In case your podcast is listed twice in Apple Podcasts or one other podcast listing, STOP! Do not do something about it till you learn or take heed to this!
And if you wish to keep away from this drawback, don’t resubmit your podcast if it is already listed!
How duplicate podcast listings occur
There are two widespread causes you may find yourself with a reproduction itemizing of your podcast, both by your individual actions or by automation.
Motive 1: a secondary feed was robotically found and listed
You might need used a number of totally different podcast-publishing instruments, like your individual web site, PowerPress, a number of podcast-hosting suppliers, and such. Otherwise you might need used some automation instruments for crossposting, like Spreaker, AudioBoom, Podpage, and such. Otherwise you used a feed proxy to reflect and rehost your RSS feed, like Feedburner or Podcast Mirror.
Any of those instruments might need created one other RSS feed on your podcast and will even be actively updating it. They might even be serving the very same feed from a number of URLs, like HTTP and HTTPS (though not so widespread anymore), or from totally different subdomains.
Podcast Index, Google Podcasts (relaxation in peace), and perhaps a few different methods search the net searching for podcast feeds to incorporate and so they’ll usually discover these duplicates. Podcast Index has a reasonably good deduplication course of, however Google Podcasts was a little bit annoying, usually switching to the newly found feed (even when was solely a redirect!) and requiring you to confirm possession of that new feed earlier than you possibly can swap again to your required feed.
A few my very own podcasts have had as many as 8 totally different RSS feeds found by Google Podcasts! And despite the fact that a few of them had been correct 301 redirects, the automated system nonetheless needed to vary to them as an alternative of the feeds I had deliberately submitted for Google Podcasts to make use of. However not less than that did not create duplicates and it did not intrude with my viewers.
However different discovery methods may add the additional feeds as new podcasts, leading to duplicates. (Presently, none of the preferred podcast apps use computerized discovery to construct their catalogs.)
Motive 2: the podcast was resubmitted
Don’t resubmit your podcast if it is already listed!
I see this drawback occur way more continuously recently. When podcasters swap podcast-hosting suppliers, like from Spotify for Podcasters (previously generally known as Anchor) to a supplier akin to Captivate or Blubrry, the podcasters typically submit their new RSS feeds as new podcasts as an alternative of merely redirecting the outdated feeds.
This typically comes from dangerous recommendation, or from an try (albeit the incorrect technique) to reclaim possession of a podcast in Apple Podcasts or one other listing, or it would even be from considering that you simply needed to resubmit after altering the title or cowl artwork. Regardless of the cause, this often ends in itemizing the identical podcast twice, even in case you later correctly redirect the outdated RSS feed. Apple Podcasts used to forestall the identical feed from being submitted twice, however I am seeing indications that system both is not working, or is not used anymore.
Once more,don’t resubmit your podcast if it is already listed! (And do not inform your long-time viewers to observe your new itemizing, both!)
The duplicate podcast itemizing drawback will get worse, particularly in Apple Podcasts
When your podcast is listed a number of occasions in the identical podcast listing, you threat splitting your rankings, evaluations, chart and search rankings, and even your followers.
In most podcast apps, merely redirecting the inaccurate RSS feed to the right one will not less than merge your break up audiences. But it surely will not merge the opposite catalog options in the event that they exist.
But it surely’s even worse in Apple Podcasts since iOS 14.5!
Earlier than iOS 14.5, your viewers was linked on to your podcast RSS feed. So no matter what occurred within the Apple Podcasts catalog, your viewers would get no matter you place in your feed and would observe wherever that feed URL would redirect. Again then, you can merely redirect the duplicate itemizing after which delete it, and also you would not lose any of your viewers.
However not anymore! This modified with iOS 14.5.
Now, even when your duplicate itemizing will get switched to your right RSS feed, everybody who adopted your podcast by that duplicate is linked to Apple’s proxy of your podcast feed, and never linked on to your feed. In different phrases, folks in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and perhaps solely a pair different proxy-based podcast apps subscribe to the catalog itemizing of your podcast in that app, not on to your RSS feed. So in case you delete that duplicate itemizing, you will lose its followers!
Even in case you’re okay with dropping any rankings, evaluations, and rankings that duplicate itemizing might need accrued, I recommend that you simply mustn’t settle for dropping your viewers!
The right way to repair your duplicate podcast itemizing in proxy-based providers like Apple Podcasts and Spotify
If the podcast app in query behaves like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, the place your viewers is linked to the platform’s proxy of your podcast or the catalog entry of your podcast as an alternative of on to your individual RSS feed, then the answer is a little bit difficult and incomplete. However these steps ought to assist!
In the entire following steps, the “right itemizing” would be the oldest one which has nearly all of your followers, rankings, evaluations, and rankings. That is the one you wish to hold, even when it nonetheless has the incorrect RSS feed.
Step 1: Ask the platform to merge your listings
Whereas that is most probably not potential presently, these platforms must know the way frequent these issues are. So here is what I recommend you ship them (be happy to repeat and replace this on your personal use):
Pricey [Apple Podcasts/Spotify/platform],
My podcast, [Podcast Title], is listed a number of occasions in your catalog and that is negatively affecting me and my viewers. If potential, would you please merge these listings so I do not lose any of my viewers or earned engagement or rankings?
Appropriate itemizing: [URL or ID]
Appropriate feed: [feed URL, which may actually be different from the current listing]Incorrect itemizing[s]: [URLs or IDs]
It is essential for my viewers’s expertise to make sure none of them are disconnected from my podcast by this merge course of. Even when I’ve to lose different earned engagement or rating, I would like a promise that I will not lose any of my viewers.
Thanks upfront!
If they really can merge your listings and promise you will not lose your viewers, nice! However most probably, they’re going to come again saying both they cannot merge the listings, or they could even give dangerous recommendation suggesting to delete the duplicate(s). Don’t delete the duplicates, but!
Please be sort in no matter interactions you’ve gotten with the platform’s assist group! It’s best to most likely assume they will not be capable to give the right assist, however I do nonetheless suggest asking anyway.
Since these proxy-based platforms (like Apple Podcasts and Spotify) most probably cannot present the right answer, and deleting the duplicate itemizing will hurt your viewers, your solely different possibility is to ask your viewers to refollow the right itemizing. However there is a intelligent approach so that you needn’t ask your complete viewers!
Step 2: Redirect correctly
Sadly, it appears most of those duplicates occur the place the old-but-correct itemizing is utilizing the “incorrect” RSS feed, and your duplicate incorrect itemizing(s) is perhaps utilizing the brand new, right feeds. So I do know this can appear a little bit complicated.
The outdated itemizing most probably has extra followers and status, so it is the itemizing you wish to hold. Get that outdated feed URL to redirect to the brand new feed URL utilizing a 301 everlasting redirect. Ideally, that redirect ought to stay perpetually.
A redirect occurs earlier than the contents of the feed are loaded. So it actually would not matter what’s within the feed you are redirecting, or if it is even a feed anymore! It is the URL that is vital.
It is identical to forwarding mail out of your outdated deal with to your new dwelling. It actually would not matter who lives within the outdated dwelling as a result of your mail can be forwarded earlier than it even will get delivered.
Any half-decent podcast-hosting supplier ought to be capable to completely redirect your outdated feed URL to the brand new one. Even bottom-of-the-barrel SoundCloud can do it!
If you happen to management the URL of your outdated feed, you may be capable to use instruments out of your web site, web-hosting supplier, or area registrar to redirect the URL to your new feed. You possibly can even use a third-party instrument like Cloudflare to place a redirect on the area’s precise path and also you would not want web-hosting in any respect as a result of the contents at that URL do not matter; it is solely the URL that wants a 301 redirect to your new feed URL.
Step 3: Make a brand new RSS feed with a single announcement episode
Begin by creating a brand new RSS feed with many of the similar podcast data. The simplest method to get this may be a separate class feed out of your publishing instrument, if out there.
If that will not work, you can open your RSS feed in your browser and reserve it as a file in your laptop.
Change the title barely by including “DUPLICATE” or one thing comparable, and also you may wish to add a “duplicate” banner within the cowl artwork, too. The purpose is to make it straightforward for anybody to see that this is the duplicate, not the precise podcast you need them to observe.
Give this new RSS feed solely a single episode explaining what you want your viewers to do and hyperlink to your right listings in all of the affected apps. This announcement can be seen and heard solely by those that truly must do one thing. Be at liberty to repeat the next script on your notes and spoken announcement.
Hello! We’re altering some backend stuff with our podcast and that, sadly, breaks a part of my/our podcast. I/we’d like to hold you in our group, so I/we’d like you to do a few issues to proceed receiving my/our podcast.
First, refollow my/our podcast in your podcast app, but it surely must be the one with out “DUPLICATE” within the title and canopy artwork. You’ll be able to most likely get there from the hyperlink on this episode’s notes, or by looking for a similar title.
[Include your correct Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other proxy-based platform links here in the notes.]
Then, when you possibly can see that you simply’re following the right podcast with all of the episodes, please unfollow this duplicate podcast and take away it out of your library.
Make this new RSS feed out there on-line (even in case you merely add the brand new XML file to your webhosting), however you’ll not be utilizing any common redirects to it or from it.
Step 4: Change the feed URL within the platform’s portal
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and different proxy-based platforms provide portals so that you can handle your podcast listings. These portals typically mean you can change the supply RSS feed on your podcast itemizing with out having to redirect your feed URL. That is the factor that previously, I’ve urged podcasters not to vary in Apple Podcasts Join, however now you do want it for this one function.
Log into every portal that has your duplicate itemizing and alter that supply RSS feed to the announcement feed you created in step 3. This may change the feed for under your followers on that platform. If you happen to change this within the Apple Podcasts catalog, it will change the supply RSS feed for any apps that use Apple’s catalog of their app, but it surely will not change the feed for anybody’s library utilizing these different apps. And that is okay, as a result of almost all different podcast apps join your viewers straight along with your RSS feed. So your viewers would go wherever it factors in these different apps. And if that duplicate itemizing is utilizing your right RSS feed, then your viewers will get your podcast from that feed as an alternative of from the app proxy.
Updating your supply feed in these few proxy-based apps ought to then add the “duplicate” data and push that announcement out to solely those that are affected.
Step 5: Redirect and delete after a couple of months
Go away this announcement feed on-line for not less than 3 months. You can begin shutting it down after that.
You must do solely two issues with the announcement feed:
- 301 redirect the announcement feed URL to your right podcast feed.
- Delete the duplicate listings by the podcast portals.
As soon as it is redirecting, you needn’t hold the announcement feed or episode on-line anymore.
Unlucky conclusion: it is messy and also you may nonetheless lose some numbers
I imagine these steps are the present greatest method to do issues if the platforms use their very own proxies and might’t merge your listings.
It is nonetheless potential and even doubtless you may lose some numbers by the “cracks” inherent with this course of. You may see your obtain stats drop, however it’ll most probably be disengaged viewers members. And that is why I say you may lose some numbers, however perhaps not folks who had been truly listening. In any case, if these folks do not observe you to the right podcast itemizing, had been they actually that engaged along with your podcast anyway?
I actually want this wasn’t a difficulty in any respect! However dangerous directions and platform limitations make this complication essential in case you hope to maintain most of your viewers.
Necessary reminder: don’t resubmit your feed!
As a lot as I might like to herald Smokey the Podcast Bear to let you know that solely you can forestall duplicate podcast listings, the unlucky actuality is that it is nonetheless potential for some internet hosting suppliers—most probably the unknowledgeable ones—to make this error and let you know to resubmit your podcast with the brand new feed, and even worse, they submit it for you.
DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN!
The solely exception is in case you’ve fully misplaced management of your outdated RSS feed and it is completely unimaginable to get it again (but it surely often is). Even on this case, it is nonetheless higher to vary the supply feed of your podcast in all of the podcast apps your can as an alternative of resubmitting your podcast with the brand new feed.
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Disclosure
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