Archive for month: September, 2014

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September 30, 2014
30 Sep 2014

Changes to Show and Episode Artwork Handling

We recently published two system notices regarding trouble updating RSS feeds in iTunes (here and here). Since then, we have worked very closely with the team at iTunes to determine where the problem lies and locate a solution.

What we have learned is that iTunes is now requiring both channel (show) level images and item (episode) level images to meet iTunes image requirements. If you find your feed (whether you user the Libsyn feed or a third party feed) is having trouble updating in the iTunes store (but is otherwise valid and all episodes download properly for subscribers), make sure all your episode images and your show artwork meet the following requirements:

  • 1400px X 1400px minimum
  • 2048px X 2048px maximum
  • UNDER 500KB in physical disk size
  • Users rGB colorspace (as opposed to CYMK or Grayscale, etc)
  • Is a JPG, JPEG, or a PNG file

The catch here is many producers historically have uploaded the item (episode) image to work on their blog page, or just simply put, in the size they wish the image to be. We have provided a workaround which will allow you to use your channel (show) level image for all your items (episodes) in your RSS feed.

To use the workaround, go under Destinations –> Edit:

DestinationsNext click to edit your RSS feed:

Edit RSS Feed

Scroll down the page to the following section and check off the provided checkbox:

Using your Show Image Accross Episodes

It may take iTunes a few days to then update,and your feed should start working normally in the iTunes store. If it does not, please contact our support staff at support@libsynsupport.com.

See our Knowledge Base article for more details on working with images.

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September 28, 2014
28 Sep 2014

System Maintenance – September 28, 2014

[10AM EST] – We are wrapping up some prep work for doing the previously mentioned database upgrade once the prep work is completed we’ll be putting the system into maintenance mode.  We’ll update this post when that occurs.

[UPDATE 11AM EST] – The system is now in maintenance mode.

[UPDATE 12:15PM EST] – We have completed the database upgrade and have brought the system out of maintenance mode.  All services should be running normally now.  If you run into any errors please e-mail use support@libsynsupport.com

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September 24, 2014
24 Sep 2014

Sunday September 28th – Database Upgrade

Hello,

On Sunday September 28th we’ll be doing an upgrade of our main database systems.  We are setting aside a 4-hour time window from 10AM – 2PM EST to complete this work.  This upgrade requires us to put the Libsyn Platform into maintenance mode.  What does this mean for our users?  Below we’ll break down what will and won’t work while the system is in maintenance mode:

Will Work:

  • Media file and asset delivery
  • Feed, blog, podcast page delivery
  • Mobile apps
  • HTML5 player
  • Mylibsyn login for premium subscriptions (both podcast page and mobile apps)

Won’t Work:

  • Sign-up pages – mylibsyn and podcast hosting
  • Libsyn dashboard including publishing, stats, etc – this is disabled while maintenance mode is in place
  • Scheduled releases – any episodes scheduled to be released during the maintenance window will not get released until after the work is completed
  • FTP access
  • Any recurring jobs (stats exports, feed syncs, etc)

 

This upgrade will improve back-end performance and will help support our continued growth.  We’ll create a new post when we start the work on Sunday and will update it until the work is completed.

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September 9, 2014
09 Sep 2014

iTunes Episode Update Delays

We have been receiving reports that many producers are having trouble getting episode content to update in the iTunes store. We have been in contact with iTunes regarding this issue and they are currently working to isolate and rectify the issue. They have confirmed that the issue is not related to the producer’s RSS feed or the producer’s chosen host.

If your show’s RSS feed is valid, you see your content available as a subscriber, and iTunes hasn’t updated your show in the store in at least 3 days, you are likely being affected by this issue. Note again that this is not isolated to Libsyn feeds, so if you are using another method to generate your feed, you may still be affected.

The only way to fix the issue is to have iTunes index your feed manually. To request this, make sure you have your RSS feed URL and the URL to your show in the iTunes store and contact:

Let them know your show is not updating, it needs indexed, and include your RSS feed URL and the URL to your show in the iTunes store. You can also contact our support team who can work with iTunes to have your feed reindexed manually.
If you have any questions, contact our support staff at support@libsynsupport.com.
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September 8, 2014
08 Sep 2014

Stats Hardware Upgrade

We’re replacing one of the stats servers with a brand new server today.  This will cause stats processing to be paused several times throughout the day.  We will update this post when the work is completed and when stats processing is all caught up.

UPDATE – 11:00AM – We’ve finished installing the new server and can confirm that stats processing is running again and is already fully caught up.

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