There are many nice podcast-hosting suppliers, however a few of them are committing podcasting sins that would make it tougher so that you can use them, or impair your podcast’s efficiency.
I’ll not disgrace any internet hosting suppliers on this episode as a result of they though a few of them are doing this stuff wrongly on the time of publishing this episode, they could repair these issues later—possibly even by the point you are studying or listening to this! However I will reward some firms that do this stuff appropriately. And take into account that simply because I do not reward a selected firm does not imply they’re doing it unsuitable!
(I earn from certified bought by my affiliate hyperlinks on this publish, however I like to recommend issues I actually imagine in, no matter earnings.)
Sin 1: not redirecting your podcast RSS feed
Should you use your podcast-hosting supplier’s RSS feed for publishing your podcast, what occurs for those who ever wish to depart that supplier? You could take your viewers with you and never trigger any interruption of their consumption of your podcast.
What internet hosting suppliers ought to do is permit you to completely redirect their feed URL to your podcast to your new feed URL. This should be a 301 “everlasting” redirect! And, ideally, it ought to stay redirecting ceaselessly, or a minimum of for a yr.
Study extra about redirects and methods to use them in episode 280. Briefly, they’re like a “change of deal with” you’ll file together with your native postal supplier. Whenever you try this, you are asking for every little thing to ahead to your new deal with. And you may get a service that notifies everybody sending mail to your outdated deal with that you’ve got completely moved and the place they need to ship the mail to any extent further.
301 everlasting redirects work that very same approach. By “everlasting,” it does not imply “ceaselessly,” but it surely means it is by no means going to make use of that outdated URL once more. A 301 redirect will instantly ahead any request to your RSS feed to the brand new URL with out even loading any content material out of your outdated feed. 302 and 307 momentary redirects try this, too. However the principle distinction is that the “301” code despatched again to the apps tells them that the feed URL has completely modified, it would by no means be at that outdated URL once more, and thus the apps ought to cease wanting on the outdated URL and look solely on the new URL. At the very least that is how well developed apps are purported to deal with it!
If you cannot ahead your outdated feed URL to your want one, you then successfully lose nearly your whole viewers while you swap internet hosting suppliers. That is why it is so necessary to have this management, even for those who do not personal the precise URL. (And no matter “model” is within the feed URL would not truly matter.)
However it’s a superb factor that most internet hosting suppliers (actually all those I like to recommend) do supply feed redirects as an possibility. Libsyn used to cost a one-time payment for this, however they stopped charging for it a number of years in the past.
Should you completely should use a internet hosting supplier that doesn’t supply feed redirects, then use a third-party service—like Blubrry’s Podcast Mirror and even FeedBurner—to guard your feed URL.
Sin 2: utilizing unpredictable media URLs
Every episode of your podcast has its personal distinctive URL for the media file. For instance, my episode URLs on Libsyn are structured like this:
https://site visitors.libsyn.com/noodlemx/tap411.mp3
That is truly the MP3 URL for this very episode, and I knew it could be that precise URL earlier than publishing as a result of its fully predictable! I do know that for every episode, the one factor that can change is the filename, and that would be the identical filename as what I add. Blubrry and some different supplier additionally work this manner.
However some internet hosting suppliers use seemingly random characters within the media URLs. For instance, one supplier would make my episode URL like https://supplier.com/media/g438tgsh4ituh3tsdg4/tap411.mp3.
That might be okay if that string of random characters was distinctive to your podcast and repeated throughout all your episodes in order that, like Libsyn and Blubrry, the one half that adjustments per episode could be the filename for every episode. However that is not how these different suppliers work. These random characters are completely different for each episode. So the URL is totally unpredictable.
That is unhealthy as a result of it makes it extraordinarily cumbersome emigrate to that internet hosting supplier for those who’ve embedded episodes in your web site (whether or not by a built-in participant or utilizing your internet hosting supplier’s participant). You possibly can’t run a find-and-replace operation in your web site’s database to switch all of the outdated media URLs or embed codes with the brand new ones as a result of the brand new URLs comprise a string of character that is completely different for every episode. Not even common expressions would assist right here! Nevertheless, common expressions may enable you migrate away from such a internet hosting supplier, since you may use a wildcard for the random string. That’s, so long as your episode filenames keep the identical!
And that is the opposite approach some suppliers commit this sin. I used to be attempting to assist my buddy Jessica Rhodes from Interview Connections going through the even worse model of this problem (and due to Jessica for uplifting this episode!). She was working with a supplier that did truly preserve the identical path for the media URLs, however they changed the filenames with one thing random and unpredictable! So completely no systematic find-and-replace operation may migrate to or from that—even with common expressions!
The one method to change all of the previous embedded episodes is to replace all of them manually.
So for those who’re taking a look at a brand new internet hosting supplier, test the media URLs for a number of episodes of different one other present hosted with them and see if the URLs comply with predictable patterns, or are randomized for every episode. Too many suppliers do it this manner! And, frankly, I feel it is most likely due to ignorance, or worse, apathy and laziness.
Apart: that is one thing I knew I needed to keep away from with the chapter- and transcript-hosting that PodChapters gives. Though the URLs may look random, the randomized a part of every URL is definitely an account-wide string that by no means adjustments. For instance, I already know that the transcript URL for this episode can be https://storage.podchapters.com/j973bkwgxk3jpd4j3mw02g6b717p8s52/tap411/transcript.vtt, with solely the tap411 half being distinctive however predictable for every of my episodes.
Sin 3: altering your GUIDs
“GUID” stands for “globally distinctive identifier.” There are two sorts in podcasting: one for every episode, and one to your entire podcast.
The podcast GUID was born from Podcasting 2.0. Though will probably be generated primarily based in your feed URL when the GUID is first generated, it ought to by no means change after that, even when your feed URL adjustments. So any good internet hosting supplier ought to mechanically inherit the identical GUID while you migrate your feed. Blubrry, Buzzsprout, and I feel Captivate and a number of other different suppliers do that correctly.
Your episode GUIDs are much more necessary. What’s in the episode GUID would not truly matter. For instance, any feed generated with WordPress normally makes use of your WordPress publish’s ID quantity in a URL (so it would not change if the pleasant URL adjustments). For instance, this publish’s GUID is https://theaudacitytopodcast.com/?p=37412. Some publishing instruments make it a random string of characters. Both is completely acceptable. So the sin is when these GUIDs are modified both while you migrate to that supplier or publishing instrument, or if they’ve to alter one thing of their backend. For instance, even when the episode URLs change from “HTTP” to “HTTPS,” the GUIDs ought to not change; they’re used as IDs, not as URLs.
Almost all podcast apps use the GUIDs to trace which episodes have been performed, downloaded, ignored, and such. So if an episode’s GUID is modified, almost all podcast apps will suppose it is a new episode and redownload it, which is able to mess up your stats and doubtless confuse and even frustrate your viewers.
Most podcast-hosting suppliers correctly migrate the episode GUIDs on migration. However some do not.
Sin 4: improperly establishing your RSS feed
Lastly shifting away from migration-related sins, some internet hosting suppliers and publishing instruments do unhealthy issues inside your RSS feed. Typically, it is for some concern for compatibility, but it surely appears to normally be from ignorance or oversight.
Listed below are some examples:
- A preferred internet hosting supplier places the identical textual content in three separate RSS tags on an episode:
<content material:encoded>,<description>, and even deprecated<itunes:abstract>. Multiply that by what number of episodes are in your feed and that is a whole lot of wasted house, and it is actually not even mandatory! - That very same internet hosting supplier, and some others, set the
<enclosure>tag’ssizeattribute to 0 as a substitute of setting the scale of the media file in bytes. - Just a few in style internet hosting suppliers incorrectly populate your episode’s
<itunes:title>and<title>tags with the very same textual content. That is pointless and redundant, but it surely’s even worse for those who want episode numbers as a result of they’ll put them in solely<itunes:episode>tag however not within the extra broadly used<title>tag! I feel Fireplace handles this the neatest approach; RSS.com is likely to be doing related quickly; and Captivate, PowerPress, and Libsyn assist you to manually edit these separate title tags individually. - Some suppliers and publishing instruments ignore the
<itunes:period>tag. It’s non-compulsory, but it surely’s very useful for podcast apps. Sadly, Apple says, “Completely different period codecs are accepted nevertheless it is strongly recommended to transform the size of the episode into seconds.” - Some suppliers incorrectly format the episode’s
<pubDate>tag, which is meant to be the date of publication and it is purported to comply with a really particular date format, which not all suppliers respect. Surprisingly, Apple makes this tag solely “really useful” as a substitute of required. - Some suppliers do not allow you to change the
<hyperlink>URL to your episodes. That is essential when your episode webpage is someplace apart from on the web site your internet hosting supplier provides you. Libsyn, Captivate, and Buzzsprout all allow you to edit this. PowerPress would not actually need it as a result of the first utilization of PowerPress is making a podcast feed from your personal web site. So the episode hyperlinks are already pointing to your personal webpage for that episode.
A few of these belongings you may uncover by wanting on the uncooked XML code for a podcast’s RSS feed from every supplier. For instance, for those who see <enclosure size="0" …>, then you may know they’re doing it unsuitable. However a few of these different issues, just like the <hyperlink> tag is likely to be an oversight on the podcaster’s half and never the fault of the internet hosting supplier.
Sin 5: stripping necessary knowledge out of your episodes
MP3s can maintain a whole lot of necessary items of knowledge which are good for compatibility, and generally important for sure performance and workflows.
For instance, you may add your episode paintings to the MP3, and your internet hosting supplier may mechanically learn that picture and put it aside to the RSS feed and webpage for that episode. Captivate, Buzzsprout, Blubrry, Libsyn, and lots of different suppliers both use this picture conveniently, or they preserve the picture within the MP3. Earlier than you suppose that is pointless, that is truly how Overcast will get its picture to your episode earlier than falling again to your top-level podcast cowl artwork.
The opposite necessary knowledge in your episode may very well be legacy chapters embedded within the MP3. PodChapters exports chapters in your MP3, as JSON code for Podcasting 2.0, and as XML code for PodLove Easy Chapters. However even when your internet hosting supplier would not assist trendy chapters, or they do not allow you to give your personal chapters URL, your supplier ought to nonetheless learn the chapters from the MP3 knowledge, maintaining them there and even copying them to the opposite codecs. Because of this PodChapters remains to be helpful (and certain higher) for those who host with a supplier that gives their very own chaptering instrument.
Captivate, Buzzsprout, Blubrry, and Libsyn all preserve your MP3’s embedded chapters untouched except you employ their chapter instruments to alter the chapters. However some suppliers will not copy all of the chapter knowledge, or they really take away your chapters! For instance, one in style supplier will correctly learn your chapter titles and timestamps, however then they ignore any hyperlinks or photographs in your chapters.
Sin 6: not optimizing your media
There are, sadly, nonetheless a number of technical requirements podcasters must know. However I’d like to see these be pointless for podcasters to consider as a result of their internet hosting suppliers and publishing instruments optimize this stuff appropriately.
For instance, Buzzsprout’s base plans will re-encode your podcast audio down to 96 kbps mono provided that you add one thing greater than that. This ensures you are publishing the best format of media and at an optimum high quality degree. You could possibly additionally improve your Buzzsprout account to incorporate “Magic Mastering,” in order that they repair your loudness ranges mechanically and allow you to publish in stereo. That is a sensible function!
However some internet hosting suppliers will allow you to add something—even an uncompressed WAV file that may very well be 100× larger than it must be or different audio file codecs that almost all podcast apps do not assist.
Photographs are one other factor. Some suppliers allow you to add any form of picture, even when it is too massive, too small, the unsuitable form, or its different technical specs are incorrect. Ideally, the publishing instruments ought to warn you while you’re importing one thing with the unsuitable specs, and doubtlessly present the instruments to repair it.
On PodChapters, I am working to make it do a few of this optimization mechanically, or with a easy button. For instance, for those who add a picture that is too massive for a chapter (by file dimension or pixel dimensions), PodChapters may mechanically downscale that picture for the embedded chapters (the place a small dimension is essential), after which do completely different optimizations for the Podcasting 2.0 and PodLove chapters.
The identical may go for textual content knowledge, too. Publishing instruments ought to strip out pointless HTML code (such as you may continuously get when pasting from a document-editing app equivalent to Google Docs or Microsoft Phrase) and they need to automatically-validate your RSS feed everytime you publish.
After all, this should not actually matter for those who do issues proper in your facet. However I imagine that podcasters should not should know technical issues like bitrates and loudness ranges. I would like podcasting to “simply work” so you may focus extra in your content material and your viewers.
Sin 7: unnecessarily optimizing your media
Sure, generally your media ought to not be optimized!
Years in the past, I stumbled into operating a number of efficiency exams on podcast-hosting suppliers and I made some attention-grabbing further discoveries. A kind of discoveries was that some internet hosting suppliers would forcefully re-encode your MP3s, even for those who had already encoded them completely to the spec! One supplier re-encoded up to a better degree, which did not truly enhance the audio high quality and solely wasted house, bandwidth, and processing time. Some suppliers do not re-encode your media it doesn’t matter what (see sin #6 for that!), however I like the best way Buzzsprout handles it: they’ll solely re-encode down in case your media file is above their spec. However for those who add an MP3 that is already at or under their spec, they will not re-encode it.
An analogous factor may occur with photographs. Possibly you add a wonderfully compressed picture that is solely 20 KB, however the publishing instrument converts that picture to a distinct format, probably making the file dimension 10× bigger than it must be, and possibly even making the picture look worse.
Need assistance selecting a podcast-hosting supplier? I nonetheless often advocate Captivate, Buzzsprout, Blubrry, and Libsyn!
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This publish could comprise hyperlinks to services or products with which I’ve an affiliate relationship. I could obtain compensation out of your actions by such hyperlinks. Nevertheless, I do not let that corrupt my perspective and I do not advocate solely associates.
