Hi,
Please I need help with my submitted feed; iTunes can't validate it
https://tomisule.com/podcast/feed.
Occasionally, it attempts to and displays error reports asking to change the size of the cover art, and category etc, but despite all changes made, nothing reflects on the itunes submission area.
Either it returns with the same error report of ”cant parse your feed” or the old error reports requesting me to change artwork etc.
Please kindly help.
This is not a viable podcast feed. For a start, it does not include the 'iTunes declaration' in the 'rss version' tag:
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"version="2.0">
Without this, the 'itunes:...' tags cannot be read: and you don't have any of them. You would need tags such as 'itunes:image' containing the URL of your image which must meet the specs listed above (the 'image' tag won't do). You have no 'itunes:subtitle', 'itunes:summary' or 'itunes:category' tags - you must choose a category and subcategory from Apple list here:
https://help.apple.com/itc/podcasts_connect/#/itc9267a2f12
Note their warning that a category such as 'Society & Culture' must be encoded as 'Society & Culture' since an ampersand by itself will completely wreck a feed.
Your 'enclosure' tags are formatted thus:
<enclosure url="https://tomisule.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/THE-STRENGTH-OF-YOUR-SPIRIT-WITH-DR.-TOMI-SULE-EMMANUEL_vlltPGbhq8c.mp3" length="0" type="" />
The 'type' attribute must read 'audio/mpeg' and the 'length' must be the file length in bytes. Incidentally I listened briefly to the top episode: you do realize that the audio is in the right channel only?
You have made your feed in Wordpress: I'm not conversant with this but I suspect you have followed the procedure to produce a blog feed rather than a podcast feed. Wordpress have a help site on this: https://en.support.wordpress.com/audio/podcasting/
You might want to consider using the Blubrry plug-in for podcasting.
My 'get you started' page at http://wilmut.uk/pc includes a sample feed so you can see what one should look like, but if you use Wordpress correctly you should get a viable feed from it.
This is not a viable podcast feed. For a start, it does not include the 'iTunes declaration' in the 'rss version' tag:
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"version="2.0">
Without this, the 'itunes:...' tags cannot be read: and you don't have any of them. You would need tags such as 'itunes:image' containing the URL of your image which must meet the specs listed above (the 'image' tag won't do). You have no 'itunes:subtitle', 'itunes:summary' or 'itunes:category' tags - you must choose a category and subcategory from Apple list here:
https://help.apple.com/itc/podcasts_connect/#/itc9267a2f12
Note their warning that a category such as 'Society & Culture' must be encoded as 'Society & Culture' since an ampersand by itself will completely wreck a feed.
Your 'enclosure' tags are formatted thus:
<enclosure url="https://tomisule.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/THE-STRENGTH-OF-YOUR-SPIRIT-WITH-DR.-TOMI-SULE-EMMANUEL_vlltPGbhq8c.mp3" length="0" type="" />
The 'type' attribute must read 'audio/mpeg' and the 'length' must be the file length in bytes. Incidentally I listened briefly to the top episode: you do realize that the audio is in the right channel only?
You have made your feed in Wordpress: I'm not conversant with this but I suspect you have followed the procedure to produce a blog feed rather than a podcast feed. Wordpress have a help site on this: https://en.support.wordpress.com/audio/podcasting/
You might want to consider using the Blubrry plug-in for podcasting.
My 'get you started' page at http://wilmut.uk/pc includes a sample feed so you can see what one should look like, but if you use Wordpress correctly you should get a viable feed from it.
Although I was able to read your feed in a browser, it worked OK when subscribing in iTunes, and FeedValdiator could read it, Podbase and CastFeedValidator both failed to read it, the latter saying it timed out. This is a server issue you would need to take up with the people running it. Try accessing it in Podcasts Connect and note the exact time you did so, then ask the people running your server to check the logs.
You appear to have managed to submit it, though if when they come to check it the Podcasts staff can't access it they will of course reject it. Once submitted you cannot validate the feed in Podcasts Connect, but you would be told that it had already been submitted.
You might be advised to remove this line from the top of the feed:
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="https://tomisule.com/wp-content/plugins/seriously-simple-podcasting/templates/feed-stylesheet.xsl"?>
I don't know whether it's a problem but it isn't normally there in feeds. Your feed is bing served as text/html, it should be UTF-8; again I don't know whether Podcasts Connect takes any notice of that.
Categories: 'Non-profit' is not a sub-category of 'Arts' but of 'Business'; you must choose a sub-category from Apple's list:
https://help.apple.com/itc/podcasts_connect/#/itc9267a2f12
This won't cause a fatal error but probably a sub-category would be chosen for you.
Hi,
thank you for your response. I have done all that you asked.
Here is the confusing part; I did submit again, Apple validated it, and also confirmed submission (please see the screenshots attached). I believed or assumed all was fine.
I checked my podcast listing, the said podcast didn’t show that it was under review, and then I randomly attempted to validate the feed again, and it yet again reported the former error: “Can’t parse your feed.”
How is it possible to successfully validate A feed, and submit the feed, and minutes later, the feed can’t be “parsed?”
I need help.
Hi
regarding this feed (tomisule.com/feed/podcast), I have done EVERYTHING I know to do, reworked the category list and made every other correction as advised, but I just can’t get through validation. I am completely out of options.
kindly assist or advise further?
Thanks.
I got 'can't parse your feed' in Podcasts Connect. Although I can access the feed in a browser, and FeedValidator can access it, CastFeedValidator complained that it timed out and Podbase seemed unable to connect at all. It works OK when subscribing in iTunes. Possibly your server is not responding fast enough to some requests. Also it appears the server is serving it as text/html instead of UTF-8.
Though it should cause the parsing error, your episode tags look like this:
<enclosure url="https://tomisule.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/THE-STRENGTH-OF-YOUR-SPIRIT-WITH-DR.-TOMI-SULE-EMMANUEL_vlltPGbhq8c.mp3" length="0" type="" />
The 'type' attribute needs to be "audio/mpeg".
Hi,
I still cannot get through with validating/submitting the feed www.tomisule.com/feed/podcast. It’s really frustrating.
Please, do you offer please paid services to assist in resolving issues like this, so I can get pass a this once and for all?
kindly let me know.
thanks.
I can't add anything to what I've already said. You are still serving the feed as text/html when it should be UTF-8; although I could access it OK and it works when subscribing in iTunes, bothe Podbase and CastFeedValidator were unable to access it at all, the former complaining of a timeout. It sounds as if there are problems with your server and you need to take it up with the people running it.
Can’t parse your feed
