How do I publish video to Apple Podcasts?

How it works

You can publish a video version of your podcast episodes to Apple Podcasts from Fountain.

Publishing video to Apple Podcasts is as simple as uploading your video file and publishing using the normal episode workflow.

Fountain optimizes your video for HLS video at 1080p resolution and publishes it to Apple via the Apple Podcasts API.

Your video is also included in your RSS feed as an alternate enclosure so that it can be played on Fountain and other supporting apps.

Connect your Apple Podcasts account

Before you can publish video, you need to connect your Apple Podcasts Connect account to Fountain. This is a one-time setup that authorizes Fountain to publish your shows and episodes to Apple Podcasts on your behalf.

To connect your account:

• Log in to Apple Podcasts Connect (or create an account if you don't have one yet)
• If your show isn't visible in your account, claim it
• Select your show and go to Settings to check whether video podcast delivery is available
• Choose Account, then select the Keys tab
• Click the + icon next to Active, enter a name for the key, and click Generate
• Click Download API Key and keep the file safe. You can only download it once, and the file name contains the Issuer ID and Key ID that Fountain needs
• In Fountain, go to the Distribution tab of your podcast settings, find the Apple Podcasts section, and upload the API key file you downloaded

After your API key has been uploaded, we will request video to be enabled for your feed. Once approved by Apple, Fountain will automatically deliver newly published video episodes to Apple Podcasts using HLS video. We can also add video versions to previous episodes if you already have HLS video in your RSS feed.

How to publish video to Apple Podcasts

To publish video to Apple Podcasts from Fountain:

• Create a new episode in Fountain
• Upload your video file
• Publish the episode

If your podcast has already been submitted to Apple Podcasts, the video version will be available there in supported versions of the Apple Podcasts app and on the web.

What happens to your audio version

Fountain extracts the audio from your video file for inclusion in your RSS feed, although Apple Podcasts will use the audio from your video file when playing the audio version.

If you wish, you can also upload a separate audio file. However, this might prevent listeners from switching seamlessly between audio and video in certain apps without losing their position.

For the best listener experience, we recommend uploading video only.