Show Notes
Podcasting has its own language — and if you’re new to the space, it can feel like everyone already knows what all the terms mean. RSS feeds, hosting, CPM, downloads, distribution… it’s easy to get lost in the jargon. Blubrry breaks down some of the most common podcasting terms in plain English. Whether you’re just starting your show or looking to better understand how the podcasting ecosystem works, this episode will help make sense of the terminology that powers podcast publishing, distribution, and monetization.
Today’s Hosts: Mike Dell & MacKenzie Bennett General Podcasting Terms 1. Basic Terms The basic terms can be the hardest to understand. They seem basic, but when talking about your Podcast, clarity can make all the difference.
Podcast – An episodic show (mostly delivered by RSS)
Interchangeable with the word show
Episode – An individual entry in your overall podcast
One episode is not a PODCAST or POD, it’s a podcast episode
Feed – When talking about a podcast, this is the RSS feed
Not to be confused with a show listing on an app or directory. “My Apple feed…”
YouTube Channel – NOT a feed, there are no feeds coming OUT of YouTube
Upload – In publishing episodes, you have to upload that episode to a podcast host
You do not UPLOAD to Apple Podcasts. Blubrry and other hosts do not upload to Apple. Apple PULLS your episode in via your RSS feed. They do not host the file, the file stays where it is and they LIST your episodes.
2. RSS Feed – Really Simple Syndication An RSS feed is the distribution engine for a podcast.
It’s a file that contains the core information about your show, including:
Episode titles
Descriptions
Audio files
Artwork
Publish dates
Podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify read this feed and display the show inside their apps.
When a new episode is published, the RSS feed updates. Podcast apps check the feed and automatically pull in the new episode.
3. Podcast Hosting Podcast hosting is where the media files for a podcast are stored.
When an episode is uploaded to a host such as Blubrry Podcasting, the platform:
Stores the audio file
Generates the RSS feed
Delivers the file when listeners press play
Podcast directories do not store the audio themselves. They simply read the RSS feed from the hosting platform.
Hosting is the foundation that makes podcast distribution possible.
4. Podcast Directories / Apps Podcast directories are the platforms where listeners discover and play podcasts.
Examples include:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
These platforms do not host the podcast files. Instead, they pull the show information from the RSS feed and display it inside their apps.
Once a podcast is submitted to a directory, new episodes appear automatically whenever the RSS feed updates.
5. Downloads vs Listens In podcasting, the primary measurement used for analytics is downloads.
A download occurs when a podcast app requests the audio file from the host.
This means the episode was delivered to a device. It does not necessarily mean the listener played the entire episode.
Downloads are the industry standard measurement used for podcast analytics and advertising reporting.
6. CPM CPM stands for Cost Per Mille, which means cost per 1,000 downloads.
It is one of the most common pricing models used in podcast advertising.
Example:
$20 CPM
5,000 downloads
That would equal roughly $100 for that advertisement placement.
CPM helps advertisers estimate campaign costs and helps podcasters estimate potential ad revenue.
7. Pre-Roll, Mid-Roll, and Post-Roll These terms describe where an advertisement appears within an episode.
Pre-roll: Ad plays at the beginning of the episode
Mid-roll: Ad appears in the middle of the episode
Post-roll: Ad plays near the end
Mid-roll placements are often the most valuable because listeners are already engaged with the episode.
8. Dynamic Ad Insertion Dynamic Ad Insertion allows advertisements to be added to episodes automaticall
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