Patreon gives you a built-in RSS feed so members can listen to your podcast in their favorite podcast apps, like Apple Podcasts, Castro, or Overcast. This article explains how RSS works, how to enable it, and how to make sure your episodes show up in member feeds.
What is RSS?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a feed format used by most podcast apps. When you enable RSS on Patreon, each member gets a private link with episodes they have access to. They can copy this link and add it to their favorite app to keep listening outside of Patreon.
How to enable RSS for your podcast
You can enable RSS when creating a new podcast in your Podcast and audio settings. During setup, you’ll fill out key podcast information — these details are shared through your RSS feed and displayed in podcast apps.
Here’s what gets included in your RSS feed, and what each field means:
- Cover Artwork: The image that will appear as your podcast thumbnail on apps. We recommend a square image sized 3000x3000 px
- Title: The name of your show — choose something clear and easy to search for
- Description: A short summary that helps potential listeners understand what your podcast is about
- Author Name: This will show up as the creator or host name in podcast directories
- Author Email: This address will be visible in your RSS feed and may be used by listeners or podcast platforms to contact you. We recommend using an email you feel comfortable sharing publicly.
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Podcast Type:
- Episodic: Listeners can jump into any episode — newer episodes appear first in apps
- Serial: Best for narrative or story-driven shows meant to be heard in order — apps will list from oldest to newest
- Explicit Content: Toggle this on if your show includes strong language or explicit topics. Learn more about Podcast explicit content
- Category: Helps listeners discover your podcast when browsing directories
- Copyright: You can include the copyright year(s), your name, and (if applicable) your company
- Language: The primary language spoken in your podcast
After filling in your details, you'll reach the Distribution settings, where you can choose to enable syncing with Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In the RSS section, make sure that the Members-only RSS feed is toggled on. Keeping this enabled allows members to access your podcast in their preferred app using a private RSS link.
You’ll also find your public RSS link here, which allows you to distribute your public podcast episodes in any podcast app directly from Patreon. Learn more about Public RSS in this guide.
Want help to learn how to create a podcast? Check our complete step-by-step guide on how to Create a podcast on Patreon
If you already have an existing podcast, you can enable or double-check your RSS settings in the Podcast and audio settings next to the Distribution section. Just make sure Members-only RSS feed is toggled on.
How to add episodes to your RSS feed
Episodes will appear in a member’s RSS feed when they’re published as an Audio or Video post and added to a podcast with RSS enabled.
You can add episodes to a podcast:
When creating a new post (New episode)
- Create a new Audio or Video post and toggle Add to podcast to select the podcast show you want the episode to appear in
From your Library (Moving existing episodes)
You can also add existing episodes to a podcast from your Library:
- Select the episodes you want to move, then click Edit > Edit podcast or season, and choose the podcast
- If you've filtered by a specific podcast: click Add episodes > Move episodes in the top-right corner
The podcast must have RSS enabled in its Distribution settings — otherwise, episodes won’t appear in members’ feeds.
Which posts will show up in an audio RSS feed?
Your members' private RSS feeds will include all audio and video posts with the Podcast setting toggled on. Here’s a breakdown of what will and won’t appear in the RSS feed:
Included:
- Audio or video posts added to a podcast with RSS enabled
- If you post both audio and video versions of your podcast, you should now only post video, and we'll extract the audio
- Audio or video posts added to a podcast and marked for sale. Fans who purchase the post will receive the audio in their RSS feed
Not included:
- Posts with video/audio file attachments instead of direct audio or video uploads
- Posts with links to third-party audio or video hosting sites (e.g., Soundcloud, Vimeo, etc)
- Video / audio sold as digital products in your shop (digital products are not included in the RSS feed)
Where members find their RSS feed
Members can easily find their private RSS links in:
- An email when they join your membership
- On your creator page, by clicking on the Podcast icon below your profile, or under Membership > Listen on other podcast apps
- The Collections tab on your creator page
- On the Patreon app, via the More (...) menu on your page
Share your podcast on Spotify
In addition to RSS, you can enable the Spotify integration to let your members listen on Spotify:
- Members can connect their Patreon and Spotify accounts to unlock episodes directly in the Spotify app
- Your paid content stays hidden from non-members but helps attract new listeners
- If you also offer a free version of your podcast on Spotify, you can use Synced Feeds to combine both versions into one seamless experience. Learn more about Delivering podcasts on Spotify
FAQ
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Yes! If you upload a video post and add it to a podcast, we'll automatically extract the audio and include it in the RSS feed.
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Once a member's access ends, their feed will stop updating. They may still see previously cached content in their podcast app.
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Yes. You can choose who sees each episode by setting access when you publish your post. RSS feeds reflect the access level of each member.
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No. Posts created and sold through Commerce are not included in your podcast RSS feed
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Sharing a private RSS link with others is a violation of our Terms of Service. We monitor RSS usage for unusual activity, such as a single link being accessed from multiple devices or podcast apps beyond what’s typical for one member.
If we detect that a member has shared their link, the affected RSS link will be automatically reset, so anyone else using it loses access. If this happens a second time, the member suspected of sharing their link will have their comment and DM privileges suspended for 7 days. Continued or repeated violations may lead to further action by our Trust & Safety team to protect your content. -
Email Patreon Support with the RSS link and where it was shared. Include the member’s name or URL if possible