Podcast Metadata

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Podcast metadata controls the <channel> section of the generated RSS feed. This is the information podcast apps display for the show itself.

Open Podcast Metadata

  1. Open a project.
  2. Open an output feed.
  3. Click the Podcast Metadata tab.

Import Metadata From a Source Feed

To save time:

  1. Choose a source feed in Import Podcast Metadata.
  2. Click Fetch from Source.
  3. Review the imported values.
  4. Edit anything that should differ in the output feed.
  5. Click Save podcast metadata.

Importing metadata does not change the source feed. It copies channel information into the output feed settings.

Fields Shown in the Admin UI

The current admin screen exposes these core fields:

Field Purpose
Feed title The podcast title shown in apps.
Description The main show description.
Channel Link Website URL for the podcast or publisher.
Artwork Podcast artwork URL.
Categories Podcast category text.
Explicit flag Whether the show contains explicit content.
Language Language code, such as en-us.
Owner name Podcast owner contact name.
Owner email Podcast owner contact email.

Required Metadata for Most Directories

Before submitting a feed, make sure you have:

  • Title.
  • Description.
  • Website link.
  • Artwork.
  • At least one category.
  • Explicit or clean setting.
  • Language.
  • Author or publisher information.
  • Owner name and owner email.
  • At least one episode.

Podcast Composer’s Validation tab checks the most important required fields.

Artwork Guidelines

For broad podcast directory compatibility, use artwork that follows Apple Podcasts style requirements:

  • Square image.
  • JPEG or PNG.
  • At least 1400 x 1400 pixels.
  • No larger than 3000 x 3000 pixels.
  • RGB color.
  • Publicly reachable URL.

If you change artwork later, many podcast apps cache images. Use a new filename and URL when replacing artwork.

Categories

The admin UI stores category text. Use podcast directory category names, separated clearly if you use more than one.

Examples:

Business
Education
Society & Culture
Technology
True Crime

If importing from a source feed, the plugin can preserve source categories. Some nested categories may appear as combined text such as:

Society & Culture > Documentary

Explicit Flag

Set Explicit flag to:

  • No for clean content.
  • Yes for explicit content.

Do not leave this unset before submitting the feed.

Language

Use a language code recognized by podcast directories.

Common examples:

en-us
en-gb
en-au
es
fr
de-de
hi

Metadata Imported or Stored Behind the Scenes

The feed parser and generator support more channel fields than the current core UI exposes directly.

When imported from a source feed or stored programmatically, output feeds can include fields such as:

  • iTunes summary.
  • Copyright.
  • iTunes author.
  • Podcast type.
  • iTunes block.
  • iTunes complete.
  • iTunes new-feed-url.
  • Podcast GUID.
  • Podcast TXT.
  • Podcast locked.
  • Podcast funding.

If you need to edit these fields manually and they are not visible in your admin UI, a developer can extend the admin interface using the plugin’s data structures and filters.

Saving Metadata

Click Save podcast metadata after editing.

Saving metadata:

  • Sanitizes the values.
  • Updates the output feed settings.
  • Clears the generated feed cache.
  • Refreshes output validation status.