RSS feed and directories

The thing every podcast directory needs is your RSS feed URL. GCM generates that feed automatically — every episode you publish appears in it, and every directory you submit it to pulls episodes from it on a polling schedule. There's no per-directory upload step after the initial submission.

Your feed URL

The default URL is:

https://app.geniuschurchmanager.com/api/podcast/feed.xml?org=<your-org-slug>

If you've set up a custom domain for your public site, the feed is also served at:

https://yourchurch.org/podcast/feed.xml

Both URLs return identical XML. Apple Podcasts prefers stable URLs, so once you've submitted, don't change them — if you move from the GCM URL to your custom domain later, set up a redirect from the old URL so subscribers don't lose the feed.

Verify your feed before submitting

Open the URL in a browser. You should see well-formed XML with a <channel> block, your show metadata, and one <item> per published episode. If anything looks wrong, fix it before submitting — directories validate the feed at submission time and reject malformed XML.

Pre-submission checklist

Every directory will reject a feed missing required tags. Before submitting:

• [ ] Show title is set
• [ ] Show description is filled in (400+ characters)
• [ ] Cover art is uploaded and meets the branding rules
• [ ] Category and subcategory are set (Religion & Spirituality → Christianity, for most)
• [ ] Language is set
• [ ] Author / owner email is set
• [ ] At least one episode is published

A common mistake: submitting before publishing any episodes. Directories want to see at least one real episode in the feed to confirm it's not abandoned.

Apple Podcasts

1. Go to podcastsconnect.apple.com and sign in with the Apple ID matching your show's owner email.
2. Click + New Show → Add a show with an RSS feed.
3. Paste your feed URL and click Add.
4. Apple validates the feed and shows you a preview. Confirm the title, art, and category look right.
5. Click Submit for review.

Approval takes 1–7 days. Apple sends an email when your show is live. Watch for rejection emails too — they spell out which tag is missing or malformed.

Spotify for Podcasters

1. Go to podcasters.spotify.com and sign in (Spotify account, not Apple).
2. Click Add a show → I have a podcast → Add with RSS feed.
3. Paste your feed URL.
4. Verify ownership — Spotify sends a code to your owner email.
5. Pick country, primary language, hosting provider (select "Other" if "Genius Church Manager" isn't on the list).

Spotify usually publishes within 24 hours.

YouTube Music (replaces Google Podcasts)

Google retired Google Podcasts in 2024. The path is now:

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Settings → Channel → Advanced → enable Podcasts.
3. Settings → Podcasts → Add an existing podcast → Use RSS feed.
4. Paste your feed URL.

Episodes appear in YouTube Music and YouTube's podcast tab within hours.

Other directories

• Castbox — accept the same RSS URL, no Apple verification needed.
• Overcast, Pocket Casts — pull from Apple's directory, so you don't need to submit separately. Once Apple approves you, you're on these.
• iHeartRadio — submit at iheart.com/podcasters; uses RSS.

Polling cadence

Once submitted, directories poll your feed:

Directory	Typical poll
Apple Podcasts	15–60 minutes
Spotify	30–60 minutes
YouTube Music	Hours (1–6)
Overcast / Pocket Casts	15–30 minutes

So a sermon published Sunday at 10 AM is typically live on every major app by Sunday afternoon.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
New episode hasn't appeared on Apple after 4 hours	Apple's poll is intermittent for low-traffic shows	Force-refresh from Apple Podcasts Connect → show → ... → Refresh feed
Listeners report "show not found"	Feed URL changed	Set up a redirect from the old URL; update the URL in every directory
Cover art looks wrong on Spotify	Cover wasn't square or wasn't 1400+ px	Re-upload at correct size and refresh the directory
Audio doesn't play on Apple	MIME type missing on enclosure	Open a support ticket — GCM's feed generator should be setting it; this would be a bug

Next steps

1. Publish an episode — the per-episode flow.
2. Branding — cover art, category, language.
3. Set up your podcast — initial show creation.
4. Custom domain — serving your feed from your own domain.