you get updated information from your favorite podcasts, websites, blogs, and more without having to visit them separately. RSS is an XML format that can automatically retrieve updated information.

XML stands for "Extensible Markup Language", and it’s a language for storing and transporting data. In this case, it’s updating the RSS feed data. This allows new content to be refreshed in the feed in real time, making it easier for people to access the latest content. 

RSS is deeply linked to the history of podcasts and podcast distribution.

How Do RSS Feeds Work?

RSS feeds have a specific structure. When you read the code for one, it may look like gibberish, but each element allows the file to run. 

• <?xml version> - Identifies itself as being in XML format.
• <rss version =”2.0”> - Identifies itself as using RSS 2.0
• <title>Your Podcast Name Here</title> - This is where the name of your podcast goes in the code.
• <link>yourpodcast.com</link> - The link to your podcast.
• <description>The description for your podcast will go here.</description> - This describes what your podcast is about.

The most important aspect of RSS 2.0 is the “enclosure” feature, which enables audio and video files to be read. 

Enclosure in the context of a podcast would look something like this:

<enclosure url=“...” length=“...” type=“audio/mpeg”/>

From here, each line provides information about the podcast, such as the language it’s in, what each episode is about, the publishing date, the length of the audio, and a description of each episode. Websites will read this code and use that information, as well as pull additional information when it automatically updates. 

How to Use an RSS Feed

After answering the important question of “what is a podcast RSS feed?” you’ll need to understand how to use one. Using the RSS feed for podcast distribution is one of the most important and convenient ways you can grow your audience. But it’s also important for ease of access.

To ensure everything goes smoothly, it’s best to let your podcast hosting provider handle your RSS feed. At Saspod, we provide an RSS feed link with our podcast hosting and podcast production services. Allowing our experts to manage your RSS feed will ensure your show is distributed correctly across platforms and that all of your information is accurate. 

The History of RSS

Multiple people and companies are credited with the creation of RSS. The concept of RSS was already out there, and even Apple attempted to create something like it in the 90s. As technology advanced and the use of websites to send and receive information grew, people began to realize that there needed to be software that could pull new and updated information from the original source.

From here, a company called Netscape, which was founded in 1994, created RSS. Specifically, Dan Libby, Ramantha V. Guha, and Eckart Walther are credited with creating the first version of RSS, RSS 0.9, in March 1999. Back then, RSS stood for “Rich Site Summary.” This version was made specifically for Netscape’s portal website. Later that year, in July, Dan Libby created RSS 0.91, which simplified the format and added elements created by Dave Winer, who is also credited with creating RSS, especially in the realm of podcasts.

After being purchased by AOL, Netscape stepped back from further development of RSS. Dave Winer and another company, The RSS-DEV Working Group, began working on the groundbreaking web feed. The RSS-DEV Working Group released RSS 1.0, which was more stable but wasn’t popular by any means.

In 2000, Dave Winer used RSS 0.91 and improved it by adding a feature that allowed RSS to update a file containing audio, enabling it to download podcast episodes. This was called RSS 0.92. Because of this, we can now download and listen to the latest episodes of our favorite podcasts. 

Of course, most blogs, websites, and podcasts don’t use RSS 0.92. They use RSS 2.0, which was released in 2002 as a more stable version of RSS. This is when RSS began to stand for “Really Simple Syndication.”

There was a little back-and-forth over who should own RSS and get credit for it: Winer and his company, or RSS-DEV. Eventually, Winer simply copyrighted his version, RSS 2.0, and then transferred that copyright to Harvard.

The Emergence of RSS 2.0 Vs. RSS 0.91

With most experimental tech and software, the first version is usually not the best. RSS was no different. Under Netscape, RSS only reached 0.91, and its capabilities weren't as extensive or as smooth as those of RSS 2.0.

Here are some of the key differences:

• RSS 0.91 was an earlier version of the technology that didn’t run as well as 2.0. The latter is much easier to use and more stable.
• RSS 2.0 includes the “enclosure” feature, which allows for audio and video files; this is why podcasts benefit so much from it.
• Unlike RSS 0.91, 2.0 allows everyone from larger companies to indie developers to add their own “namescape” to the file, so people can customize it without needing another version of RSS to be released.

There wouldn’t be RSS 2.0 or podcasting as we know it without Netscape and RSS 0.91; however, Dave Winer and his version of the software heavily contributed to the age of content distribution we live in today.

The Use of RSS Feeds in Other Industries

While RSS 2.0 was a game-changer in the podcast industry, it’s also been beneficial in a multitude of other industries. 

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Corporate environments. In corporate work environments, they use RSS feeds for updates and press releases, and to easily share information with investors.
• The news. News publications use RSS feeds to update their websites with breaking news and fresh articles. They also use it to update existing articles. This is the reason why you’re able to pull up a breaking news article on your phone.
• Education. Colleges and universities will use RSS feeds to push out updates on the university, events, and research.
• Finance and investment industry. This industry uses RSS feeds to update investors and stockholders about stock alerts, new regulations, and more.
• Technology. RSS is used to push software updates and release notes.

RSS feeds are involved in so many aspects of our everyday lives that we don’t even think about them. All of these things that seem so arbitrary come from this one simple yet incredibly important technology.

Running Your Podcast Easily With RSS Feeds

While podcasting might seem daunting at first, there are many tools to make it easier, RSS feeds being at the top of that list. There will always be aspects of podcasting that will leave you confused or frustrated, “What is a podcast RSS feed?” being only one of many questions you may have as time goes on. But there is absolutely nothing to worry about. At Saspod, we work hard to make podcasting easier with podcast hosting, post-production, and pre-production services. Book a call now for a consultation with one of our experts. 

FAQs

TL;DR: What is a Podcast RSS feed?

TL;DR: RSS is a file that automatically updates information and uploads it to the website or platform of your choice. This includes the news, finance, education, and much more. RSS feeds allow you to automatically upload new podcast episodes to platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. These platforms will check your RSS feeds for updates.

What Version of RSS is Currently Used?

RSS 2.0 is the most widely used version of RSS because of its “enclosure” feature, which allows audio and video to be embedded in the code.

Will There Ever Be an RSS 3.0?

This is unlikely because RSS 2.0 is customizable, meaning that there never needs to be an official “RSS 3.0” as companies can customize it to their needs.