iTunes Wont accept my RSS Feed

Question

iTunes Wont accept my RSS Feed

Im trying to get my podcast setup through iTunes. When i type in the URL ( http://www.josephhamilton.co.uk/podcast/podcast.xml) to iTunes/advanced/subscribe to podcast, it comes up with an error and states

"Please check that you have entered the correct URL and try again"

I have read

http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html

extensively trying to work out why iTunes won't accept the RSS feed.

here is the following .xml file i created based on the one in the podcast support page linked above.

http://www.josephhamilton.co.uk/podcast/podcast.xml

I just copied their 'Feed Example' and edited the fields with my info, then i uploaded it to my server space, with the artwork image and the mp3 content on the same hierarchical level as the podcast.xml file.

When i put it through the feed validator it comes up with an error only in the first line, but it comes up with a bunch of them. This is the first line of xml (as is in the 'feed example');

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

Please can someone explain what i need to change in order for my feed to be recognised.

15" macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Oct 7, 2010 4:08 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Roger Wilmut1

Level 10

131,146 points

Oct 7, 2010 5:09 AM in response to Joseph Hamilton

You have two invisible characters at the very start of your feed: this is sufficient to render it invalid. They don't show in TextEdit, but PageSpinner shows this:

You may have some difficult seeing these to remove them, so I have removed them and uploaded a zipped copy to my iDisk: you can download it here:
https://files.me.com/rfwilmut/eilj2a

If you subscribe to this in iTunes it should work. However you will have to be careful when adding episodes that whatever method you are using to make the feed doesn't just add them back again.

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Answer 2

Oct 7, 2010 5:13 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks for that,

However, iTunes still isn't accepting it. Validator says that there is still errors;

Also, how can i edit out those hidden characters for future problems. I have been writing it in stickies, saving it as plain text, then renaming the extension as .xml.

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Answer 3

Oct 7, 2010 5:31 AM in response to Joseph Hamilton

I've been looking at it further, making amendations then upoading to my webspace so I could check it in FeedValidator.

I replaced the top two lines with those from one of my own feeds - this version is now available at the same download URL. This simply removes the error down to line 3, so I conclude that there is something odd about your line returns.

I have been writing it in stickies

What on earth for? This could very well be the cause of the problem. Stickies will carry font information which will be hidden (I can't see any more odd characters) but may survive in some form when you save to plain text.

I'm afraid you are going to need to write the whole thing out again in TextEdit in *plain text* mode - don't copy anything from the existing feed as you will probably just replicate the problem. You will need to type it all again to be sure.

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Answer 4

Oct 7, 2010 8:13 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Well, positive movement at least. I retyped the page, and its over all it's problems about the header stuff. I shall heed your advice here forth - thank you for that.

Validators still sticking on little things. Its saying there are parsing errors - which from what i gather are the same or similar to syntax errors e.g. i have my xml entered incorrectly, but i cannot for the life of me see how to make it right. Take a look at it through validator and and see if you can't correct my xml grammar.

Now the best news is that itunes now recognises the rss feed and will download the podcast - however, if what apple say on there help page, if validator is showing errors in the xml feed page, itunes are unlikely to authorise it being put on itunes... so i still need to know how to sort these problems.

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Answer 5

Oct 7, 2010 8:27 AM in response to Joseph Hamilton

Two errors flagged. Line 34 - remove the quotes from 'no', or as it's not explicit you can remove the tag altogether.

Line 35 - you can ignore this, it's nothing to do with iTunes, but with the Atom feed reader. You should be good to go.

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Answer 6

Oct 7, 2010 9:19 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

HA HA!!!! Thanks man thats freekin brilliant. You deserve some sort of medal for that - or at least a coffee - next time you in glasgow scotland give me a shout and i'll sort you out with a starbucks.

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