All feeds at podcasts.com are generated in exactly the same way. Therefore, if your feed is rejected by Apple iTunes, then it is likely an error unrelated to podcasts.com.
So what should you do?
iTunes has very specific reasons why a podcast gets rejected by the iTunes podcast directory. Luckily (and they’re easy to fix).
1) Title tag is missing
If you forget the title tag in your RSS feed, your podcast will be rejected. This is a surprisingly common mistake and, luckily, an easy one to fix!
2) RSS feed is broken
To verify your RSS feed is valid, simple go to the following site(s) and insert your feed URL:
Feed Validator - (https://www.feedvalidator.org/)
OR
W3 Feed Validator - (https://validator.w3.org/feed/)
Ideally, the result will display that it is a valid RSS feed.
Did you know that iTunes gives you the ability to test your podcast RSS feed before you submit it?
- Open the iTunes program on your computer
- From the File menu dropdown, click on Subscribe to Podcast
- Put the URL of your podcast feed in the box and click OK
- This is a great little-known way to preview your podcast before you submit it.
3. Incorrect URL (www or not)
Ensure you have submitted your podcast feed URL exactly as it was provided. If it contains the "www", then ensure that is included.
4. Cover art is in an unrecognized format
iTunes has specific requirements for Cover Art.
SIZE:
The cover art must be 1,400–3,000 pixels square to accommodate retina displays. The cover art cannot be more than 3000 x 3000 pixels.
FILE TYPE:
The following are the ONLY file types accepted by iTunes:
- JPEG (.jpg)
- PNG (.png)
The file types below will be rejected:
- Adobe Illustrator (.ai)
- Photoshop (.psd)
- CorelDraw (.cdr)
- Encapsulated PostScript (.eps)
- Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf)
If you’re unable to resize them appropriately, have your graphic designer create the appropriate image size.
5. Already submitted a podcast with the same URL and title
If you have already submitted a podcast with the same title or URL, then it is possible that iTunes may fumble and reject that podcast. In such cases, resubmit the podcast with a slightly different name and url.
Otherwise, contact iTunes directly by e-mail at podcasts@apple.com.
6. Podcast violates Apple’s terms
Apple has guidelines to ensure the quality of the submissions. Therefore, it may reject a podcast for various reasons such as:
- Using Apple’s intellectual property - Do not use Apple's trademarks or terms in your podcast title, description, or URL. For example, using “iTunes,” “Apple” the Apple logo, etc. will cause your podcast to be rejected.
- Using another brand’s intellectual property without permission - Never use trademarks from famous brands without permission.
- Inappropriate content - While iTunes does approve podcasts with mature subject matter, you cannot use images that depict sex, violence, drugs, etc. Apple will also reject podcasts that advocate discrimination based on race, gender, or sexual orientation.
- Mature/explicit content without marking it as explicit. In some cases, Apple has removed podcasts from the iTunes podcast directory even if only one episode has questionable language and your entire podcast is not marked as “explicit.” Play it safe. If you think you might slip in the occasional F-bomb, then mark the entire show as explicit in your feed.
Whatever changes you make, keep in mind that they can take up to a day to appear on iTunes — so be patient!
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