New iTunes Feed Tags in libsyn Dashboard

Apple announced the addition of new tags for podcasts coming in the fall of 2017. Along with these changes comes the need to update the interface at many media hosting companies like Blubrry and libsyn.

Changes to libsyn's Content > Add New Episode dashboard

The biggest change is tabs will break up the various functions that are available when uploading a new episode.

how to add podcast episode in libsyn tabs

The tabs I use most include:

  1. Media: Where you upload your MP3. (Note: You may switch to another tab without interrupting the upload)
  2. Details: Add episode details like episode title, summary and description
  3. Artwork: Upload episode artwork or a widescreen image for YouTube
  4. Social: If you active destinations to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc then you can draft the text for each social share
  5. Scheduling: Where you set the time for your episode to be released to your destination

For a demonstration of these tabs, go to the [18:30] mark of the libsyn Live webinar:

New iTunes Tags for Seasonal Podcasts

Another huge change coming to the iTunes Feed Tags are Seasonal and Episode Types.

Once the <itunes:type> is set to Serial (the default is Episodic) then the <itunes:season> and <itunes:episode> tags become effective.

Many TV and movie fan-based podcasts will benefit from this tag because it will allow them to group entire seasons together.

Then, when someone subscribes, they will get all episodes from the season and be able to listen to them in order – similar to listening to chapters of an audiobook.

New iTunes Tags for Episode 000?

Okay, so the new <itunes:episodetype> isn't really for Episode 000, which many have used to introduce their show to the world without taking up the valuable Episode 001 spot, but it could be.

Actually, the episode type can be set to Full, Trailer or Bonus – allowing you to add a special message in your feed such as an upcoming live event, trailer for your next season, or anything you want to add that doesn't necessarily fit into your normal release schedule.

libsyn has also added options for these settings in the Content > Add New Episode dashboard.

new itunes feed tag for full, trailer, bonus or episode 000

 

Thirteen of my eighteen clients give me access to their libsyn accounts for scheduling and general RSS feed management.

I'm interested to see how these new changes work – and if all the new tabs are going to slow me down.

What about you? Are you excited for these changes with new iTunes Feed Tags?