podcasting - formatting html and cdata

Question

Level 2

213 points

podcasting - formatting html and cdata

Hi, I'm having some trouble getting my iTunes feed to show any formatting whatsoever. The documentation seems to be misleading or outdated. Any advice or leads would be appreciated.

1.) I'm trying to format my iTunes summary to include basic paragraph breaks. Can I use basic HTML tags? If not, how do I create line or paragraph breaks in an iTunes summary? Here's an example of what I want to do, but iTunes ignores it:

<itunes:summary>
     <p>Welcome to Apple.</p>
     <p>In today's episode, ...</p>
</itunes:summary>

2.) I can't get [CDATA] to work at all. Apple's documentation says it will support hrefs, and to enclose them in CDATA tags, for example:

<itunes:summary>
     Welcome to <![CDATA[<ahref="http://apple.com">Apple</a>]]>. 
</itunes:summary>

But it is ignoring mine when I do this. I also tried replacing the brackets with hex codes:

Welcome to <![CDATA[&#x3C;a href=“http://apple.com”>Apple</a>]]>.

But no good either. What am I doing wrong?

3.) Can someone recommend an up-to-date and accurate resource for RSS tagging a podcast, especially one that also includes iTunes-specific formatting?

Thanks!

js

Logic Pro X, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), Logic X 10.2.0

Posted on Jan 3, 2016 9:35 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 3, 2016 9:51 AM in response to Jesse Stern

Your 'itunes:subtitle' and 'itunes:summary' tags should contain only plain text. The iTunes Store and the iTunes application will not render HTML, they will display the actual code, which looks messy.

If you want paragraph breaks just use plain text, and the return key to insert the break - this works perfectly well in the summary. As to the subtitle, remember that there is a limit on what will be displayed so you don't want it to be too long.

I see that the current version of the Help page does say you can insert links, but also they say that this is in the Podcasts app (on iOS) - AFAIK this is not going to work on a Mac and you should stick to plain text.

Incidentally if you want to compose the content of these tags outside of the feed itself, make sure to use a plain text editor. People often use a word processor, and land up with 'curly quotes' or embedded formatting codes, both of which will render the feed unreadable.

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Answer 2

Jesse Stern Author

Level 2

213 points

Jan 3, 2016 10:05 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Thanks for your reply, Roger.

BUT....

It says right in the page of iTunes podcast specs that I can use CDATA for links, and even gives an example in the iTunes:summary tag.

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

This while suggesting to use a text editor (not an app) to edit the XML code.

Are you looking a different page, or the same one?

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Answer 3

Jan 3, 2016 10:26 AM in response to Jesse Stern

Yes, the same page, and it gives an example exactly as you've used it. It also says this in the context of the Podcasts app:

'Enclose all portions of your XML that contain embedded links in a CDATA section to prevent display issues and to ensure proper link functionality in the Podcasts app'

I can't answer for that app as I don't have an iOS device. I've never seen links, or indeed any form of HTML, work in iTunes on a Mac or the iTunes Store. People sometimes use codes such as or character codes, and they get displayed. Probably the use of the CDATA tag prevents the link code from showing in iTunes.

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Answer 4

Jesse Stern Author

Level 2

213 points

Jan 3, 2016 10:50 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Yes, I'm doing that. I copied and pasted the CDATA directly from the podcast specs page.

So ... I'm using the tags exactly as described/suggested, and it's not working.

The Podcasts app is a reader, a client, and it has nothing to do with creating or editing RSS content. I think you may be confusing it for an editor.

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Answer 5

Jan 3, 2016 10:59 AM in response to Jesse Stern

The implication I get from the sentence I quoted is that if you format a link as described it will display properly in the Podcasts app. As I said this is not something I can test. My estimation is that it is not going to work in iTunes on a Mac or the iTunes Store. I have never seen HTML be rendered in iTunes, only the code being displayed in some cases.

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Answer 6

Jesse Stern Author

Level 2

213 points

Jan 3, 2016 12:46 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

While I see your point that Apple's specs page only specifies the mobile app, I believe you are mistaken. Here's why:

iTunes-specific RSS tags are not client-dependent, i.e. they do not use separate tags for the mobile and desktop apps.
RSS is a very simple protocol. If Apple goes to the trouble to create an XML name server, I can't imagine why they would then go to even more trouble to exclude the desktop version of their podcast client from their own RSS tags.

However, the fact is it does not work in any, not even the version of the app that Apple specifically says will work. Hence my post.

The iTunes podcast specs are very clear. I'm formatting the XML exactly as described there, and it is not working (in Podcasts app, iTunes Store, nor anywhere else). It is cutting off the iTunes:summary at the moment that the CDATA tag starts.

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