Setting up your iTunes-compatible podcast RSS feed

VeloCMS generates a complete iTunes-compatible RSS feed at /podcast.xml for any tenant using the Podcast theme. The feed includes all required Apple Podcasts Connect fields: channel artwork, author, category, explicit flag, and per-episode enclosure elements. Once submitted to a podcast directory, new episodes appear within 24 hours of publishing.

Step 1 — Configure your show settings

Navigate to Admin > Settings > Site. The Podcast section contains the fields that populate the RSS channel header. Fill in Show Name (defaults to your blog name), Author Name, Show Description (used as the iTunes summary — 4,000 character limit), Language code (e.g. en-US), and Explicit flag. These settings are written once and rarely changed.

Step 2 — Upload show artwork

iTunes requires show artwork between 1400x1400 and 3000x3000 pixels in JPEG or PNG format. Go to Admin > Media, upload your artwork, and copy the URL. Paste it into the Podcast Artwork URL field in Admin > Settings > Site. The artwork appears in the feed as <itunes:image href='...'> and is displayed in every podcast app as your show's identity.

Apple Podcasts Connect will reject artwork smaller than 1400x1400px or larger than 3000x3000px. A 3000x3000 JPEG at 72dpi is the standard — keep file size under 1 MB.

Step 3 — Select your iTunes category

In Admin > Settings > Site, choose your primary and optional secondary iTunes category from the dropdown. Categories match the official Apple Podcasts taxonomy: Technology, True Crime, Business, Health & Fitness, etc. Your show must be in at least one category to pass Apple Podcasts Connect validation.

Step 4 — Verify the feed URL

Your feed is live at https://yourblog.velocms.org/podcast.xml. Open it in a browser and confirm the <channel> block has a title, description, itunes:image, and at least one <item> with an <enclosure> element. You can also paste the URL into Cast Feed Validator (castos.com/tools/podcast-feed-validator) for a full compliance check.

Step 5 — Submit to podcast directories

Apple Podcasts Connect: podcastsconnect.apple.com — Submit RSS feed URL, review in 24–72 hours
Spotify for Podcasters: podcasters.spotify.com — Instant ingestion after RSS submission
Amazon Music / Audible: music.amazon.com/podcasts/submit — 5 business day review
Google Podcasts (via RSS Hub): add your feed URL to Google's indexing service
Pocket Casts, Overcast, and other apps discover your show via the directories above; no separate submission needed

Once approved by Apple Podcasts, your show is discoverable in all apps that pull from the Apple catalog — which covers over 80% of podcast listeners globally.

Keeping the feed healthy

Every time you publish a new episode post with a non-empty Audio URL, VeloCMS adds it to the feed automatically. You never need to regenerate or re-submit the feed after the initial directory submission. The feed uses ISR with a 60-second revalidation window — new episodes appear in directories within their own polling interval (typically 1–24 hours per directory).

Common feed validation errors

Missing artwork: ensure the Podcast Artwork URL field in Admin > Settings > Site is filled with an HTTPS image URL at least 1400x1400px
Invalid enclosure: every episode item in the feed must have a non-empty Audio URL field and a valid file size integer
Feed URL returns 404: confirm your blog is live and accessible at the expected subdomain or custom domain
XML parse error: check for stray special characters in episode titles or descriptions — escape < > & with HTML entities if entering raw HTML
Apple Podcasts Connect rejection: the most common reason is artwork below 1400x1400px or above 3000x3000px — verify dimensions before resubmitting