In this video we will explore FeedBurner and how it has enhanced our podcast

Optimize

If we click on the "Optimize" tab, and click "XML Source", we can see some of the changes that have been made to our feed. If we compare this to the feed we get straight out of Drupal, at the channel level, we have:

• Title
• Link
• Description
• Language

The feed that we get from feed burner includes:

• Title
• Link
• Description
• Language
• Atom link
• Feedburner info
• Copyright
• Thumbnail
• Keywords
• Category
• iTunes owner
• iTunes email
• iTunes name
• iTunes author
• iTunes explicit
• iTunes image (same as thumbnail)
• iTunes keywords (same as Keywords)
• iTunes subtitle
• iTunes summary
• iTunes category

So… a lot more. And very importantly, all the information iTunes requires.

SmartCast - editing your podcast info

The "SmartCast" section on the left is where we can update the podcast information. Let's take a look at our podcast in iTunes before we make any changes.

• In the iTunes menu, click "Advanced"
• Click "Subscribe to Podcast"
• Type in your new feed address
  • http://feeds.feedburner.com/SuperSweetAwesomePodcast
• Click "OK"

We can see the podcast subtitle has been overwritten by FeedBurner, and if we click the "i" for more info, we see the podcast summary there.

As I said before the copyright message is used in the iTunes store. I'll show you where that is using The Modules Unraveled Podcast. In the iTunes store, search for "Modules Unraveled Podcast" and click on the podcast. You'll see the copyright notice below the image.

If we delete the podcast subtitle and summary, and re-subscribe in iTunes, you'll see the information we typed in our Drupal site return. I prefer to do this so that I know where to edit it if I need to. But, it's up to you.

And I don't change anything else in FeedBurner, but you can feel free to poke around, and see what they have to offer.

Troubleshootize

One thing I do want to point out before we move on to the "Analyze" tab, is the "Troubleshootize" tab. If you're having issues with your feed, this is where you'll go to fix it. They have some common issues listed here with fixes, but what I want to point out is the big "Resync Now" button at the bottom. This will clear FeedBurner's cached version of your feed and get an up-to-date copy of the feed from your site. Now, they do this periodically anyway, so you won't need to come here often, but, let's say you posted an episode, and then a couple of hours later, you realize there's a typo. So, you check in iTunes, and it's already there too. You can fix it on the site, but it could be hours before FeedBurner refreshes the feed. That's when you'll want to come here. Make your edit, click the "Resync Now" button, and from that instant on, people who download your podcast will get the fixed version… Pretty handy!

Analyze

Ok, so after a day or so, you can check the "Analyze" tab to see the stats for your podcast. Since this one is brand new, I'll show you what this looks like for the Modules Unraveled Podcast.

Ok! Thanks for watching this series, I hope it's able to help you get your podcast up and running. It's working great for me, so, I'm confident it will do the same for you!