StreamLive ProWhat is a podcast RSS feed?
What a podcast RSS feed is: one web address listing your show and every episode, which Spotify, Apple and other apps read by themselves. What is inside and who hosts it.
A podcast RSS feed is a single web address that describes your show and lists every published episode, with a link to each audio file. Podcast apps do not receive your episodes directly. They read your feed, regularly and by themselves, and when a new episode appears in it they show it to listeners. You submit the feed address to each app once; from then on, publishing an episode means adding it to the feed.
RSS itself is older than podcasts. Its specification calls it "a Web content syndication format" (RSS Advisory Board: RSS 2.0 specification, checked 5 November 2026). A podcast feed is an RSS 2.0 file with an attachment, called an enclosure, on each item: the episode's audio or video.
What is inside a podcast feed
| Part | What it says | Who reads it |
|---|---|---|
| Show title and description | The name and what the show is about | Every app, shown on the show page |
| Cover image | A link to the square artwork | Every app, shown everywhere |
| Language and category | For example he-IL, and a category from Apple's list | Apps, for search and charts |
| Owner name and email | Who controls the show | Apps send their ownership code to this email |
| Explicit flag | Whether the show has explicit content | Apps, for filters |
| One item per episode | Title, notes, date, duration, season and number | Every app |
| Enclosure | The link to the episode's audio file, its size and type | The player that plays it |
| Episode ID (guid) | A permanent ID so apps do not show an episode twice | Every app |
| Chapters and transcript | Optional links, used by apps that support them | Some apps |
| Lock and podcast GUID | Tags from the newer Podcasting 2.0 namespace that protect and identify the show | Apps and directories that support them |
The feed contains text and links only. The audio itself sits on a server, and each app downloads it from the link in the enclosure.
Who hosts the feed
Someone has to keep the feed at a fixed address and serve the audio files fast, day and night. That service is podcast hosting. Spotify and Apple Podcasts are not hosts in this sense: they are directories and players that read feeds hosted elsewhere.
In StreamLive Pro the hosting is built in. Each show gets a feed address made from its name, in the form streamlivepro.io/podcast/your-show/feed.xml, and the audio is stored with your account. A show that has video versions of episodes also gets a separate video feed. Setup: Podcast cover art and show details: what each app needs.
How apps use the feed
- You submit the address once in each app's portal. The app reads the feed and checks it.
- The app proves you own it. It sends a code to the owner email in the feed. See Verify your podcast owner email for the RSS feed.
- The app reads the feed again on its own schedule, usually every few hours. Nothing is pushed to it.
- A new episode in the feed appears in the app after its next read. A removed episode disappears the same way.
That is why changes are never instant in apps, and why a broken feed affects every app at once. Submit: Publish your podcast to Spotify and Apple Podcasts and Submit your podcast to Amazon Music and other podcast apps.
What makes a feed valid
Podcast apps refuse a feed that is missing required parts. The common requirements, which StreamLive Pro checks with Check feed:
- a title, a description and a valid language code
- square cover art between 1400 and 3000 pixels, JPG or PNG (Apple: podcast requirements)
- a category from Apple's list
- an owner email
- at least one episode, with a title, a unique ID and an audio file
- the feed served over https
A description over 4,000 bytes is cut by Apple; in Hebrew, where a letter takes two bytes, that is about 2,000 characters.
RSS feed terms you will meet
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Feed URL | The address of the feed; what you paste into apps |
| Enclosure | The audio or video file attached to an episode |
| GUID | The permanent ID of an episode or a show |
| Directory | An app or index that lists shows from their feeds, such as Apple Podcasts or Podcast Index |
| Claim | Proving to an app that a show is yours, usually with an emailed code |
| Episodic / Serial | Newest first, or in order from episode one |
| Redirect | Moving a feed to a new address when you change host |
Questions to ask before you choose a host
- Can I keep my feed address, or redirect it, if I move later? Apps follow the address; losing it means losing subscribers.
- Is the owner email verified before it is published?
- Does the host check the feed before you submit it?
- Are drafts kept out of the feed until you publish them?
- What happens to the feed if I stop paying? In StreamLive Pro the feed is public only on a paid plan; the show stays in your account. See My podcast RSS feed is not public.
Common misunderstandings
- "I upload my episodes to Spotify." With RSS, you do not. Spotify reads your feed.
- "Changing the feed address is harmless." It is not. Apps keep reading the old one. In StreamLive Pro the address is fixed when the show is created.
- "Unlisted means private." An Unlisted feed is still readable by anyone with the link; it only asks directories not to list it.
- "A live stream can go to the feed." Podcast apps do not play live streams. After a broadcast, its audio can become an episode: Record a podcast and go live at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
What is an RSS feed for a podcast?
A web address that lists your show's details and every published episode with a link to its audio. Podcast apps read it to show and play your episodes.
Do I need an RSS feed to be on Spotify and Apple Podcasts?
For a show hosted outside their own tools, yes. You submit the feed address once in each app, and new episodes arrive through it.
Where do I find my podcast RSS feed in StreamLive Pro?
In Connections, open the podcast card. The feed link is there with a Copy RSS button.
How often do apps check my feed?
Each app decides, usually every few hours. New episodes appear after the next read.
Can I see my feed?
Yes. Open the feed link in a browser. You see the text of the feed, which is what the apps read.
Keep reading
How many podcast shows and episodes your plan includes: how the monthly episode count works, where to see it, what the trial allows and what to do at the limit.
Submit your podcast to Amazon Music and other podcast appsSubmit your podcast to Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pocket Casts, Podcast Index, Castbox, iHeartRadio and Deezer with the same RSS feed you gave Spotify and Apple.
Add an episode to your podcast RSS feedAdd an episode to your podcast RSS feed from any recording or upload: title and notes, audio quality, chapters, transcript, draft or scheduled publishing.
Verify your podcast owner email for the RSS feedVerify the podcast owner email so it is written into your RSS feed: the 6-digit code, how long it lasts, why apps cannot send you the claim code without it.
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