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Error parsing feed

I am getting the following message after having published 7podcasts to iTunes without issues. The only difference is that I changed the podcast name


Error parsing feed: Invalid XML: Error on line 75: The entity name must immediately follow the '&' in the entity reference.

Posted on Mar 12, 2018 1:28 PM

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Posted on Mar 12, 2018 5:06 PM

That URL redirects to https://theuniversityclubpodcast.com/feed/ when entered in a feed validator, though when entered in a browser it brings up a message saying that it's redirecting to an external link, which is a web page. This is asking for problems for a start. It does say that rss readers and podcast apps will be automatically redirected, though I'm not at all convinced this is working for iTunes.


However, the real problem is that the feed at that URL has no 'enclosure' tags containing the URLs of your playable media files, and so iTunes will not display them nor Podcasts Connect accept them, even if they manage to navigate to the feed from the original URL.


Your top episode has no text in the 'title' tag, nor any sign of playable media. The second episode's 'content: encoded' tag (which iTunes does not read) contains an iframe with a YouTube URL in it. You can't use YouTube videos in a podcast. The acceptable formats are .mp3, .m4a, .m4v, .mov or .mp4.


I'm afraid it's a case of back to the drawing board.

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Mar 12, 2018 5:06 PM in response to patrickfromallentown

That URL redirects to https://theuniversityclubpodcast.com/feed/ when entered in a feed validator, though when entered in a browser it brings up a message saying that it's redirecting to an external link, which is a web page. This is asking for problems for a start. It does say that rss readers and podcast apps will be automatically redirected, though I'm not at all convinced this is working for iTunes.


However, the real problem is that the feed at that URL has no 'enclosure' tags containing the URLs of your playable media files, and so iTunes will not display them nor Podcasts Connect accept them, even if they manage to navigate to the feed from the original URL.


Your top episode has no text in the 'title' tag, nor any sign of playable media. The second episode's 'content: encoded' tag (which iTunes does not read) contains an iframe with a YouTube URL in it. You can't use YouTube videos in a podcast. The acceptable formats are .mp3, .m4a, .m4v, .mov or .mp4.


I'm afraid it's a case of back to the drawing board.

Mar 13, 2018 10:38 AM in response to patrickfromallentown

You have a Store page at The University Club Real Estate Podcast by Patrick Zoro on Apple Podcasts


This has 8 episodes in it. The top one (the most recent) plays OK. However when subscribing the feed turns up empty, and for some reason it's not possible to deduce the feed URL in use.


http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:295608975/sounds.rss

still leads to the redirect notice I mentioned.


https://theuniversityclubpodcast.com/feed/

does not work when manually subscribing. It has the old title, not the one shown in the Store, and does not contain the requisite 'iTunes declaration' at the top of the feed, nor any 'itunes:' tags, nor any 'enclosure' tags containing the URLs of playable media, so it's not at all a viable podcast feed. The Store had access to a viable feed with the later title at one stage, but something you've done since February 20th has rendered that feed unreadable.

Mar 13, 2018 12:38 AM in response to patrickfromallentown

You need to provide playable media files in one of the formats I listed, and make sure that there is one in the top episode (which you also need to title).


You are not getting your feed from SoundCloud. As I said, the SoundCloud URL brings up a redirect which in some cases redirects to https://theuniversityclubpodcast.com/feed/ which is created in WordPress. You should submit that feed to Podcasts Connect, once you've corrected the points I raised about it.

Mar 13, 2018 10:10 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

thanks and while this is helpful in identifying the issue with my podcast feed. you should know that i posted 7 podcasts from soundcloud to itunes without issues. but the 8th one would not be uploaded via itunes (on soundcloud it is fine). the only item that changed was the name from “ the university club podcast” to “ the university club real estate podcast. So i will investigate your comments but this would seem to indicate that i should not be able to upload anything and yet i did.


thks for the valuable comments

Mar 13, 2018 2:03 PM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Got it!


Within the sound cloud setting, I had entered the web site under the "subscriber redirect" caption as I thought that it would point to the web site after someone had listen to the podcast. Instead it "re-directed" as you had correctly pointed out.


Great job in advising me where to look. Could not have done it without you.

Mar 13, 2018 2:53 PM in response to patrickfromallentown

Yes, the SoundCloud URL now works, and when subscribing from the Store page you get that feed and the episodes show. The title in the feed is 'The University Club Podcast', which is not the same as that showing in the Store page: the Store will change to that unless you change it in the feed before the next time the Store checks it.

Error parsing feed

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