If you are a patron of a creator who offers Audio RSS, this article will show you how to get started using your private RSS link.
- What is RSS?
- Where to find your private RSS link
- How to use your RSS link in a podcast app
- List of podcast apps that work with your custom audio RSS
- How to find the episodes once subscribed
- General audio RSS troubleshooting
- RSS troubleshooting in the Patreon App
- More information about your private RSS link and feed
What is RSS?
RSS is short for Really Simple Syndication. It’s a great way to subscribe to a source of information or entertainment, such as a podcast, and get brief updates delivered to you. These sources are called feeds.
Where to find your private RSS link
You should have received an email containing your private RSS link with the subject link, "Here's your confirmation for [Creator’s name]".
You’ll also find your RSS link on the creator’s Patreon page located in the My membership section. In that section, you’ll find a card on the right side labeled “Private RSS link.”
Click the "Copy RSS link" button to copy the link to your clipboard, and paste it into your podcast app or RSS app of choice. You can easily listen to your favorite creator's podcasts on the go!
Would you like to subscribe to RSS on the Patreon app?
You can find your RSS link and subscribe through the Patreon app. Here's how to find your RSS link in the app: Subscribe to your Audio RSS link on the Patreon app
You can find your RSS link and subscribe through the Patreon app. Here's how to find your RSS link in the app: Subscribe to your Audio RSS link on the Patreon app
How to use your RSS link in a podcast app
Once you copy your custom RSS link, you’ll need to add it to a podcast app player or RSS app in order to listen to the episode.
In the next section, we’ll provide a list of podcast apps that work with the RSS link you’ve received.
Each podcast app differs in how you add the link to their player, so we’ve provided the instructions next to each podcast app. These instructions come from other sources, and not Patreon. If you run into any issues, feel free to send us a note!
Apps that will work with your custom audio RSS
Below are the iOS and Android apps that work with Patreon. Please note, those with an asterisk (*) means that it is a paid service and they may also offer ad-free streaming.
Instructions: to learn how to set up your RSS link in a podcast app, click “instructions here” next to the app you’d like to use.
iOS Apps that work:
- Apple Podcast (Visit our article on how to add your private RSS feed to your Apple Podcast app)
- Castro (Visit this article on how to add your private RSS feed to your Castro app)
- Downcast (Visit this article on how to add your private RSS feed to your Downcast app)
- OverCast (Visit this article on how to add your private RSS feed to your OverCast app)
- Pocket Casts* (Visit this article on how to add your private RSS feed to your Pocket Casts app)
- Swoot
- Google Podcasts
Android Apps that work:
- Beyond Pod
- Dog Catcher*
- Player FM * (Important: you have to register an account with them to import our private RSS.)
- Pocket Casts * (Important: Visit this article by Pocket Casts support centre)
- Podcast Addict*
- PodcastGuru*
- Podcast Republic*
- Podcasts Tracker*
- Podcasty
- PodKicker
- Swoot
- Google Podcasts
Podcast apps that will not work with your RSS link:
These are apps we’ve tested, that will not work.
- Podomatic
- Podcast App
- PodcastOne
- DoublePod
- PodcastHD
- PodBean
- Spotify
The following apps do not support authentication:
- TuneIn Radio
- Stitcher
- Castbox
Authentication is a process of confirming identity by providing valid credentials for verification, such as a username and password.
How to find the episodes once you subscribe
Each podcast app is different, but generally, you can find the episodes by searching for a section that says Episodes, Shows, or Library within the podcast app.
General audio RSS troubleshooting
Since the RSS link relies on 3rd party apps, you may run into a few hiccups while trying to listen to your podcast.
- If new episodes are no longer appearing or updating in your podcast app, try the following:
- Uninstall and reinstall your podcast app.
- Unsubscribe and resubscribe using the same custom RSS link that appears in your My membership section of the creator’s page.
- Refresh the feed on your podcast app. Many apps utilise the pull-down feature to refresh the feed or provide a button to refresh.
- If you are receiving the error message “URL/server cannot be found”. The RSS link may have been mistyped or miscopied which typically causes this error in the app. Please try copying/pasting the RSS link again.
- Don’t know where to find your RSS link on your creator’s page. You can find your RSS link in the My Membership tab by going to the creator’s page:
- Not finding the RSS link under My Membership when it should be there? Try refreshing your page, clearing cache, or accessing the My Membership tab using an incognito browser.
If these troubleshooting steps don’t work. We recommend trying a different podcast app or RSS feed reader to subscribe. If this still doesn't work, let us know as it may be a problem with the feed itself.
RSS troubleshooting in the Patreon App
If you’re experiencing issues listening to your audio within the Patreon app, try the following steps:
- Power off and then restart your device.
- Log out of your account on the Patreon app.
- Uninstall and then reinstall the Patreon app (latest versions linked below):
If you're in an area with lower reception, try connecting to WiFi, which could result in some improvement.
Still running into an issue? Please contact us!
More information about your private RSS link and feed
- Don’t share your private RSS Link. Your Patreon RSS link is specifically for you, as a patron to the creator offering this benefit. It contains an authorisation token that links directly to your account. If you share it with anyone, they will have access to the benefits you're paying for – and rob the creator of a potential patron.
- For this reason, sites and services that share RSS feeds with other users are generally restricted from hosting our feeds. Many are blocked outright. If the feed is found on another site, you may have your account blocked.
- Some apps will not allow you to add your RSS feed because they don't support authentication on podcasts. As we discover these apps that are not compatible with RSS feeds, we will list them in this article under ‘Apps that will work with your custom audio RSS’.
- There are some apps that require the creators to submit the feeds themselves (and usually pay a fee to do so). These apps will not allow you to add your RSS feed because the Patreon creator, who owns the podcast, has no way to create a feed without authentication.
- Only audio posts that your creator has uploaded will populate in your private RSS feed. Video and text posts will not appear in your feed. Additionally, audio link posts (like Soundcloud), will not appear in your RSS feed. Fear not, you can still access these posts by logging in on desktop, or on the app.
- Data fees from your phone company may apply when you download podcasts. Many podcast apps have settings to limit the number of downloads per show; for example, downloading only the three newest episodes rather than all new episodes. Also, you may be able to set your app to download only over WiFi rather than using your phone's data connection. Please check the settings on your phone and the app you use for more information.