Deliver secure, member-only podcast feeds with Acast

  • Updated

Patreon’s integration with Acast ensures that your exclusive, bonus content is only shared with the ones who want it most — your loyal listeners and members. 

If you have questions about Patreon’s existing feature for private RSS feeds that doesn’t use Acast, click here for information about how to Enable audio RSS feeds for my members

Why use Acast:

  • Deliver secure, member-only podcast feeds
    With the Acast integration, members receive a highly secure and unique RSS feed, so that your exclusive content stays exclusive
  • Access advanced analytics
    Acast's analytics give you clear and detailed insights into how many listens your member-only content is getting, and how listeners are engaging with it
  • Enable your members to listen wherever they want
    Your members can enjoy their exclusive Patreon content wherever they listen to their podcasts. If an app supports secure RSS feeds, it’s covered: Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Downcast, Podcast Addict, Acast, and dozens more
  • Easily convert listeners to members
    When you link to your Patreon membership directly from your public episode notes, your new members are seamlessly guided back into their listening experience once they've joined

How to set up Acast (with an existing Patreon RSS feed)

  1. To get started, visit your Podcast and audio settings. Click the Acast RSS feed button and select Get started with Acast. This will automatically take you to Acast and set up a free account for you.

    • If you have existing member-only episodes on Patreon, these will automatically be imported to Acast and will create your Show. A Show houses the episodes for your podcast

  1. Once your episodes have been imported, you can assign tiers to your episodes. You can do this in bulk by selecting which episodes you would like to assign to the tier, and then clicking into the select access tiers dropdown menu on the right:

Assigning_tiers.gif

  1. Once you’ve finished assigning your tiers, turn on the integration at the show level. Click back over to Shows and click on the show you created. Click the Integrations tab. Enable the switch for Patreon.
  2. Lastly, head back to Patreon and your Podcast and audio settings
  3. Now that your Acast account is set up scroll down and select save changes. This option will enable your new Acast feed and seamlessly migrate existing members to their individual Acast feeds. They’ll continue receiving their content with no interruption.
  4. At this point, we recommend sharing a post for members who aren’t already subscribed to your content, or for new members to notify them of the changes. We’ve compiled suggested messaging for you to use below:

    Subject:     Get member-only episodes through your fave podcast app.

    Hi everyone, 

    I’m excited to share a new way for you to enjoy all of our bonus, member-only episodes through a subscription in your podcast app, alongside the main show. If you already are subscribed to your member-only content in a podcasting app, you don't need to do anything! You'll continue to receive new episodes through that feed in your app.

    If you aren't already subscribed, it’s really easy for you to subscribe to the member-only feed. From the device where you want to listen, click here [INSERT PATREON SUBSCRIBE LINK] to sign in to your Patreon account, hit “Allow” to enable delivery of the content, then select your podcast app of choice to subscribe. This works with Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Downcast, Podcast Addict, Acast, and dozens more podcast apps.

    Thanks for your support!
  5. When you release new episodes, upload them directly on Acast. This will automatically push them to the feeds of your members on the tiers they’re assigned to. Please note that this will not automatically post the same episode on Patreon. Depending on your desired member experience, you can simply deliver your episodes through the Acast feed, or you can make posts on Patreon with the audio files and episode details. Either way, members will receive the new Acast episodes in their RSS feed.

How to set up Acast (with no existing Patreon RSS feed)

  1. If you’ve never used the Patreon RSS feed or you’re new to Patreon, you can enable the Acast integration in your Podcast and audio settings by doing the following:
    • Click Acast RSS feed and select Get started with Acast — Clicking this option will automatically take you to Acast so you can set up a free account. The email address you use for your account setup does not need to match your Patreon account
  1. Once your account is set up, you’ll be presented with the option to either Create New Show if you’re planning on providing a brand new private feed for members, or Import Existing Show if you already have episodes elsewhere that you want to make available to your members.
Create_New_Show.png
  1. When creating a new show, you’ll be prompted to add all the usual details for a podcast, like a title and description. 

  2. If you are importing an existing show, you’ll need a valid RSS feed for the show, which you can get from your podcast hosting provider. If you have set your show up as a podcast using Patreon’s RSS feature and the feed is not imported, you can access your RSS feed URL from the Podcast and audio settings page by clicking on the copy icon next to the RSS test link

  3. At this point, you will have a completed show that is not yet connected to Patreon, and does not yet have any episodes. Click into Integrations from your Acast dashboard and enable the Patreon toggle to connect to Patreon
    • NOTE: The integration will be enabled by default if you import an existing Patreon RSS feed as part of setting up your Acast account.
Turn_on_integration.gif
  1. Lastly, turn on the integration at the show level. To do this, click back over to Shows and click on the show you created. Click the Integrations tab. Enable the toggle for Patreon
Acast_Show_Integration.gif
  1. Next, you can choose whether you want Acast to include a link for listeners to pledge to your Patreon, for example, if a member is telling a friend about the member-only content you offer. This is controlled by the Include membership link in show notes switch. You can specify what the Link Text should say, and whether you want the link to go to your overall tiers page, or directly to the checkout page for a specific tier

    Configure_your_patreon_link.png

  2. When you release new episodes, upload them on Acast. This will automatically push them to the feeds of your members on the tiers they’re assigned to. Note though, that this will not automatically post the same episode on Patreon. Depending on how you want your member experience to be, you can deliver your episodes through the Acast feed, or choose to make posts on Patreon with the audio files and episode details. Either way, members will receive the new Acast episodes in their RSS feed

Adding episodes to Patreon tiers

Now that you’ve connected your Acast account to Patreon, you can create and assign new and existing episodes to your Patreon tiers.

Creating a new episode

  1. Click on New Episode
Create_new_episode.gif
  1. Fill out details about your episode (title, description, audio files, etc.)

  2. Choose which tiers can access this episode.
Choosing_Patreon_Tier.gif
  1. Click Publish now
You can also edit the tier assignments of an existing episode by clicking on it from the show page, then clicking the Settings tab, then adding or removing tiers

Need to bulk assign episodes to a tier? In the episode list, select which episodes you would like to assign to a tier, and choose the Access Tier dropdown menu on the right.

FAQ

Do I have to pay to use Acast?

Great news — Acast is free for you as a Patreon creator, and you can sign up from your Podcast and audio settings. If you’re interested in delivering both your public and private shows through the same feed, you can sign up for one of Acast’s paid plans here.

Is this the same as the current RSS solution on Patreon?

No, going forward, the content will be hosted on Acast, which will provide a unique RSS feed. Your members will not need to manually add the feed, but instead OAuth directly on the platform where they’d like to listen to your show.

Can I use the Spotify integration if I currently use Acast for RSS?

At this time, we are not supporting the ability to turn on the Spotify integration if you are using Acast for RSS distribution. Learn more about how to Deliver Podcasts with Spotify

Which players are this integration available for?

A:  It’s available for Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, Castbox, Downcast, Acast, and dozens of others. Spotify does not support custom RSS. 

What happens to my members when I switch my feed to Acast?

All members with active accounts will have their feeds automatically redirected with zero interruption, and will be able to access their RSS feeds as usual in whichever podcast app they were using before.
  • For existing members. They’ll continue to receive their member-only content in the same way they always have, there’s no need for them to resubscribe.
  • For new members. Any new members will receive the new feed through the same spots on Patreon: their pledge confirmation page, their confirmation email, and the My Membership tab. All the areas on Patreon where your old Patreon RSS was available will be updated to feature your new Acast feed

My members are having difficulty accessing my feed, what should I do?

If your members experience any issues accessing your Acast feed, providing them with your Patreon Subscribe URL will get them back on track. 
You can also copy and paste the following messaging into a post for your members:


Hi everyone,

If any of you are having difficulty accessing episodes, please try these steps:
  • If you are currently subscribed to a Patreon RSS feed for my show, please unsubscribe from that feed in your podcast app.
  • Then go to this link [INSERT PATREON SUBSCRIBE LINK]
  • You may be prompted to sign in with your Patreon login and to authorize Acast.
  • You'll then be presented with the option to select your preferred podcast player or to copy your private RSS feed.
Thank you,

Should I keep making posts on Patreon with my new episodes?

It’s up to you. Adding new episodes on Acast will automatically push them to the feeds of your members on the tiers they’re assigned to, but it will not automatically post the same episode on Patreon. Depending on your desired member experience, you can simply deliver your episodes through the Acast feed, or you can make posts on Patreon with the audio files and episode details. Either way, members will receive the new Acast episodes in their RSS feed.

How does using Acast help protect my member-only content from unauthorized sharing?

Using the Acast integration helps protect your content in two ways. First, because your members use Acast’s subscription process that sends the listener directly to the page in their podcast app to add their feed, it reduces the chances that the member shares their RSS feed with others. 

Additionally, Acast automatically monitors for extremely high numbers of downloads from individual RSS feeds that indicate widespread sharing. In that situation, the member will be asked to reset their RSS feed and resubscribe, thus reducing unauthorized sharing.

How can I disable Acast RSS audio feeds after turning them on?

You can turn off Acast RSS audio feeds from your Podcast and audio settings. Here, you can switch to the Patreon RSS feed by selecting Patreon RSS feed. You can also completely turn off RSS feeds by switching the Pocasting on/off toggle.

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