How to follow a private RSS feed in Apple Podcasts
This guide is for listeners following a private podcast RSS feed, not creators submitting a public show through Apple Podcasts Connect. You can follow a valid RSS URL directly on iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Updated 2026-08-14
Before you start
Copy the complete private RSS URL from PigeonPod. It should open an RSS feed, not a YouTube page, website homepage, or individual media file.
If you are creating a public podcast for the Apple Podcasts catalog, use Apple Podcasts Connect instead; that is a different publishing workflow.
Follow the RSS feed on iPhone
Open Apple Podcasts, tap Library, tap the More button, then choose “Follow a Show by URL”.
- Paste the complete RSS URL
- Tap Follow
- Open the new show from your Library
Follow the RSS feed on iPad
Open the Apple Podcasts sidebar, tap Shows, tap the More button, then choose “Follow a Show by URL”. Paste the RSS URL and tap Follow.
Follow the RSS feed on Mac
Open Apple Podcasts and choose File → Follow a Show by URL. Paste the RSS URL, then click Follow.
If Apple Podcasts rejects the URL
Check the feed itself before repeatedly adding it again.
- Confirm you copied the entire RSS URL without spaces
- Open the URL in a browser and confirm it is still available
- Check that the feed contains at least one playable episode
- Try again after restarting Apple Podcasts if it cached an earlier failure
Verify it worked
Open the followed show from your Library, confirm that episodes appear, and play or download one episode.
If the show appears but its newest episode is missing, the podcast app may still be refreshing the feed. Wait before removing and adding it again.
FAQ
Does following a private RSS feed publish it publicly?
No. Following a feed by URL adds it to your library; it does not submit the show to the public Apple Podcasts catalog.
Can I use a YouTube URL instead of an RSS URL?
No. Apple Podcasts requires a valid podcast RSS feed. Convert the source first, then use the generated RSS URL.