Mechanism of podcast appearance in the Thmanyah Radio app

Podcast listening applications work differently from publishing or hosting platforms. Often, the podcast owner does not need to manually upload each episode within each listening app, as many podcast applications rely on reading the program's data and episodes from direct podcast links, known as "RSS."

We will explain how programs appear in "Radio Thamena" and other listening applications, and what a podcast owner can do to manage the appearance of their program or update its data.

#Podcast Players and Hosting Platforms

It is important to distinguish between two types of services in the podcast world: hosting platforms and podcast players.

The hosting platform is the entity that the podcast owner uses to upload episodes and manage the program's data. Through it, episodes are published, cover images are updated, descriptions are edited, and distribution settings are managed.

As for the podcast player, it is the application that the listener uses to access and listen to programs. The player may display the program and episode data based on the RSS link or other indexing sources, without being the entity hosting the audio files or owning the program.

In this sense, the same podcast can appear in more than one listening application, while the primary management of the program remains with its owner or the hosting platform they use.

#What are Direct Podcast Links "RSS"?

An RSS link is usually created by the podcast hosting platform. This link contains the program and episode data, such as the program's name, description, cover image, episode titles, descriptions, publication dates, and audio file links.

When the podcast owner publishes a new episode or edits the program's data from the hosting platform, this data is updated in the RSS link. After that, podcast applications can read the update and display it to listeners.

The speed at which updates appear may vary from one application to another, depending on each application's method of reading RSS feeds and updating program data.

#How Podcast Programs Appear in Listening Applications

When an RSS link is public and available for indexing, podcast applications can access the program's data and display it to listeners. Therefore, a program may appear in more than one listening application, even if its owner did not manually upload it into each application.

This is a common mechanism in the podcast industry because it allows the program owner to publish their content from one place, then make it available across different listening applications.

#Radio Thamena's Handling of External Podcast Programs

In the case of external podcast programs, "Radio Thamena" acts as a podcast player that displays the program and available episodes data via the RSS link or associated indexing sources. The appearance of an external podcast in "Radio Thamena" does not mean that Thamena owns the program, reproduces it, re-uploads its episodes, or hosts its audio files on its servers.

Podcast services differ from one platform to another; some act only as players, some allow the program owner to claim ownership and manage the page or access additional features, and some act as hosting and publishing platforms that create an RSS link and distribute the program to listening applications. "Radio Thamena" works with external podcast programs as a player that reads what is available via RSS, without hosting files or owning rights.

Therefore, the ownership, management, and distribution of the program remain with the content owner or the entity managing it through the used hosting platform. Also, editing the program's data, such as the name, description, cover image, or published episodes, is usually done from the original hosting platform that creates the RSS link.

#Managing and Updating Program Data

If the data of an external podcast is not updated in "Radio Thamena," the first step is to review the data from the original hosting platform.

This includes reviewing:

• The program's name.
• The program's description.
• The cover image.
• Episode names and descriptions.
• The status of episode publication.
• RSS link settings.
• Distribution or indexing settings in the hosting platform.

After updating the data from the hosting platform, the update may take some time to appear in listening applications. If the issue persists after updating the source, you can contact us to review the program's status within "Radio Thamena."

#Controlling Program Appearance and Distribution

Control over the program's appearance varies from one hosting platform to another. Some platforms allow the podcast owner to manage distribution destinations, stop distribution to some applications, modify RSS settings, or make the feed private or limited access.

If the program is intended for a limited audience, contains private content, or the owner does not want it to appear in public directories, privacy and distribution settings should be adjusted from the used hosting platform.

We advise podcast owners to review the help center of the hosting platform they use or contact the platform's support to know the available options for managing distribution and appearance in listening applications.

#Content Rights and Intellectual Property

"Radio Thamena" respects the rights of content owners and intellectual property. The appearance of an external podcast within the app does not change the ownership of the program, does not transfer its rights to Thamena, nor does it mean that Thamena has become the owner or producer.

If you are a program owner or represent the rights-owning entity and see that the program's appearance in "Radio Thamena" does not align with your wishes, we advise you first to review the distribution settings in the hosting platform you use to manage the podcast, as it is often the primary entity controlling the program's publication via RSS and its appearance in listening applications.

If you cannot control the appearance from the hosting platform, or have a specific request related to the program's appearance within "Radio Thamena," you can contact us, and we will review the request based on the situation. Note that stopping the program's appearance from "Radio Thamena" may mean preventing it from appearing in the app, and if you wish to reinstate it later, you will need to contact us again to review the request.

To help review the request faster, please provide us with the following information:

1. Program name.
2. Program link within "Radio Thamena" if available.
3. RSS link if available.
4. Name of the used hosting platform.
5. Your role or relationship with the program.
6. A brief description of the note or request.
7. Any document or link that helps verify the program's ownership or representation rights.

#Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does "Radio Thamena" host external podcast files?
No. In the case of external podcast programs, "Radio Thamena" acts as a podcast player that displays data and available episodes from the source. The audio files are usually hosted by the hosting platform used by the program owner.

2. Does the "Radio Thamena" team add every podcast manually?
Not all podcast programs are added manually or through direct communication with program owners. A program appears when its RSS link is public and available for distribution or indexing, which is a common method in podcast applications.

3. Why does my program appear in "Radio Thamena" even though I didn't contact you?
This happens if the program's RSS link is public and available for indexing, or if the program is available through sources relied upon by listening applications to display podcast programs. In this case, the program appears as it does in other podcast applications.

4. Can I claim ownership of my program within "Radio Thamena" and manage its page?
"Radio Thamena" does not currently provide a dedicated dashboard for external podcast program owners to claim ownership or manage the program's page from within the app. Program data is usually managed and distributed from the hosting or publishing platform used by the podcast owner.

5. How do I edit the program's name, image, or description?
These data are edited from the hosting platform you use to publish the podcast. After updating the data in the hosting platform, "Radio Thamena" and other listening applications may need some time for the updates to appear.

6. How can I stop the program from appearing in "Radio Thamena"?
Start by reviewing the distribution and RSS settings in your program's hosting platform, as the primary control is often there. If you have a specific request related to the program's appearance within "Radio Thamena," you can contact us and provide us with the program details to review the situation.

7. Can the program appear in other applications as well?
Yes. If the RSS link is public and available, the program may appear in more than one application or podcast directory, depending on each application's method of content indexing and RSS feed reading.

8. What should I do if the program data is incorrect?
First, review the program data in the original hosting platform that creates the RSS link. If the data is correct in the hosting platform but does not appear correctly in "Radio Thamena" after sufficient time, you can contact us and provide us with the program details to review the situation.

9. What should I do if I have a note regarding rights?
If you are the program owner or represent the rights-owning entity, you can contact us with clarification of your role, the program's name, its link, and the nature of the note. We will review the request and take appropriate action based on the available details.