Podcasting 101: The Terms Every Podcaster Needs to Understand – PCI 476
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<p data-start="0" data-end="583" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-94609" src="https://blubrry.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Podcasting-terms-150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />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.</p>
<h4 data-start="0" data-end="583"><strong>Today’s Hosts: Mike Dell & MacKenzie Bennett</strong></h4>
<h2 data-start="0" data-end="583"><strong>General Podcasting Terms</strong></h2>
<h3><b>1. Basic Terms</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The basic terms can be the hardest to understand. They seem basic, but when talking about your Podcast, clarity can make all the difference. </span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast – An episodic show (mostly delivered by RSS) </span>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interchangeable with the word show</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Episode – An individual entry in your overall podcast</span>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One episode is not a PODCAST or POD, it’s a podcast episode</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Feed – When talking about a podcast, this is the RSS feed</span>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not to be confused with a show listing on an app or directory. “My Apple feed…”</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">YouTube Channel – NOT a feed, there are no feeds coming OUT of YouTube</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Upload – In publishing episodes, you have to upload that episode to a podcast host</span>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>2. RSS Feed – Really Simple Syndication</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An RSS feed is the distribution engine for a podcast.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s a file that contains the core information about your show, including:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Episode titles</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Descriptions</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Audio files</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Artwork</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Publish dates</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify read this feed and display the show inside their apps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When a new episode is published, the RSS feed updates. Podcast apps check the feed and automatically pull in the new episode.</span></p>
<h3><b>3. Podcast Hosting</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast hosting is where the media files for a podcast are stored.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When an episode is uploaded to a host such as Blubrry Podcasting, the platform:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stores the audio file</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Generates the RSS feed</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Delivers the file when listeners press play</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast directories do not store the audio themselves. They simply read the RSS feed from the hosting platform.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hosting is the foundation that makes podcast distribution possible.</span></p>
<h3><b>4. Podcast Directories / Apps</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast directories are the platforms where listeners discover and play podcasts.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Examples include:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Apple Podcasts</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spotify</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Amazon Music</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These platforms do not host the podcast files. Instead, they pull the show information from the RSS feed and display it inside their apps.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once a podcast is submitted to a directory, new episodes appear automatically whenever the RSS feed updates.</span></p>
<h3><b>5. Downloads vs Listens</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In podcasting, the primary measurement used for analytics is downloads.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A download occurs when a podcast app requests the audio file from the host.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This means the episode was delivered to a device. It does not necessarily mean the listener played the entire episode.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Downloads are the industry standard measurement used for podcast analytics and advertising reporting.</span></p>
<h3><b>6. CPM</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CPM stands for Cost Per Mille, which means cost per 1,000 downloads.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is one of the most common pricing models used in podcast advertising.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Example:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">$20 CPM</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">5,000 downloads</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That would equal roughly $100 for that advertisement placement.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">CPM helps advertisers estimate campaign costs and helps podcasters estimate potential ad revenue.</span></p>
<h3><b>7. Pre-Roll, Mid-Roll, and Post-Roll</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These terms describe where an advertisement appears within an episode.</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pre-roll: Ad plays at the beginning of the episode</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mid-roll: Ad appears in the middle of the episode</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Post-roll: Ad plays near the end</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mid-roll placements are often the most valuable because listeners are already engaged with the episode.</span></p>
<h3><b>8. Dynamic Ad Insertion</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dynamic Ad Insertion allows advertisements to be added to episodes automatically during playback.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Instead of permanently editing ads into the audio file, the ads are inserted when the episode is streamed or downloaded.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This allows:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ads to change over time</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Different ads to play for different listeners</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Campaigns to run across older episodes</span></li>
</ul>
<h3><b>9. Episode Artwork</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Episode artwork is an image attached to an individual podcast episode.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It can highlight:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A specific topic</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A guest</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />
</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A theme or series within the podcast</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Episode artwork is optional but can make episodes more visually engaging across podcast apps and websites.</span></p>
<h3><b>10. Podcast Landing Page</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A podcast landing page is a simple webpage that displays podcast episodes and listening links in one place.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These pages typically include:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast artwork</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Episode list</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Embedded players</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Links to listen in podcast apps</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They provide a shareable home for the podcast outside of podcast apps.</span></p>
<h3><b>11. Publishing vs Distribution</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Publishing refers to releasing an episode inside a podcast hosting platform.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Distribution is what happens afterward — when podcast apps detect the new episode in the RSS feed and display it for listeners.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once a podcast is approved in directories, new episodes are distributed automatically when they are published.</span></p>
<h3><b>The Big Takeaway</b></h3>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcasting terminology can feel complicated at first, but most of the concepts describe simple parts of the same system.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The basic process looks like this:</span></p>
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Upload an episode to a podcast host</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The RSS feed updates</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Podcast apps read the feed</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listeners receive the episode</span></li>
</ol>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Once these fundamentals are understood, the rest of podcasting terminology becomes much easier to navigate.</span></p>
<hr />
<p data-start="88" data-end="253">For the best support, please use our Blubrry ticket system so our full team can help. Join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/blubrry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Blubrry Podcasting Facebook Group</a> for general podcasting discussion.</p>
<p data-start="260" data-end="324">Share your feedback at <a href="https://surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider"><strong data-start="283" data-end="321">surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider</strong></a>.</p>
<p data-start="331" data-end="406">Blubrry hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one tech checkup with Mike ([email protected])</p>
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