Submit error: we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed

I have created a new feed for Lifestream.org at https://www.lifestream.org/podcast.xml and it works subscribing in iTunes, but fails upon submission to Apple with "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed."
The site is on Drupal 7, with Views iTunes RSS provding the feed.
Please advise.

I can't see any reason why this should be. The feed validates OK (there are a few minor niggles but nothing which would cause this problem) and the episode file I checked played perfectly well. None of the usual culprits (wrong sort of media type, https in the media file URL, 'itunes:block' tag set to yes) is the case here.
We've seen cases where files which worked everywhere else wouldn't work in the iTunes Store; I've not seen any explanation for this - my guess (and I emphasize that it is a guess) is that some servers don't handle requests from the iTunes Store properly, but I don't know enough about server technology to say whether this is possible or what would cause it. You could try asking your server provider whether they have any information on this.
You could try hosting a few episode media files on another server and see whether that deals with it. Or it might even be a temporary glitch at Apple's end - you could leave it a day or two and try again.
Other than that I'm afraid I can't suggest anything.

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Error: "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed." I don't see what I've done wrong?

When I try to submit my podcast I receive the error "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed." I don't understand what's wrong. My feed is "http://sleuthcast.tumblr.com/rss".

Your episode media file is hosted on Dropbox, and you've evidently placed it in the area intended for your own storage, judging by the error page which it leads to.
Dropbox does do webspace hosting, though this isn't what you are using: but you would be advised not to use Dropboc - it really isn't suitable for podcast media files. There have been numerous problems with it reported on these forums.
You should host your media files on an ordinary website server. You need to check before committing to one that it can handle 'byte range requests' - this is the method used by iPhone for accessing these files (by requesting part of it at a time rather than the whole thing) and it's mandatory for being in the Store. If the service you are considering using doesn't confirm they can handle this (and I might add the Dropbox doesn't) you will need to go somewhere else.

Unable to submit podcast - "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed"

Hi there,
I had tried submitting my podcast feed onto iTunes: http://thecity.sg/media-resour…..e/?podcast
However, I was unable to and the following prompt was given "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed".
Anyone able to explain or help out?

The problem lies with the URLs for your media files. Looking at the most recent episode, the URL is
http://thecity.sg/media-resource/?show&file_name=12Jan14_DanielChua_The%20Master %20Key.mp3
which redirects to
http://thecity.sg//wp-content/uploads/sermons/12Jan14_DanielChua_The%20Master%20 Key.mp3
when entered in a browser, and the file plays there as it should. When subscribing manually in iTunes it does work OK. However, because of the problems which are caused in XML by having an ampersand ('&') the feed has rendered the URL as
http://thecity.sg/media-resource/?show&file_name=12Jan14_DanielChua_The%20Master %20Key.mp3
replacing the ampersand with the code & as would be correct if it were in a description or other text tag. If you enter this changed URL in a browser you get a web page, and presumably this is what the Store is seeing.
This use of server-side scripting to handle your file access is asking for trouble and you would be better off using the actual URL of the file,
http://thecity.sg//wp-content/uploads/sermons/12Jan14_DanielChua_The%20Master%20 Key.mp3
While we're looking at this, your filename has spaces in it. Spaces are not allowed in a URL and the feed has correctly substituted the code %20 for each space, so it does work; but it's preferable not to do this. The usual practice is to substitute an underscore for each space as you have already done for part of the file name.

Error: We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed...

Im trying to setup a podcast for itunes... so far, I tried to setup dropbox as my file hoster, blogger as my blog, and feedburner to set it all up. I dont know why im getting this error message. Links below..
Dropbox file: https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Jason%20Sabel%20-%20Impact%20Radio%20001.mp3?w=AA CcOreH_Pd0MEGdyRzw8vFMBwK6nIXjKf1AoPMtYRL8pg
Blogger: http://impactradio1.blogspot.com
Feedburner: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/NeHNnC

Dropbox is not a good choice for hosting your media files. However, the problem is that your feed has no 'enclosure' tag, containing the URL of the media file, as required by iTunes. Blogger has not created this because the Dropbox URL begins with https; also there is no file at the address you give. the link in your 'description' tag (which iTunes does not read) suggests you are also trying to use an embedded player - this won't work.
You must provide a direct link to the mp3 file - the test is that when you enter it in Safari it plays directly in the browser, not in an embedded player in a web page, and it must be http, not https (secure connection).
The last time I checked, Dropbox did not accept 'byte-range' requests, the method used by iPhones: this will get your podcast rejected even if you've complied with the other conditions I've outlined. You should find an ordinary website hosting service to host your files, and check that it will handle byte range requests (ask them).

How to fix the 'We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed' error

I'm getting the error 'we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed' error but I can subscribe directly to the rss feed via File>Subscribe to Podcast.
The rss feed is: http://ithinkyouthink.libsyn.com/rss
I've used feedvalidator and it says everything is good except for some minor suggestions. How do I fix this? I'm waiting on Libsyn to contact me directly, but I figured I'd try this to see if anyone could help.

This is a bug in the iTunes submission system where it gives a false negative. Libsyn servers are 100% compliant with iTunes.
Please submit again - it usually will go through the second time. If not wait 10 minutes and submit again.
Apple is aware of this issue - but it has been around for a while.

How to fix the 'We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed'

I'm getting the error 'we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed' error but I can subscribe directly to the rss feed via File>Subscribe to Podcast.
The rss feed is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/mentaltoughnesstrainer/YGwe
I've used feedvalidator and it says everything is good except for some minor suggestions. How do I fix this?
could please anyone help me.?
I was trying on my whole day...

This is a bug in the iTunes submission system where it gives a false negative. Libsyn servers are 100% compliant with iTunes.
Please submit again - it usually will go through the second time. If not wait 10 minutes and submit again.
Apple is aware of this issue - but it has been around for a while.

When i try to submit my first podcast episode, i get an error message "we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed

Hello! i am trying to submit my podcast feed into itunes but get "we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed". I'm using the soundcloud podcasting beta, and i've tried almost every thing. Also when i try to test my feed by subscribing to it first, everything works except the episode wont play. any help?
RSS Feed:http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:141115987/sounds.rss

This is because you have the URL for the media files incorrect. The top episode's file is given as
http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:141115987/sounds.rss/http://f eeds.soundcloud.com/stream/196914893-behindthereels-ep2-everything-bethesdawav.m p3
If you look at it you will see that it is plainly wrong - you have http in twice. The correct URL is
http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/196914893-behindthereels-ep2-everything-bethe sdawav.mp3
and the same process applies with the other episode.

The infamous "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error

Hi all,
I'm trying to submit a podcast to iTS, but it's failing with the infamous "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error.
The feed validates (here and here); all the tags that are suppossed to be there are there; the enclosures are there and readable; the server accepts byte-range requests.
Could someone smarter than I have a glance over and see if they can spot anything?
A sample feed can be seen here.
Many thanks.

I would ask one simple question - Why are you not just releasing your episodes as .mp3 format?
The recommended encoding for audio podcasts is:
.MP3 - format
64 kbpb - Bit Rate
44.1 khz - sample rate
mono or joint stereo
This gives good audio quality at the size of 0.5 mb per minute. It is used by most of the big shows in iTunes and it compatible with all players and aggregators.
Trying to trick the system to use a non-standard format is likely going to cause you issues - it is best to go with the settings above if you want the least amount of issues for you and your potenital listeners.
Rob W

Getting "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error.

My RSS feed is here: http://www.icpl.org/podcast/one-of-a-kind/rss/
I'm attempting to submit our podcast to itunes but getting an error reading "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed"
Anyone see any issues in the rss feed?
Thanks!

Your media file URLs are not acceptable. For one thing it's a forced download - the file should play in Safari when you enter the URL in the address bar, not download, and also the URL does not end with a media file extension e.g. .mp3.
You need to provide a direct link to the file, which should be hosted on a website server capable of handling 'byte range requests', and the URL must include the extension.

Trying to upload my podcast RSS to iTunes, but getting the "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error

Hello everyone. I know this is an often asked question, but I still can't get this to work.
Can you tell me why I'm getting the "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error when I submit
http://davidccook.com/podcasts/praying-for-your-elephant.xml
Thanks!

The Store checks only the latest episode of your feed when you submit your podcast. The media file URL for your latest episode, Day 21, is
http://adamstadtmiller.com/wp-content/uploads/podcast/P4YE21DAY121.mp3
and there is no file at this address. This is because you've mistyped it: the actual URL is
http://adamstadtmiller.com/wp-content/uploads/podcast/P4YE21DAY21.mp3

Unable to submit a podcast feed- "we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed"

Hii,
i am trying to submit a xml feed to submit podcast ,
but i get a error massage we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed
here is my feed output
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>iTunes1</title>
<description>description</description>
<link>http://phmedia.mediaimages.net/mediacatapult/</link>
<language>EN</language>
<copyright>phmedia</copyright>
<itunes:summary>description</itunes:summary>
<itunes:owner>
<itunes:name>asdfsa sadfsd</itunes:name>
<itunes:email>[email protected]</itunes:email>
</itunes:owner>
<itunes:keywords>v1, v2, v3, v4</itunes:keywords>
<itunes:category text="Arts">
<itunes:category text="Design"/>
</itunes:category>
<itunes:image href="http://phmedia.mediaimages.net/iTunesPodcastCover/10423_10526.png"/>
<itunes:explicit>No</itunes:explicit>
<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
<item>
<title>12061_13536.mp4</title>
<description>video desc 1</description>
<link>
http://phmedia.mediaimages.net:1935/vod/_definst_/mp4:0165/12061_13536.mp4/playl ist.m3u8
</link>
<enclosure url="http://phmedia.mediaimages.net:1935/vod/_definst_/mp4:0165/12061_13536.mp4/playl ist.m3u8" length="1070" type="video/mp4"/>
<guid>
http://phmedia.mediaimages.net:1935/vod/_definst_/mp4:0165/12061_13536.mp4/playl ist.m3u8
</guid>
<pubDate>Thu Feb 20 02:39:12 EST 2014</pubDate>
<itunes:summary>video desc 1</itunes:summary>
<itunes:duration>0:0:29</itunes:duration>
<itunes:keywords>v1, v2, v3, v4</itunes:keywords>
<itunes:image href="http://phmedia.mediaimages.net/images/12061_13536_2_1.png"/>
<itunes:explicit>No</itunes:explicit>
<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>

The missing opening tags problem was caused by your pasting the contents into the forum and is not present in the actual feed. However you have two serious and two minor faults.
Your media file URL is
http://phmedia.mediaimages.net:1935/vod/_definst_/mp4:0165/12061_13536.mp4/playl ist.m3u8
This isn't a media file, it's a m3u playlist at 4kB. You need to provide a direct link to your media file and the URL must end with an extension, e.g. mp4
Your 'itunes:image' is a png which appears to be a screenshot: it should be 1400 x 1400 px or the feed won't be accepted, and it must be less the 500kB. You should choose a logo which will work when reduced to the size on the Store page.
You are missing what should be the first line of your feed:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
Your 'pubdate' tag reads
<pubDate>Thu Feb 20 02:39:12 EST 2014</pubDate>
There should be a comma after the 'Thu' and the '2014' should be after 'Feb', not at the end.
Your 'itunes:duration' tag reads
<itunes:duration>0:0:29</itunes:duration>
It should read
<itunes:duration>0:00:29</itunes:duration>
These last three are not fatal but should be addressed.
Finally, your title is 'iTunes1' which is valid but not a good title. You should choose something which gives an idea of the content.

I keep getting a "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error.

I've been trying to post a podcast, but I keep getting a "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" Error message. The RSS feed I created is http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/mjBrW. Any help would be appreciated.

Your feed is now OK and can be subscribed to in iTunes, so that's a start. However your media file itself is not accessible. The URL for it in the feed is
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/InTheFace/~5/B6E3DAcZCXU/InTheFaceEpisode1BadGran dpa.mp3
This redirects to
http://a1.podbean.com/646726/InTheFaceEpisode1BadGrandpa.mp3?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIA JLA6NPUL6BLALQ2A&Expires=1385103002&Signature=l4iImb8F5UB%2FZzo9gAmzyXwM%2FBc%3D
And this brings up
<Error>
<Code>AccessDenied</Code>
<Message>Request has expired</Message>
<RequestId>D2B711C098C2AF2E</RequestId>
<Expires>2013-11-22T06:50:02Z</Expires>
<HostId> /vxmBjlZGuT2p5gdqXe51JV90o9Ep08YLQWJVW10bn17PUBcRyX85n/FL0K0qqnc</HostId>
<ServerTime>2013-11-22T07:33:36Z</ServerTime>
</Error>
Basically the file is requiring authorization to access, so you have to turn that off.
As to https, the iTunes Store cannot access media files with this prefix, and many podcast creation services will not create the enclosure tag if it's in use.

"We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed."

I get an error when I attempt to submit a podcast to the iTunes podcast directory. The error is "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed." I think I have everything on my rss feed correct, but I may not. Can anyone check out my feed and let me know what may be wrong?
My feed address is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheCultureOfMyPeople
Thanks in advance!

Hi pwnagin,
Welcome to the Apple Support Communities!
It sounds like you are knowledgeable when it comes to podcasts but are running into this alert when trying to submit to iTunes. Take a look at the following article; it has some great info in it about creating feeds and metadata, testing feeds, and submitting the feed. You may have gone through all of this already. If so, please let me know if you are still having trouble.
Apple - iTunes - Podcasts - Making a Podcast
https://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs.html
Have a great day,
-Joe

Please help with: "We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed" error

I have attempted to submit my podcast feed to the iTunes Directory and received the above error message. The feed is http://www.codecmoments.com/reviews/cost-of-a-coffee/feed/ and I am using PowerPress taxonomy casting. There is currently one episode with attached media, but there are other posts using the same custom taxonomy without media.
When I attempted to subscribe using File>Subscribe to Podcast.. in iTunes using the above feed, it worked as expected and the one episode appeared,
Can anybody help to explain if there is something wrong with my feed and if so what can be done to correct it? Also can you explain why the podcast appears using File>Subscibe to Podcast... but not when submitting to iTunes Directory?
Thanks in advance for your help!

You are mixing episodes with and without playable media; iTunes does not display the latter. Your top episode has no media, though the second one does. From what I can tell it appears that the Store checks only the top episode of a submission, and not any subsequent ones. You need to arrange for the top episode to have media. As your feed has been rejected you may find when you re-submit that you are told that it has already been submitted - this is a bug in the submissions process, and if this happens you will need to change the title slightly to get round it.

We had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed error

I am trying to start a podcast and am just trying to do some tests to see if I can actually add the feed to iTunes. Every time I enter the url, I get an error.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/SomeMediaCriticsPodcast
The website is www.somemediacritics.com
I am posting my test podcasts as posts on wordpress. I am using plugins to add the audio file from soundcloud.
Thank you.

As you say, subscribing in iTunes manually works OK and the feed appears to be OK. The only thing I can see is that your media file URLs redirect to another URL - for example the top episode in the feed has the media file URL
http://feed.thecapstoneumc.org/~r/TheCapstoneUMC/~5/UNwzOWz45nI/A-Sinners-Feast. mp3
and this has a 301 redirect to
http://thecapstoneumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/A-Sinners-Feast.mp3
The lstter does test as handling 'byte range requests' as is mandatory, but when I tested the upper URL the redirect showed but not the byte range requests. I don't know whether all this is causing a problem in the Store - 301 redirect should be OK, but they are better avoided if you can. If you can use the actual URL that might work better.

Submit error: we had difficulty downloading episodes from your feed

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