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What Is RSS? (And How to Use Your Podcast Feed)

Kortex turns your Gemini Notebook Audio Overviews into a podcast feed via RSS. If the word "RSS" means nothing to you, this page explains it in plain terms and walks through adding your feed to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and anything else.

Already know what RSS is and just need the link? See Podcasts for how to copy it.

RSS in one paragraph​

Every podcast you have ever listened to — big network shows, indie shows, all of them — works the same way behind the scenes. The podcast host publishes a single link called an RSS feed. That link doesn't play audio itself; it's a small file that lists every episode, its title, its description, and where to download the actual audio. Your podcast app (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, whatever you use) checks that link regularly, notices when a new episode has been added, and downloads it automatically. That's the entire mechanism. There is no account to log into and no app-specific submission — one link works in every app that speaks RSS, which is effectively every podcast app that exists.

When you use Kortex's Podcasts feature, you become the "podcast host" for a private show made of your own Audio Overviews. Kortex gives you that RSS link. Pasting it into a podcast app is the only step — from then on, anything you add to that podcast in Kortex shows up in the app on its own, the same way a new episode of any show you follow just appears.

  1. Open the Podcasts page in the Kortex dashboard sidebar (requires Pro, Pro Yearly, or Lifetime).
  2. Open the podcast you want to listen to elsewhere.
  3. Click Podcast RSS — the link is copied to your clipboard.

That copied link is what you paste into any of the apps below. Full setup details (creating the podcast, adding episodes, minutes) are covered on the Podcasts page — this page is only about getting that link into a listening app.

warning

Treat the link as private. It contains a long random token so it can't be guessed, but it isn't a login — anyone who has the link can listen. It also contains your account email, in the field podcast apps expect for the show owner. Only share it with people you'd trust with both.

Spotify​

  1. Open Spotify and go to Settings.
  2. Scroll to find "Add a podcast by URL" (sometimes listed under account or playback settings, depending on your Spotify version and platform).
  3. Paste your Kortex RSS link and confirm.
  4. The show appears in Your Library, alongside podcasts you follow normally.

On mobile, this can also live under Library → the "+" or "Add" menu. If you don't see it immediately, search Spotify's help for "add a podcast by URL" — Spotify moves this option around between app versions.

Apple Podcasts​

On Mac:

  1. Open the Podcasts app.
  2. Choose File → Follow a Show by URL from the menu bar.
  3. Paste your Kortex RSS link and click Follow.

On iPhone or iPad:

  1. Open the Podcasts app and tap the Library tab.
  2. Tap the "..." (more) button, usually top-right.
  3. Tap Follow a Show by URL.
  4. Paste your Kortex RSS link and tap Follow.

Once followed this way, the show syncs across your Apple devices — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, CarPlay — like any other followed show.

Pocket Casts​

  1. Open Pocket Casts and go to the Discover tab.
  2. Paste your Kortex RSS link directly into the search box and search.
  3. Your podcast will appear as a result — tap it, then tap Subscribe.

Pocket Casts treats a pasted feed URL as a search query, which is a little different from the "add by URL" button other apps use, but the result is the same: the show is added and new episodes arrive automatically.

Overcast​

  1. In the Overcast app, tap the "+" button (top-right).
  2. Tap Add URL.
  3. Paste your Kortex RSS link and confirm.

You can also do this from a browser: sign in at Overcast's overcast.fm/add page, paste the link, and select Add Podcast — it will sync to your Overcast app.

Any other app​

Every podcast app supports this, because RSS is the standard the entire podcast industry runs on — it isn't a Kortex-specific or Spotify-specific format. If your app isn't listed above, look in its settings or its "add podcast" screen for wording like:

  • "Add by URL"
  • "Add a custom feed"
  • "Follow a show by URL"
  • "Add RSS feed"

If you can't find it, search that app's help center for "add podcast by URL" — the option exists, even when it's buried a few menus deep.

What happens after you add it​

  • New episodes appear on their own. You never re-paste the link — the app checks the feed periodically and pulls in whatever's new.
  • Apps refresh on their own schedule, usually within a few hours, not instantly. If a new episode isn't showing yet, try a manual refresh (often "pull to refresh" on mobile) before assuming something's wrong.
  • Confirm it's in Kortex first. If an episode isn't in your podcast app, check the Podcasts page in Kortex — if it's not there either, it wasn't added yet.
  • Removing an episode in Kortex removes it from the feed, so it will also disappear from podcast apps on their next refresh.

Common questions​

Do I need to submit my feed to Spotify or Apple to listen to it myself? No. Submitting a feed to a podcast directory (so strangers can discover and search for your show) is a completely different process for public podcasts. Your Kortex feed is private — adding it "by URL" plays it in your own app without publishing it anywhere or requiring approval from Spotify or Apple.

Is my RSS link the same as a normal Spotify/Apple podcast link? No. A Spotify or Apple Podcasts link points to their catalog. Your Kortex RSS link points directly to your private feed — that's exactly why it works in every app the same way, instead of being tied to one platform.

Can someone else use my RSS link? Yes, if you give it to them — that's how sharing a podcast with a friend or collaborator works. Treat it like a password: anyone with the link can listen.

My podcast app says the feed is invalid or empty. Make sure the podcast has at least one episode added in Kortex first — an empty podcast still has a valid feed, but some apps show it as an error until there's content. Also confirm you copied the full link with no extra characters or line breaks.

Do I need a paid app to use RSS? No. Adding a feed by URL is a free, built-in feature of Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, and virtually every other podcast app — it's a basic part of how podcasts work, not a premium feature.