Setting up iTunes podcast feed elements

Apple's Making a Podcast page contains full specification for iTunes podcast feeds, including sections containing detailed description of all iTunes RSS Tags, an example feed, common mistakes and many others. Definitely worth at least skimming through, especially in case of any problems when setting up your feed.

Also Producing Podcasts discussion forum could be a valuable source of extra information.

Setting up core feed elements

1. Enable the Views RSS: iTunes Elements module.
2. Build a view of the content you'd like in your iTunes feed.
3. The Format of your view needs to be RSS Feed - Fields.
4. Add all the fields you would like in your feed to your view. (Be sure to do so individually rather than adding content with view mode RSS.)
5. After all your fields are added, go back and click the Settings link next to the Format you selected. You should now be able to set up the following (thanks to the Views RSS: Core Elements submodule of Views RSS):
   • core <channel> elements
   • core <item> elements
6. Continue adding iTunes-specific feed elements (as described below).

Setting up iTunes <channel> elements

Values for all iTunes <channel> elements are configured from within Channel elements: iTunes group in view's Format settings.

<itunes:subtitle>

Enter any value, making sure it does not contain any HTML tags.

Example: A show about everything

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: subtitle

<itunes:summary>

Enter any value, making sure it does not contain any HTML tags.

Example: All About Everything is a show about everything. Each week we dive into any subject known to man and talk about it as much as we can. Look for our Podcast in the iTunes Store.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: summary

<itunes:category>

Select up to 3 category/subcategory pairs provided by the module.

Remember that for placement within the newer browse system based on Category links and for placement within the Top Podcasts and Top Episodes lists that appear in the right column of most podcast pages, only the first category listed in the feed is used.

You can always re-order categories and subcategories using Taxonomy administration pages if you need one of the lower categories to be used as your feed's main category.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: category

<itunes:keywords>

Enter up to 12 keywords, separating them with commas.

Example: technology, gadgets, TV & film

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: keywords

<itunes:image>

Enter path to the image file relative to your Drupal installation directory.

Example: sites/default/files/feed-image.png

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: image

<itunes:explicit>

Select one of the values provided by the module.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: explicit

<itunes:block>

Select one of the values provided by the module.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: block

<itunes:complete>

Select one of the values provided by the module.

Select yes only if no more episodes will be added to the podcast, otherwise it could be left empty.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: complete

<itunes:new-feed-url>

Provide full URL of your new feed (for example when current feed has been marked as completed).

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: new-feed-url

<itunes:owner>

Enter feed owner's email address followed by their name, separating them with a comma.

Example: john.doe@example.com, John Doe

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: owner

Setting up iTunes <item> elements

Values for all iTunes <item> elements are configured from within Item elements: iTunes group in view's Format settings.

<itunes:subtitle>

Use any text field, making sure its value does not contain any HTML tags.

In field configuration section:

• enable Strip HTML tags option if necessary

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: subtitle

<itunes:summary>

Use any text field, making sure its value does not contain any HTML tags.

In field configuration section:

• enable Strip HTML tags option if necessary

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: summary

<itunes:duration>

Use the same File field containing your audio file as you used for <enclosure> element.

In field configuration section:

• select RSS <itunes:duration> element as field formatter

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: duration

<itunes:keywords>

Select either text field or Taxonomy field (for example All taxonomy terms).

In field configuration section:

• enable Strip HTML tags option if necessary

In case of Taxonomy fields:

• disable Link this field to its term page option
• select Simple separator in Display type and use , as separator

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: keywords

<itunes:image>

Use either Image or File field (preferably the former, as it offers option to use image styles).

In field configuration section:

• select RSS <itunes:image> element as field formatter

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: image

<itunes:author>

Use User: Email field (in D7 first adding Content: Author relationship).

In field configuration section:

• in Link this field select No link
• optionally, you can change Format to RSS email: with user name to get emails together with user names - for example geo@herald.com (George Matesky) - instead of just email address

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: author

<itunes:isClosedCaptioned>

Use any List (text) or Text field returning either an empty string or yes or no value.

Make sure that field value does not contain any HTML tags.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: isClosedCaptioned

<itunes:explicit>

Use any List (text) or Text field returning either an empty string or yes, no or clean value.

Make sure that field value does not contain any HTML tags.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: explicit

<itunes:block>

Usually not used.

If you need it, use any List (text) or Text field returning either an empty string or yes or no value.

Make sure that field value does not contain any HTML tags.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: block

<itunes:order>

Usually not used.

If you need it, use any field returning an integer value, based on which feed items' order should be overriden.

More information: iTunes RSS Tags: order