iTunes won't accept my validated RSS feed

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iTunes won't accept my validated RSS feed

Hey folks, I've scoured the web, and I think I've exhausted all of my resources (and energy), so this is my last resort. I'm attempting to publish a podcast and I've ensured that the RSS has been validated. I'm using PowerPress (Blubrry) on a Wordpress site to generate an RSS feed from a category page on the website. I've also made certain that the artwork is within specifications (2000 X 2000 RGB JPG) and all of the files for the site are hosted on BlueHost.

Each time I try to submit the RSS feed to iTunes via "Publish a Podcast" I receive the following error:

"Podcast cover art must be between 1400 X 1400 and 3000 X 3000 pixels, JPG or PNG, in RGB color space and hosted on a server that allows HTTP head requests"

Here's a link to my RSS: http://gracechurchrolla.com/category/message/feed/

And here's a link to my image if it helps: http://gracechurchrolla.com/wp-content/themes/themetwo/media/title_image.jpg

I've tried Feedburner as well, and several different configurations with PowerPress. I've tried hardcoding the image tag into the header of my site, and I've tried uploading a 1400 X 1400 px image instead. No avail on any counts.

Any ideas? Your help would be greatly appreciated!

- Drew

Posted on Aug 2, 2015 2:27 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 2, 2015 3:03 PM in response to drewhagni

The image in your 'itunes:image' tag in the top section of the feed, which is the one which counts, is 980 x 980px and so will not be accepted. The required specification is as you quote above; additionally the filesize must be less than 500kB.

Otherwise the feed seems to be OK, as do the media files, apart from the fact that you have no 'itunes:duration' tags for your episodes. Not having these is not fatal, but it's preferable to have them as the Store cannot know how long the episodes are. The format should be H:MM:SS (or if less than an hour MM:SS will do), e.g.<itunes:duration>1:13:27</itunes:duration>

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Answer 2

drewhagni Author

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Aug 2, 2015 4:07 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Hi Roger, thanks for the quick reply. Can you help me understand where you're getting the 980 X 980px measurement? I downloaded the image I'm linking to, just to be sure, and the image is 2000 X 2000px. The file I have is also 242kB. I produced the image myself via Photoshop, so I don't know how it could have changed dimensions...

I'll definitely look into the itunes:duration issue as well. Thank you.

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Answer 3

Aug 2, 2015 11:40 PM in response to drewhagni

The image URL is http://gracechurchrolla.com/wp-content/themes/themetwo/media/title_image.jpg

If you control-click (Mac) or right-click (Windows) on the URL and choose 'Download linked file' or equivalent you can download the file to your default download area. I just did this and the dimensions are 980 x 980px.

If you are specifying a larger image and it's somehow getting reduced I can't explain that: as you are using Powerpress you may be able to get help in their forum:

http://forum.blubrry.com

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Answer 4

drewhagni Author

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Aug 3, 2015 12:27 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Wow, this is bizarre. Thank you for your thoroughness, Roger. I'll look into their forums to see if anyone else is encountering this issue. Seems odd that a plugin built for expediting the podcast process would create a problem like this though. I might try uploading the file to a different location and see if that helps anything. Here's a screenshot of what I'm seeing by the way. I copied the URL you provided just to be sure, downloaded the image and brought up its info as well. I just don't understand it...

Edit: Is there a simple way to add the artwork to my RSS feed other than Blubrry? I have a feeling the plugin is the culprit here...

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Answer 5

Aug 3, 2015 12:39 AM in response to drewhagni

It's very odd. From your image you appear to have accessed the file directly from the server, independent of Blubbry. You've got the full-sized image, but when I do it I get the smaller one. I also entered the path - i.e. the URL without the filename - and your server allowed me to see a listing of that directory's contents. Downloading from that produces the small image again. None of this makes any sense to me.

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Answer 6

drewhagni Author

Level 1

5 points

Aug 3, 2015 12:46 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Strange indeed. I know that Wordpress will automatically generate several different file sizes when you upload through their interface, but I added the image directly to my server via FTP. Blubrry was simply linking to it.

I have good news though, Roger. I got it to work. How... I'm not entirely sure. I went ahead and moved the image file completely outside of any of the Wordpress file structure and then proceeded to try different combinations of Blubrry settings until it worked. That tells me it probably was a glitch with the plugin, but I don't really know. I do know that I don't like the plugin much at all. Do you happen to know if my RSS feed is dependent on the plugin? If not, I'd love to do away with it now if I can.

In any case, thanks so much for all of your help Roger. I know this was a bizarre one... I really appreciate it though.

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Answer 7

Aug 3, 2015 12:57 AM in response to drewhagni

I'm not familiar with either Wordpress or Powerpress, though they do between them seem to cause more problems reported on here than anything else - not because there is necessarily anything wrong with them but because they are difficult to use. There is a Wordpress support page on podcasting which may help:

https://en.support.wordpress.com/audio/podcasting/

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