what is an rss feed and how does it work

Podcast publishers create XML files of all available episodes.

RSS feeds can also be integrated into social media sites using applications like The Old Reader.

Yes, podcast apps use them, but so do news aggregators that operate within a web browser. People use RSS feeds to access podcasts, blog posts, and pretty much anything that can be described via an XML file. They fetch episodes as links from an XML feed, they download the audio, and then they play it back on your computer or mobile device. (Most podcast apps hide the link and collect the audio for you.) In fact, most podcast apps are combination audio players and RSS feed readers. Podcast RSS feeds help podcast fans stay up to date on the latest episodes, which appear in chronological order with a title, description, and link to the audio file. ( RDF stands for Resource Description Framework, which is an industry metadata standard that nobody talks about anymore.) The acronym can also stand for rich site summary or RDF site summary, though these are slightly antiquated terms. RSS stands for really simple syndication.

What is an rss feed and how does it work