Google changing podcast RSS feed specs for recommendations

[rickmgithub]

What

Google's new podcast recommendation requirements

Why

As we keep moving more into podcasting with the acquisition of Pocketcasts, should we check that we are up to date with Google's new requirements and if we're not, if we can add them?

Here is Google's forum post with the details - https://support.google.com/podcast-publishers/thread/120525009/upcoming-changes-in-google-podcasting-requirements

How

Please see Google's changed specification - https://support.google.com/podcast-publishers/thread/120525009/upcoming-changes-in-google-podcasting-requirements

[inaikem]

@kwight / @dpasque, just pinging to get this on your radar. It'd be great to have us aligned with Google's updated spec above!

[dpasque]

Putting on the Manage pod queue to start to help give it some visibility - we can move it around as needed!

[sixhours]

I created a "podcast" site with an episode and looked through the XML; all the recommended fields are included:

✅ Podcast RSS feeds must include a valid, crawlable image Specify the image for your podcast using any one of these elements: <googleplay:image> <itunes:image> <image>

✅ Podcast RSS feeds must include a description A user-friendly description of your podcast must be included using any one of these elements: <description> <googleplay:description> <itunes:summary>

✅ Podcast RSS feeds must include an author The <itunes:author> or <googleplay:author> element must be populated with the name of the organization that you want to appear to listeners as the author of your podcast. This is not the same as the podcast owner requirement (next point below).

✅ Podcast RSS feeds must define a correctly formatted owner email address A valid email address must be defined within <itunes:email> or <googleplay:owner> elements inside your RSS feed.

✅ Podcast RSS feeds must include correctly formatted link to a valid homepage <link> element must be populated with a valid and crawlable URL of your podcast’s homepage.

Full output for reference:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
    xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
    xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
    xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
    xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
    xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
    xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:geo="http://www.w3.org/2003/01/geo/wgs84_pos#" 
    xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
    xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"
xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
    >

<channel>
    <title>Pod Cats</title>
    <atom:link href="Pd7VDO-2-p2/category/podcats/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
    <link>Pd7VDO-2-p2</link>
    <description>It's a podcast about cats and pods.</description>
    <lastBuildDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2021 20:56:18 +0000</lastBuildDate>
    <language>en</language>
    <sy:updatePeriod>
    hourly  </sy:updatePeriod>
    <sy:updateFrequency>
    1   </sy:updateFrequency>
    <generator>http://wordpress.com/</generator>
<atom:link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="Pd7VDO-2-p2osd.xml" title="calobeetesting245" />
    <atom:link rel='hub' href='Pd7VDO-2-p2?pushpress=hub'/>
<itunes:subtitle>I&#039;m podscatting.</itunes:subtitle>
<itunes:summary>It&#039;s a podcast about cats and pods.</itunes:summary>
<googleplay:description>It&#039;s a podcast about cats and pods.</googleplay:description>
<itunes:author>Caroline M.</itunes:author>
<googleplay:author>Caroline M.</googleplay:author>
<itunes:owner><itunes:email>calobee+podcasting@gmail.com</itunes:email>
</itunes:owner><googleplay:owner>calobee+podcasting@gmail.com</googleplay:owner>
<googleplay:email>calobee+podcasting@gmail.com</googleplay:email>
<copyright>2021 all cats reserved</copyright>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
<googleplay:explicit>no</googleplay:explicit>
<itunes:image href='https://calobeetesting245.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/cropped-annie-spratt-5knechxjtni-unsplash.jpg?fit=3000%2C3000' />
<googleplay:image href='https://calobeetesting245.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/cropped-annie-spratt-5knechxjtni-unsplash.jpg?fit=3000%2C3000' />
<itunes:category text='Arts'>
    <itunes:category text='Design' />
</itunes:category>
<itunes:category text='Kids &amp; Family'>
    <itunes:category text='Pets &amp; Animals' />
</itunes:category>
<itunes:category text='Comedy' />
    <item>
        <title>Welcome to Podcats</title>
        <link>pd7VDO-b-p2</link>
                    <comments>pd7VDO-b-p2#respond</comments>

        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Caroline Moore]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 30 Aug 2021 20:56:02 +0000</pubDate>
                <category><![CDATA[Podcats]]></category>
        <guid isPermaLink="false">http://calobeetesting245.wordpress.com/?p=11</guid>

                    <description><![CDATA[This is another podcast about podcats. My cats love pods.]]></description>
                                        <content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>This is another podcast about podcats. My cats love pods.</p>

<p></p>
]]></content:encoded>

                    <wfw:commentRss>https://calobeetesting245.wordpress.com/2021/08/30/welcome-to-podcats/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
            <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>

        <itunes:author>Caroline Moore</itunes:author>
<googleplay:author>Caroline Moore</googleplay:author>
<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
<googleplay:explicit>no</googleplay:explicit>
<itunes:image href='https://calobeetesting245.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/annie-spratt-k54atyxd3do-unsplash.jpg?w=1333' />
<googleplay:image href='https://calobeetesting245.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/annie-spratt-k54atyxd3do-unsplash.jpg?w=1333' />
<itunes:summary>This is another podcast about podcats. My cats love pods.</itunes:summary>
<googleplay:description>This is another podcast about podcats. My cats love pods.</googleplay:description>
<itunes:subtitle>This is another podcast about podcats. My cats love pods.</itunes:subtitle>

        <media:thumbnail url="https://calobeetesting245.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/annie-spratt-k54atyxd3do-unsplash.jpg" />
        <media:content url="https://calobeetesting245.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/annie-spratt-k54atyxd3do-unsplash.jpg" medium="image">
            <media:title type="html">Placeholder Image</media:title>
        </media:content>

        <media:content url="https://2.gravatar.com/avatar/57509a6de7585125357530e2f3c3af1b?s=96&#38;d=identicon&#38;r=G" medium="image">
            <media:title type="html">sixhours</media:title>
        </media:content>
    </item>
    </channel>
</rss>

[sixhours]

Since it looks like we align with the new standards, I'm closing this as fixed! Feel free to reopen if I've missed something.