MP3s are file formats for audio recordings. RSS is a text format that is used in feeds to produce lists of podcasts for people to view and subsequently download. This includes information about the show and its episodes. This information is passed to directories that house podcasts, such as Spotify and Apple. This ensures that all directories are updated whenever the RSS feed is updated. Therefore, there is no MP3 to RSS converter, but you will need to create an RSS feed to upload your mp3s.
Related: Start a Podcast People Will Listen To.
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How to Create an RSS Feed
Once you have a podcast episode ready to upload, you will need to have a place to store it online. This is where the podcast hosting provider comes in. They hold all of your podcast episodes and generate your RSS feed. The RSS feed will become the pathway that takes your podcast episodes and spreads them to other directories. You will submit this feed to places like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Every time you change the RSS feed which links back to your mp3, your episodes on the directories will update, as well, to include more or less episodes, depending on which episodes you add or delete from it.
The Best File Format for Podcasts
An RSS feed is needed to upload your mp3s to podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The best file format for podcasts is not as clear-cut as you’d expect. While the mp3 is the most widely accepted audio format among streaming services and others, it is not of the highest quality. But where it lacks in quality, it makes up for in ease of adoption from one system to the next. Future podcasters, however, may start using the FLAC format, or Free Lossless Audio Codec, because it is a much better format in terms of the audio retaining its quality despite the compression process.
The Best RSS Feed for Podcasts
The best podcast host that will provide the best RSS feed is really a matter of what your needs and budget are. Hosts like Podbean offers perhaps the easiest way of getting your RSS feed up and running. RSS.com is the number one RSS feed host that allows for unlimited storage and a free podcasting website. But perhaps the best overall in terms of tools, ease of use, and customer support is Buzzsprout. You can start your RSS feed with Buzzsprout for free, and can add tools to the mix to increase your monthly podcast uploads for just $24 a month at the most.
Related: Best Podcast Hosting Platforms.
Summary
Though mp3s do not convert to RSS feeds, they do have a connection. Once you want to upload an mp3 of your podcast to a hosting platform, that platform will require you to create an RSS feed that will then feed your podcast episodes to a directory like Spotify. Mp3s are the general gold standard for file formats for podcasts, as they’re compatible across platforms. Some of the best hosts for an RSS feed are RSS.com, Podbean, and Buzzsprout.
