What is a Podcast RSS?

A podcast consists of one or more digital media files, which may be audio or video, that are posted on the Internet and can be downloaded to a computer, mp3 player, or other device. It is possible to create a single podcast, or to create a series of podcast episodes that make up a series. A podcast RSS is a web feed for a podcast.

RSS is generally defined as an abbreviation for the phrase “Really Simple Syndication.” It refers to a group of web feed formats, although there are others. A web feed is a type of data format used for content that is updated frequently. When that content is a podcast, rather than a blog or news, you have a podcast RSS. Those in the business of content distribution syndicate a web feed, and users subscribe to the feed.

Subscribing to a podcast RSS is usually fairly straightforward and involves only a few easy steps. First, find a podcast to subscribe to, that is an episodic podcast continuing in production, at the iTunes® store, or from another source. Second, click on the SUBSCRIBE button. The podcast will download at once, and periodically thereafter, as new episodes become available. Finally, play the podcast on the device to which it was downloaded, or on another device.

If someone wishes to create a podcast RSS for a podcast that he or she has produced, there are several approaches that can taken to making the all-important RSS feed file This is how readers and aggregators will find and access the podcast. The XML file can be created from scratch, but this is not recommended without some prior experience with both XML and RSS Feed files.

To make setting up a podcast RSS easier, a shortcut can be used. For one thing, a free RSS feed file creator can be used. These programs assist by giving the user blanks to fill in, from which they generate a file.