Apple Podcasts

Dear Kirby Podcaster users, if you wonder why your Podcasts suddenly disappeard from directories and podcatchers, keep on reading.

Recently Apple announced some big changes to Apple Podcasts. Some changes were not announced, but can break your Podcasts.

First of all: A lot of Podcast apps and directories use the Apple Podcast API. That's why you only need to submit your rss feed to Apples Podcasts Connect and you will be visible in almost every other podcast app/directory.

But Apple changed this behaviour!

As Marco Arment wrote there is now this little checkbox in Apple Podcasts Connect which will make your podcasts rss feed publicy available (through their API). This checkbox is not set by default. Which means, your feed probably is not available anymore!

The first thing you should do now, is log in to Podcasts Connect and check the settings of your Podcasts! Please do this now, because Apple will force you to update your account. After updating your account you will not be able to use it for several hours, so you cannot change anything right away! (I did this some time ago and I am still stuck in an endless redirect loop - hoping for the best…)

So, if you don't want to risk, to be offline for quite some time, make sure to do this right away.

I will see, if there is anything that can be added to the feed (if there are new specs) to make it possible to enable that option directly from the Podcaster plugin.

I also heard that you now have to provide the copyright information in your feed to prevent being unlisted from Apple Podcasts. Make sure to fill that field in your feed settings. I'll have a look if this field is now mandatory.

Let's hope that this is just an accident by Apple, but well… you know… platforms…