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Podcast ping succeeds with podcast ID, but pinging the feed url fails

My feed passes feed validation and so does the feed burner feed. The correct feed url is:

http://lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog/?feed=podcast

2 of my episodes are on iTunes, but they remaining 3 have not been updated. Subscribers to the podcast receive all 5 episodes. I think I traced it back to the first 2 were off an old feed and then I used the new feed tag to move it to the new feed url. When I ping the feed with the feed ID I get success with this message:

Podcast Feed URL: http://lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog/?feed=podcast

So it apears iTunes knows about the correct feed url. So I removed the new feed url. But when I ping it with the feed url I get an error:

https://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZFinance.woa/wa/pingPodcast?feedURL=http://lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog/?feed=podcast

No Podcast Found for Ping Request

Seems odd that iTunes would return the feed url when pinged with the podcast ID but then not know about it when pinged with the feed url. I'm trying adding back the new feed url tag in the xml to see what happens. If anyone has any ideas I'd appreciate it.

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on May 30, 2007 10:25 AM

Reply
4 replies

May 30, 2007 1:22 PM in response to kcampos

Okay, so let me get this straight:

You created a podcast. You submitted it to the iTunes Store under the address http://lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog/?feed=podcast. Then you put your podcast through FeedBurner, and put a redirect on your server that forces people/readers trying to access this address ( http://lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog/?feed=podcast) to go to your FeedBurner one ( http://feeds.feedburner.com/LifeConnectionChurch). And now you are trying to ping iTunes to get it to update your podcast in the Store (subscribers are having no issues). Pinging the ID# works fine, but pinging with either your original address or your FeedBurner one results in a "no podcast found" message. Please feel free to iron-out any confusion on my part.

Based on my assumptions above, here's what I think the deal is:
How long ago did you put the redirect on your server? The iTunes Store often takes 48 hours (or more) to display changes after you have moved your podcast to a new address. Give them a little time to play catch-up, and see if your new episodes show up in the next few days. That takes care of the main issue, right?

Also, you really only need one functioning ping address for pinging to work. The iTunes ping using the URL of the feed has always been a little "buggy" in my experience, so just use the podcast ID one. (If the fact that one ping URL doesn't work correctly ends up being your only compliant with the iTunes Store, count yourself very lucky.)

Peach

May 30, 2007 2:34 PM in response to Wrongway Peachfuzz

Thanks I think you jogged my memory. I actually submitted it under an older url, then changed it to http://lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog/?feed=podcast using the new-feed-url tag(switched to podpress). And I know that worked. Because the second podcast was made under the new url and it is visible in iTunes store.

Yes I then enabled Feedburner and my server redirects all rss access through feedburner url as you stated. It's possible enabling feedburner on it was the beginning of my troubles but it's hard to say...so many changes in so little time.

I have since added multiple podcasts that have not been updated on the store but as you state, subscribers have no issues and it downloads the new podcasts fine. I've waited for the store to update for about 4-5 days now. So I'm beginning to think there is something wrong, but like I said, the feeds validate fine, both the podcast feed and feedburner.

If all I need is one functioning ping from iTunes then that's good news I guess, cause the podcast id ping works fine and it returns the correct URL.

So at this point all I can do is wait? Is there no other avenue of debugging other than just validating the xml feed?

May 30, 2007 3:06 PM in response to kcampos

Since neither Feed Validator nor I can find anything really wrong with your podcast, I think that it is probably the best course of action to just wait. I know that can be hard to hear, but iTunes is sometimes very frustrating to work with (and this is a problem that lies solely with them at this point)- go take a look right now, the "power search" out of the podcast section seems to be broken. I can't find any podcasts under the the author NPR! (I can't find any of mine either, for that matter.)

Holiday weekends often seem to correlate with a slowdown in the machinery at the iTunes Store - there were similar waits (like 2 weeks to be listed in the Store) around Easter. I don't know what the deal is, but if your feed isn't working properly by Monday or Tuesday next week, I would start to worry. Let us know what happens, so we can take another look if need be.

Good luck!
Peach



Podcast ping succeeds with podcast ID, but pinging the feed url fails

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