Additional Metadata for RSS and Atom Feeds

Technology

Feed Architecture

Metadata Standards

Syndication Extensions

Comprehensive analysis of Dublin Core, Media RSS, and other namespace extensions for RSS and Atom feeds

Author

Dario Airoldi

Published

October 10, 2025

Modified

November 3, 2025

Keywords

Dublin Core, Media RSS, Feed Extensions, Namespace Standards, RSS Metadata, Atom Metadata

1 📦 Additional Metadata for RSS and Atom Feeds

A comprehensive guide to namespace extensions that enhance RSS and Atom feeds with rich metadata beyond base specifications.

1.2 🎯 Introduction

While RSS 2.0 and Atom provide foundational syndication capabilities, real-world applications often require richer metadata. XML namespaces enable standardized extensions that add domain-specific information without breaking compatibility.

This document analyzes the most important namespace extensions:

Dublin Core: International metadata standard for resource description
Media RSS: Rich multimedia metadata for images, video, and audio
Podcast Index: Modern podcast-specific enhancements
Other Extensions: Content licenses, geographic data, and social metadata

1.3 📚 Dublin Core Metadata Standard

1.3.1 Overview

Dublin Core is an internationally recognized metadata standard developed by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) for describing digital resources. Originally created for library and archival systems, it has become a universal vocabulary for web content metadata.

📄 Specification: Dublin Core Metadata Element Set
Namespace: http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/

1.3.2 History and Purpose

Established: 1995 at a workshop in Dublin, Ohio
Standardized: ISO 15836, IETF RFC 5013, ANSI/NISO Z39.85
Goal: Simple, interoperable metadata for resource discovery
Design Philosophy: “One-to-one principle” - each description describes one resource

1.3.3 Dublin Core Elements

Dublin Core defines 15 core elements organized into three groups:

1.3.3.1 Content Elements (What)

Element	Description	RSS/Atom Usage	Example
`dc:title`	Resource name	Alternate/supplementary title	`<dc:title>Quarterly Report 2025</dc:title>`
`dc:subject`	Topic/keywords	Content categorization	`<dc:subject>Climate Change</dc:subject>`
`dc:description`	Content summary	Extended description	`<dc:description>Analysis of global trends</dc:description>`
`dc:type`	Resource nature	Content classification	`<dc:type>Text</dc:type>`, `<dc:type>Dataset</dc:type>`
`dc:source`	Original resource	Derivation reference	`<dc:source>ISBN:978-1-234567-89-0</dc:source>`
`dc:relation`	Related resources	Cross-references	`<dc:relation>https://example.com/part1</dc:relation>`
`dc:coverage`	Scope (spatial/temporal)	Geographic/time coverage	`<dc:coverage>Europe, 2020-2025</dc:coverage>`

1.3.3.2 Intellectual Property Elements (Who)

Element	Description	RSS/Atom Usage	Example
`dc:creator`	Primary author/creator	Author name (plain text)	`<dc:creator>Jane Smith, PhD</dc:creator>`
`dc:publisher`	Publishing entity	Organization name	`<dc:publisher>Academic Press</dc:publisher>`
`dc:contributor`	Secondary contributors	Additional authors/editors	`<dc:contributor>Research Team</dc:contributor>`
`dc:rights`	Copyright/licensing	Rights statement	`<dc:rights>CC BY-SA 4.0</dc:rights>`

1.3.3.3 Instantiation Elements (When/Where)

Element	Description	RSS/Atom Usage	Example
`dc:date`	Creation/publication date	ISO 8601 date	`<dc:date>2025-10-10</dc:date>`
`dc:format`	Media type	MIME type	`<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>`
`dc:identifier`	Unique identifier	URI, DOI, ISBN	`<dc:identifier>doi:10.1234/example</dc:identifier>`
`dc:language`	Content language	ISO 639 code	`<dc:language>en-US</dc:language>`

1.3.4 Common Dublin Core Elements in Feeds

The following table presents the most frequently used Dublin Core elements in RSS and Atom feeds, organized by popularity and practical application:

1.3.4.1 Most Common Elements (High Priority)

Element	Description	RSS/Atom Usage	Example
`dc:creator`	Person/entity responsible for creating content	Author/creator name (plain text)	`<dc:creator>Jane Smith</dc:creator>`
`dc:date`	Publication/creation date	ISO 8601 formatted date	`<dc:date>2025-10-25</dc:date>`
`dc:subject`	Topic, category, or keywords	Content categorization	`<dc:subject>Artificial Intelligence</dc:subject>`
`dc:description`	Content description/abstract	Extended summary	`<dc:description>A comprehensive guide to...</dc:description>`
`dc:publisher`	Entity making resource available	Publishing organization	`<dc:publisher>Tech Media Corp</dc:publisher>`
`dc:rights`	Copyright/licensing information	Rights statement	`<dc:rights>© 2025 All Rights Reserved</dc:rights>`
`dc:identifier`	Unique resource identifier	URI, DOI, ISBN	`<dc:identifier>https://example.com/article-123</dc:identifier>`
`dc:language`	Language of content	ISO 639 language code	`<dc:language>en-US</dc:language>`
`dc:contributor`	Additional contributors	Secondary authors/editors	`<dc:contributor>John Doe</dc:contributor>`
`dc:format`	Media type/format	MIME type	`<dc:format>text/html</dc:format>`

1.3.4.2 Less Common Elements (Specialized Use)

Element	Description	RSS/Atom Usage	Example
`dc:title`	Resource title	Alternative/formal title (rarely used, as RSS/Atom have native title elements)	`<dc:title>Article Title</dc:title>`
`dc:coverage`	Spatial/temporal scope	Geographic or time period coverage	`<dc:coverage>United States, 2025</dc:coverage>`
`dc:relation`	Related resources	Cross-references to related content	`<dc:relation>https://related-article.com</dc:relation>`
`dc:source`	Original source	Citation of source material	`<dc:source>Original Publication</dc:source>`
`dc:type`	Resource type	Content type classification	`<dc:type>Text</dc:type>`, `<dc:type>Dataset</dc:type>`

Usage Notes:

Common Elements (first table): Found in 60-90% of feeds using Dublin Core, particularly in academic, news, and corporate contexts
Less Common Elements (second table): Found in 10-30% of feeds, typically in specialized applications like digital libraries or archival systems
Elements like dc:title are rarely used because RSS and Atom already provide native title elements that are more widely supported

1.3.5 Dublin Core in RSS 2.0

1.3.5.1 XML Namespace Declaration

<rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">

1.3.5.2 Practical Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
     xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
     xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/">
  <channel>
    <title>Academic Journal Feed</title>
 <link>https://journal.example.edu</link>
    <description>Latest research articles</description>
    
    <!-- Channel Dublin Core Metadata -->
    <dc:publisher>University Press</dc:publisher>
    <dc:rights>� 2025 University Press. All rights reserved.</dc:rights>
    <dc:language>en-US</dc:language>
    
    <item>
<title>Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity</title>
      <link>https://journal.example.edu/article/2025-042</link>
  <description>Research findings from a 5-year study</description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate>

      <!-- Dublin Core Item Metadata -->
      <dc:creator>Dr. Emily Rodriguez</dc:creator>
    <dc:creator>Dr. Michael Chen</dc:creator>
      <dc:contributor>Research Assistant: Sarah Johnson</dc:contributor>
      
      <dc:subject>Climate Science</dc:subject>
      <dc:subject>Biodiversity</dc:subject>
      <dc:subject>Environmental Impact</dc:subject>
      
      <dc:type>Research Article</dc:type>
      <dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
      <dc:identifier>doi:10.1234/journal.2025.042</dc:identifier>
      <dc:date>2025-10-10</dc:date>
      
      <dc:coverage>Global, 2020-2025</dc:coverage>
      <dc:rights>Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0</dc:rights>
  
      <dc:relation>https://journal.example.edu/article/2024-089</dc:relation>
      <dc:source>Field Study Data Repository</dc:source>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.3.6 Dublin Core in Atom

1.3.6.1 XML Namespace Declaration

<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
      xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">

1.3.6.2 Practical Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
      xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
  <title>Research Publications</title>
  <link href="https://research.example.org"/>
  <updated>2025-10-10T14:30:00Z</updated>
  
  <!-- Feed Dublin Core Metadata -->
  <dc:publisher>Research Institute</dc:publisher>
  <dc:rights>Open Access - CC BY 4.0</dc:rights>
  
  <entry>
    <title>Machine Learning Applications in Healthcare</title>
    <link href="https://research.example.org/papers/ml-healthcare-2025"/>
    <id>urn:uuid:1234-5678-90ab-cdef</id>
    <updated>2025-10-10T10:00:00Z</updated>
    
    <summary>Comprehensive review of ML techniques in medical diagnosis</summary>
    
    <!-- Dublin Core Entry Metadata -->
    <dc:creator>Dr. Alan Turing</dc:creator>
    <dc:creator>Dr. Ada Lovelace</dc:creator>
    
    <dc:subject>Machine Learning</dc:subject>
    <dc:subject>Healthcare Technology</dc:subject>
    <dc:subject>Medical Diagnosis</dc:subject>
    
 <dc:type>Review Article</dc:type>
    <dc:identifier>arxiv:2025.10042</dc:identifier>
    <dc:date>2025-10-10</dc:date>
    <dc:format>text/html</dc:format>
    
    <dc:rights>CC BY 4.0</dc:rights>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
  </entry>
</feed>

1.3.7 Usage Frequency Analysis

Context	Usage Level	Common Elements	Rationale
Academic/Library Feeds	✅ Very High	All 15 elements	Required for institutional repositories, library catalogs
News Aggregation	🔶 Moderate	`creator`, `subject`, `rights`, `publisher`	Structured attribution, licensing
Blog Syndication	🔶 Low-Moderate	`creator`, `date`	Fallback for missing standard elements
Podcast Feeds	❌ Very Low	Rarely used	iTunes extensions preferred
Corporate Publishing	✅ High	`creator`, `publisher`, `rights`, `identifier`	Legal compliance, attribution

1.3.8 Dublin Core vs. Base Specification Comparison

Metadata Type	RSS 2.0 Standard	Atom Standard	Dublin Core
Author	`<author>` (email format)	`<author><name>` (structured)	`<dc:creator>` (plain text)
Date	`<pubDate>` (RFC 822)	`<published>` (RFC 3339)	`<dc:date>` (ISO 8601)
Description	`<description>` (HTML/text)	`<summary>` / `<content>`	`<dc:description>` (plain text)
Categories	`<category>` (simple text)	`<category term="">`	`<dc:subject>` (controlled vocabulary)
Rights	`<copyright>` (informal)	`<rights>` (text)	`<dc:rights>` (standardized)
Publisher	? Not specified	? Not specified	? `<dc:publisher>`
Identifier	`<guid>` (optional)	`<id>` (required IRI)	`<dc:identifier>` (URI/DOI/ISBN)

1.3.9 When to Use Dublin Core

1.3.9.1 ✅ Recommended Use Cases

Academic Publishing
- Institutional repositories
- Journal article feeds
- Research paper distribution
- Thesis/dissertation catalogs
Library and Archive Systems
- Digital library collections

Museum catalogs
- Historical archives
- Manuscript repositories

Government and Legal Publishing
- Legislative documents
- Court rulings
- Public records
- Regulatory publications
Corporate/Enterprise Content
- Technical documentation
- White papers
- Industry reports
- Compliance documents
Multi-Author/Multi-Contributor Content
- Clear attribution hierarchy
- Research collaborations
- Edited collections
- Conference proceedings

1.3.9.2 ❌ Not Recommended For

Consumer podcast applications (use iTunes extensions)
Simple blog syndication (base RSS/Atom sufficient)
Social media feeds (other extensions more suitable)
Real-time news (simpler metadata preferred)

1.4 🎬 Media RSS Specification

1.4.1 Overview

Media RSS (MRSS) is a comprehensive extension for rich multimedia metadata in RSS feeds. Developed by Yahoo! and widely adopted across video platforms, news sites, and media aggregators.

📄 Specification: Media RSS Module
Namespace: http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/

1.4.2 Purpose and Adoption

Primary Use: Video platforms (YouTube, Vimeo), news media, photo galleries
Advantages: Detailed media metadata, thumbnails, player information, ratings
Ecosystem: Supported by major aggregators and social media platforms

1.4.3 Core Media RSS Elements

1.4.3.1 Media Content (`media:content`)

Represents the actual media object with detailed attributes.

<media:content 
    url="https://example.com/video.mp4"
    type="video/mp4"
    medium="video"
    fileSize="52428800"
    duration="300"
    width="1920"
    height="1080"
    bitrate="5000"
framerate="30">
  
  <!-- Nested elements -->
  <media:title>Introduction to Machine Learning</media:title>
  <media:description>A comprehensive overview of ML fundamentals</media:description>
  <media:keywords>machine learning, AI, tutorial</media:keywords>
  
  <media:thumbnail 
  url="https://example.com/thumb.jpg" 
      width="640" 
      height="360"/>
  
  <media:player url="https://example.com/player?video=123"/>
  
  <media:credit role="author">Jane Tech</media:credit>
  <media:copyright>� 2025 TechEd Inc.</media:copyright>
  
  <media:rating scheme="urn:simple">adult</media:rating>
  <media:category scheme="http://dmoz.org">Technology/Education</media:category>
</media:content>

Attributes:

Attribute	Description	Example
`url`	Media file URL	`"https://cdn.example.com/video.mp4"`
`type`	MIME type	`"video/mp4"`, `"audio/mpeg"`, `"image/jpeg"`
`medium`	Media category	`"video"`, `"audio"`, `"image"`, `"document"`
`fileSize`	Size in bytes	`52428800` (50 MB)
`duration`	Length in seconds	`300` (5 minutes)
`width` / `height`	Dimensions in pixels	`1920`, `1080`
`bitrate`	Bitrate in kbps	`5000`
`framerate`	Frames per second	`30`
`lang`	Language code	`"en-US"`

1.4.3.2 Media Thumbnail (`media:thumbnail`)

Preview image for the media content.

<media:thumbnail 
    url="https://example.com/thumbnails/video-thumb.jpg"
    width="640"
    height="360"
    time="00:01:30"/>

Attributes:

url: Thumbnail image URL
width / height: Image dimensions
time: Timestamp for video thumbnails (HH:MM:SS)

1.4.3.3 Media Group (`media:group`)

Groups alternative representations of the same content (different resolutions, formats).

<media:group>
  <!-- HD version -->
  <media:content 
      url="https://example.com/video-1080p.mp4"
      type="video/mp4"
      width="1920"
      height="1080"
    bitrate="5000"/>
  
<!-- SD version -->
  <media:content 
      url="https://example.com/video-720p.mp4"
      type="video/mp4"
      width="1280"
      height="720"
      bitrate="2500"/>
  
  <!-- Mobile version -->
  <media:content 
      url="https://example.com/video-480p.mp4"
type="video/mp4"
      width="854"
      height="480"
      bitrate="1000"/>
  
  <!-- Shared metadata for all versions -->
  <media:title>Tutorial Video</media:title>
  <media:thumbnail url="https://example.com/thumb.jpg"/>
</media:group>

1.4.3.4 Additional Media Elements

Element	Description	Example
`media:title`	Media title	`<media:title>Episode 42</media:title>`
`media:description`	Media description	`<media:description type="html">...</media:description>`
`media:keywords`	Comma-separated keywords	`<media:keywords>tech, tutorial, beginner</media:keywords>`
`media:credit`	Content creator/contributor	`<media:credit role="author">John Doe</media:credit>`
`media:copyright`	Copyright statement	`<media:copyright>� 2025 Example Corp</media:copyright>`
`media:rating`	Content rating	`<media:rating scheme="urn:simple">adult</media:rating>`
`media:category`	Media categorization	`<media:category>Education</media:category>`
`media:player`	Embedded player URL	`<media:player url="https://example.com/embed/123"/>`
`media:restriction`	Geographic/platform restrictions	`<media:restriction type="country">US CA</media:restriction>`
`media:community`	Social engagement metrics	See below

1.4.3.5 Media Community (Social Metrics)

<media:community>
  <media:starRating average="4.5" count="1250" min="1" max="5"/>
  <media:statistics views="125000" favorites="3500"/>
  <media:tags>machine-learning ai tutorial python</media:tags>
</media:community>

1.4.4 Complete Media RSS Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
     xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
     xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/">
  <channel>
    <title>TechEd Video Channel</title>
    <link>https://teched.example.com</link>
    <description>Educational technology videos</description>
    
    <item>
      <title>Introduction to Python Programming</title>
   <link>https://teched.example.com/videos/python-intro</link>
      <guid>video-python-intro-2025</guid>
   <pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description>Beginner-friendly Python tutorial</description>
      
      <!-- Media RSS Content -->
      <media:group>
        <!-- HD Video -->
        <media:content 
            url="https://cdn.teched.com/python-intro-1080p.mp4"
    type="video/mp4"
      medium="video"
        fileSize="524288000"
            duration="1800"
          width="1920"
     height="1080"
    bitrate="5000"
            framerate="30">
 
          <media:title>Python Programming - Complete Introduction</media:title>
          <media:description type="plain">
Learn Python from scratch with hands-on examples. 
            This comprehensive tutorial covers variables, data types, 
          control flow, and functions.
          </media:description>
      
          <media:keywords>python, programming, tutorial, beginner, coding</media:keywords>
          
          <media:thumbnail 
        url="https://cdn.teched.com/thumbs/python-intro.jpg"
     width="1280"
              height="720"/>
 
    <media:player 
           url="https://teched.example.com/embed/python-intro"
    width="1920"
  height="1080"/>
   
          <media:credit role="author">Dr. Jane Smith</media:credit>
          <media:credit role="editor">Video Production Team</media:credit>
          
          <media:copyright>� 2025 TechEd Inc. Creative Commons BY-SA</media:copyright>
          
     <media:rating scheme="urn:simple">nonadult</media:rating>
      
     <media:category scheme="http://dmoz.org">
         Computers/Programming/Languages/Python
 </media:category>
          
          <media:community>
       <media:starRating average="4.8" count="3250" min="1" max="5"/>
   <media:statistics views="250000" favorites="8500"/>
       <media:tags>python beginner-friendly hands-on tutorial</media:tags>
          </media:community>
      </media:content>
        
        <!-- SD Video -->
        <media:content 
   url="https://cdn.teched.com/python-intro-720p.mp4"
            type="video/mp4"
            medium="video"
            width="1280"
            height="720"
   bitrate="2500"/>
      </media:group>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.4.5 Media RSS Use Cases

Platform Type	Usage	Key Elements
Video Platforms	✅ Essential	`media:content`, `media:thumbnail`, `media:player`, `media:community`
News Media	✅ High	`media:content`, `media:thumbnail`, `media:credit`, `media:copyright`
Photo Galleries	✅ High	`media:content`, `media:thumbnail`, `media:group`
Podcast Directories	🔶 Moderate	`media:content` (alternative to `<enclosure>`)
E-learning Platforms	✅ High	`media:content`, `media:player`, `media:rating`, `media:category`
Social Media Aggregators	✅ High	`media:community`, `media:thumbnail`, `media:restriction`

1.5 🎙️ Podcast Index Namespace

1.5.1 Overview

The Podcast Index Namespace is a modern extension designed to enhance podcast feeds with features beyond iTunes tags. Developed by the open-source Podcast Index project, it addresses emerging needs in podcasting.

📄 Specification: Podcast Namespace Documentation
Namespace: https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0

1.5.2 Key Features

Transcripts: Full episode transcripts with timestamps
Chapters: Rich chapter markers with images and URLs
Value for Value: Cryptocurrency payment metadata
Location: Geographic coordinates for episodes
Funding: Donation/support links
Soundbites: Highlight clips for sharing
Person: Detailed contributor information

1.5.3 Core Podcast Index Elements

1.5.3.1 Podcast Transcript (`podcast:transcript`)

Links to episode transcripts in various formats.

<podcast:transcript 
    url="https://example.com/transcripts/ep42.srt" 
    type="application/srt" 
    language="en" 
    rel="captions"/>

<podcast:transcript 
 url="https://example.com/transcripts/ep42.json" 
    type="application/json" 
    language="en"/>

Attributes:

url: Transcript file URL
type: MIME type (application/srt, application/json, text/vtt, text/html)
language: ISO 639 language code
rel: Relationship (captions for accessibility)

1.5.3.2 Podcast Chapters (`podcast:chapters`)

Links to chapter markers (JSON format).

<podcast:chapters 
    url="https://example.com/chapters/ep42.json" 
    type="application/json+chapters"/>

Chapter JSON Format:

{
  "version": "1.2.0",
  "chapters": [
    {
      "startTime": 0,
      "title": "Introduction",
      "img": "https://example.com/images/intro.jpg",
      "url": "https://example.com/show-notes#intro"
    },
    {
      "startTime": 120,
      "title": "Main Topic: AI Ethics",
      "img": "https://example.com/images/ai-ethics.jpg",
    "url": "https://example.com/resources/ai-ethics"
  },
    {
      "startTime": 1800,
      "title": "Q&A Session",
      "img": "https://example.com/images/qa.jpg"
    }
  ]
}

1.5.3.3 Podcast Person (`podcast:person`)

Detailed contributor information beyond simple author tags.

<podcast:person 
    name="Dr. Jane Smith" 
    role="host" 
    img="https://example.com/images/jane.jpg" 
    href="https://janesmith.com">
  Lead host and AI researcher
</podcast:person>

<podcast:person 
    name="John Doe" 
    role="guest" 
    group="Episode 42 Guest"
 img="https://example.com/images/john.jpg"
    href="https://johndoe.tech"/>

Attributes:

name: Person’s name
role: Contribution type (host, guest, producer, editor, etc.)
group: Logical grouping (e.g., “Season 1 Hosts”)
img: Avatar/photo URL
href: Personal website/profile URL

1.5.3.4 Podcast Soundbite (`podcast:soundbite`)

Highlight clips for social sharing.

<podcast:soundbite startTime="300.5" duration="60" title="Key Quote on AI Ethics"/>
<podcast:soundbite startTime="1200" duration="45" title="Audience Question Highlight"/>

Attributes:

startTime: Start position in seconds (decimals allowed)
duration: Clip length in seconds
title: Clip description

1.5.3.5 Podcast Location (`podcast:location`)

Geographic information for episodes.

<podcast:location 
    geo="geo:37.7749,-122.4194" 
    osm="R123456">
  San Francisco, California
</podcast:location>

Attributes:

geo: Geographic coordinates (RFC 5870 geo URI)
osm: OpenStreetMap identifier

1.5.3.6 Podcast Value (Value for Value)

Cryptocurrency payment information.

<podcast:value 
    type="lightning" 
    method="keysend" 
    suggested="0.00000005000">
  
  <podcast:valueRecipient 
      name="Host: Jane Smith" 
      type="node" 
      address="03ae9f91a0cb8ff43840e3c322c4c61f019d8c1c3cea15a25cfc425ac605e61a4a"
      split="80"
   fee="false"/>
  
  <podcast:valueRecipient 
      name="Producer: TechPod Inc" 
      type="node" 
      address="02d5c1bf8b940dc9cadca86d1b0a3c37fbe39cee4c7e839e33bef9174531d27f52"
      split="20"
      fee="false"/>
</podcast:value>

1.5.3.7 Podcast Funding (`podcast:funding`)

Donation/support links.

<podcast:funding url="https://patreon.com/techpodcast">
  Support us on Patreon
</podcast:funding>

<podcast:funding url="https://buymeacoffee.com/techpod">
  Buy me a coffee
</podcast:funding>

1.5.4 Complete Podcast Index Example

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
  xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
     xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"
     xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  <channel>
    <title>Tech Ethics Podcast</title>
    <link>https://techethics.example.com</link>
    <description>Exploring ethical implications of emerging technologies</description>
    
    <!-- Podcast Index Channel Elements -->
    <podcast:funding url="https://patreon.com/techethics">
      Support our podcast on Patreon
    </podcast:funding>
    
    <podcast:locked>yes</podcast:locked>
    
    <podcast:guid>920666e0-df5e-013a-f970-0acc26574db2</podcast:guid>
    
    <item>
    <title>Episode 42: AI and Privacy</title>
      <link>https://techethics.example.com/episodes/42</link>
      <guid>ep-42-ai-privacy</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <enclosure 
          url="https://cdn.techethics.com/ep42.mp3" 
          type="audio/mpeg" 
          length="48234567"/>
      
      <itunes:duration>45:30</itunes:duration>
      <description>Discussion on AI surveillance and privacy rights</description>
      
   <!-- Podcast Index Item Elements -->
      
      <!-- Transcripts -->
      <podcast:transcript 
  url="https://techethics.com/transcripts/ep42.srt" 
      type="application/srt" 
          language="en" 
  rel="captions"/>
      
      <podcast:transcript 
          url="https://techethics.com/transcripts/ep42.json" 
    type="application/json" 
          language="en"/>
      
      <!-- Chapters -->
      <podcast:chapters 
          url="https://techethics.com/chapters/ep42.json" 
          type="application/json+chapters"/>
      
    <!-- Contributors -->
      <podcast:person 
          name="Dr. Sarah Johnson" 
  role="host" 
       img="https://techethics.com/images/sarah.jpg" 
          href="https://sarahjohnson.com"/>
    
      <podcast:person 
     name="Prof. Michael Chen" 
          role="guest" 
          group="AI Experts"
    img="https://techethics.com/images/michael.jpg" 
   href="https://michaelchen.edu"/>
 
      <podcast:person 
     name="Alex Rivera" 
          role="producer" 
          img="https://techethics.com/images/alex.jpg"/>
      
      <!-- Soundbites -->
      <podcast:soundbite startTime="420" duration="60" 
          title="Key quote on facial recognition ethics"/>
      
      <podcast:soundbite startTime="1680" duration="45" 
          title="Listener question on data ownership"/>
      
   <!-- Location -->
      <podcast:location 
          geo="geo:37.7749,-122.4194" 
          osm="R111968">
  Recorded in San Francisco, California
      </podcast:location>
   
      <!-- Value for Value -->
      <podcast:value type="lightning" method="keysend" suggested="0.00000010000">
        <podcast:valueRecipient 
            name="Host: Sarah Johnson" 
  type="node" 
        address="03ae9f91a0cb8ff43840e3c322c4c61f019d8c1c3cea15a25cfc425ac605e61a4a"
        split="60"/>
        
        <podcast:valueRecipient 
        name="Guest: Michael Chen" 
            type="node" 
            address="02d5c1bf8b940dc9cadca86d1b0a3c37fbe39cee4c7e839e33bef9174531d27f52"
            split="20"/>
    
        <podcast:valueRecipient 
        name="Producer: Alex Rivera" 
 type="node" 
            address="03d3c2db6801c98871c675b83de4bd90f0ea1652b1a8c0a1f6a3f8f5b1f9a8c2d3"
            split="20"/>
      </podcast:value>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.5.5 Adoption and Compatibility

Feature	Podcast Apps	Benefits
Transcripts	✅ Growing (Podcast Addict, Overcast)	Accessibility, SEO, search
Chapters	✅ Widely supported	Enhanced navigation
Person	🔶 Limited	Detailed credits
Soundbites	🔶 Emerging	Social sharing, discovery
Value for Value	🔄 Niche (Breez, Fountain)	Direct creator support
Location	🌍 Limited	Geographic context

1.6 🔌 Other Common Extensions

1.6.1 Creative Commons License (`creativeCommons:license`)

Namespace: http://backend.userland.com/creativeCommonsRssModule

<rss version="2.0" 
     xmlns:creativeCommons="http://backend.userland.com/creativeCommonsRssModule">
  <channel>
    <creativeCommons:license>
      https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
    </creativeCommons:license>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.6.2 Content Encoding (`content:encoded`)

Namespace: http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/

Provides full HTML content beyond <description>.

<rss version="2.0" 
     xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/">
  <channel>
  <item>
      <title>Article Title</title>
      <description>Brief summary</description>
      <content:encoded><![CDATA[
    <p>Full HTML content with <strong>formatting</strong>.</p>
        <img src="image.jpg" alt="Illustration"/>
        <p>Additional paragraphs...</p>
      ]]></content:encoded>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.6.3 GeoRSS (Geographic Metadata)

Namespace: http://www.georss.org/georss

<rss version="2.0" 
     xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss">
  <channel>
    <item>
      <title>Breaking News Event</title>
      <georss:point>37.7749 -122.4194</georss:point>
      <georss:featureName>San Francisco City Hall</georss:featureName>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.6.4 Slash (Comment Metadata)

Namespace: http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/

Social engagement metrics for blog posts.

<rss version="2.0" 
     xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/">
  <channel>
    <item>
      <title>Blog Post Title</title>
    <slash:comments>42</slash:comments>
      <slash:hit_parade>150,200,300,500,750</slash:hit_parade>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.7 ⚖️ Extension Comparison and Usage Guide

1.7.1 Metadata Extension Decision Matrix

Your Use Case	Recommended Extension	Key Elements	Priority
Academic Publishing	Dublin Core	`dc:creator`, `dc:identifier`, `dc:subject`, `dc:rights`	✅ Essential
Video Platform	Media RSS	`media:content`, `media:thumbnail`, `media:player`	✅ Essential
Modern Podcast	Podcast Index + iTunes	`podcast:transcript`, `podcast:chapters`, `podcast:person`	✅ Highly Recommended
News Media	Media RSS + Dublin Core	`media:content`, `dc:creator`, `dc:rights`	✅ Recommended
Photo Gallery	Media RSS	`media:content`, `media:thumbnail`, `media:group`	✅ Essential
Blog with HTML Content	Content Encoded	`content:encoded`	🔶 Optional
Location-based Content	GeoRSS or Podcast Index	`georss:point` or `podcast:location`	🔶 Optional
Creative Commons Content	CC License Module	`creativeCommons:license`	🔶 Recommended

1.7.2 Compatibility Considerations

Extension	RSS 2.0	Atom	Client Support	Validation
Dublin Core	✅ Excellent	✅ Excellent	✅ Universal	✅ Well-defined
Media RSS	✅ Excellent	🔶 Limited	✅ High (video platforms)	✅ Schema available
Podcast Index	✅ Excellent	❌ Rare	🔶 Growing	✅ Active development
iTunes	✅ Universal	❌ Not applicable	✅ 99% podcast apps	✅ Established
Content Encoded	✅ Common	❌ Use `<content>`	✅ High (feed readers)	🔶 Informal
GeoRSS	✅ Good	✅ Good	🔶 Moderate	✅ Specified
Creative Commons	✅ Good	✅ Good	🔶 Low	🔶 Informal

1.7.3 Best Practices for Multiple Extensions

1.7.3.1 Example: Comprehensive RSS Feed with Multiple Namespaces

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
   xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"
     xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"
     xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
     xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
     xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
     xmlns:creativeCommons="http://backend.userland.com/creativeCommonsRssModule"
     xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
  
  <channel>
<title>Comprehensive Media Feed</title>
    <link>https://media.example.com</link>
    <description>Example feed using multiple namespace extensions</description>
    
    <!-- Dublin Core Channel Metadata -->
    <dc:publisher>Example Media Corp</dc:publisher>
    <dc:rights>All rights reserved</dc:rights>
<dc:language>en-US</dc:language>
    
    <!-- Creative Commons License -->
    <creativeCommons:license>
      https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
    </creativeCommons:license>
    
    <!-- iTunes Podcast Metadata -->
    <itunes:author>Media Production Team</itunes:author>
    <itunes:image href="https://media.example.com/artwork.jpg"/>
    <itunes:category text="Technology"/>
    
    <!-- Podcast Index Funding -->
    <podcast:funding url="https://patreon.com/examplemedia">
    Support us on Patreon
    </podcast:funding>
    
    <item>
   <title>Episode 1: Introduction</title>
    <link>https://media.example.com/episode1</link>
      <guid>episode-1-intro</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      
      <!-- Standard RSS Description -->
      <description>Brief episode summary</description>
      
      <!-- Full HTML Content -->
 <content:encoded><![CDATA[
        <p>Full episode description with <strong>HTML formatting</strong>.</p>
        <ul>
 <li>Topic 1</li>
          <li>Topic 2</li>
  </ul>
      ]]></content:encoded>
      
      <!-- Dublin Core Item Metadata -->
      <dc:creator>Jane Smith</dc:creator>
    <dc:creator>John Doe</dc:creator>
      <dc:subject>Technology</dc:subject>
      <dc:subject>Education</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2025-10-10</dc:date>
      <dc:identifier>doi:10.1234/episode.1</dc:identifier>
 
      <!-- Media RSS Content -->
      <media:content 
  url="https://cdn.example.com/ep1-video.mp4"
          type="video/mp4"
        medium="video"
          duration="1800"
          width="1920"
          height="1080">
     
      <media:title>Episode 1: Introduction to Technology</media:title>
    <media:thumbnail url="https://cdn.example.com/ep1-thumb.jpg"/>
      <media:credit role="host">Jane Smith</media:credit>
        <media:copyright>� 2025 Example Media Corp</media:copyright>
      </media:content>
      
      <!-- iTunes Episode Metadata -->
      <itunes:duration>30:00</itunes:duration>
      <itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode>
      <itunes:season>1</itunes:season>
      <itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>
      
      <!-- Podcast Index Elements -->
      <podcast:transcript 
          url="https://media.example.com/transcripts/ep1.srt" 
          type="application/srt" 
        language="en"/>
      
      <podcast:chapters 
     url="https://media.example.com/chapters/ep1.json" 
 type="application/json+chapters"/>
      
      <podcast:person 
       name="Jane Smith" 
          role="host" 
          img="https://media.example.com/images/jane.jpg"/>
    </item>
  </channel>
</rss>

1.8 📖 References

1.8.1 Specifications and Standards

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative
https://www.dublincore.org/specifications/dublin-core/dcmi-terms/
Official DCMI specification defining all 15 core elements and extended vocabulary.
Media RSS Specification
http://www.rssboard.org/media-rss
Complete Media RSS module specification with element definitions and examples.
Podcast Index Namespace Documentation
https://github.com/Podcastindex-org/podcast-namespace/blob/main/docs/1.0.md
Official Podcast Index namespace specification with detailed element descriptions.
ISO 15836-1:2017 - Dublin Core Metadata
https://www.iso.org/standard/71339.html
ISO standardization of Dublin Core metadata element set.
RFC 5013 - Dublin Core Metadata for Resource Discovery
https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5013
IETF informational RFC on Dublin Core usage.

1.8.2 Namespace Extensions

Content RSS Module
http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/
Specification for the content:encoded element.
GeoRSS Standard
http://www.georss.org/
Geographic metadata extensions for RSS and Atom.
Creative Commons RSS Module
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Creative Commons licensing metadata for feeds.
Slash RSS Module
http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/
Comment and engagement metrics for blog posts.

1.8.3 Implementation Guides

Using Dublin Core in RSS
http://www.rssboard.org/rss-profile#namespace-elements-dublin
RSS Advisory Board guidance on Dublin Core integration.
Media RSS Best Practices
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/structured-data/video
Google’s recommendations for video metadata in feeds.
Podcast Index Documentation
https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0
Complete documentation for modern podcast features.

Document created: October 10, 2025 | Version: 1.0
Part of the Feed Architectures and Protocols series

1 📦 Additional Metadata for RSS and Atom Feeds

1.1 📋 Table of Contents

1.2 🎯 Introduction

1.3 📚 Dublin Core Metadata Standard

1.3.1 Overview

1.3.2 History and Purpose

1.3.3 Dublin Core Elements

1.3.3.1 Content Elements (What)

1.3.3.2 Intellectual Property Elements (Who)

1.3.3.3 Instantiation Elements (When/Where)

1.3.4 Common Dublin Core Elements in Feeds

1.3.4.1 Most Common Elements (High Priority)

1.3.4.2 Less Common Elements (Specialized Use)

1.3.5 Dublin Core in RSS 2.0

1.3.5.1 XML Namespace Declaration

1.3.5.2 Practical Example

1.3.6 Dublin Core in Atom

1.3.6.1 XML Namespace Declaration

1.3.6.2 Practical Example

1.3.7 Usage Frequency Analysis

1.3.8 Dublin Core vs. Base Specification Comparison

1.3.9 When to Use Dublin Core

1.3.9.1 ✅ Recommended Use Cases

1.3.9.2 ❌ Not Recommended For

1.4 🎬 Media RSS Specification

1.4.1 Overview

1.4.2 Purpose and Adoption

1.4.3 Core Media RSS Elements

1.4.3.1 Media Content (media:content)

1.4.3.2 Media Thumbnail (media:thumbnail)

1.4.3.3 Media Group (media:group)

1.4.3.4 Additional Media Elements

1.4.3.5 Media Community (Social Metrics)

1.4.4 Complete Media RSS Example

1.4.5 Media RSS Use Cases

1.5 🎙️ Podcast Index Namespace

1.5.1 Overview

1.5.2 Key Features

1.5.3 Core Podcast Index Elements

1.5.3.1 Podcast Transcript (podcast:transcript)

1.5.3.2 Podcast Chapters (podcast:chapters)

1.5.3.3 Podcast Person (podcast:person)

1.5.3.4 Podcast Soundbite (podcast:soundbite)

1.5.3.5 Podcast Location (podcast:location)

1.5.3.6 Podcast Value (Value for Value)

1.5.3.7 Podcast Funding (podcast:funding)

1.5.4 Complete Podcast Index Example

1.5.5 Adoption and Compatibility

1.6 🔌 Other Common Extensions

1.6.1 Creative Commons License (creativeCommons:license)

1.6.2 Content Encoding (content:encoded)

1.6.3 GeoRSS (Geographic Metadata)

1.6.4 Slash (Comment Metadata)

1.7 ⚖️ Extension Comparison and Usage Guide

1.7.1 Metadata Extension Decision Matrix

1.7.2 Compatibility Considerations

1.7.3 Best Practices for Multiple Extensions

1.7.3.1 Example: Comprehensive RSS Feed with Multiple Namespaces

1.8 📖 References

1.8.1 Specifications and Standards

1.8.2 Namespace Extensions

1.8.3 Implementation Guides

1.4.3.1 Media Content (`media:content`)

1.4.3.2 Media Thumbnail (`media:thumbnail`)

1.4.3.3 Media Group (`media:group`)

1.5.3.1 Podcast Transcript (`podcast:transcript`)

1.5.3.2 Podcast Chapters (`podcast:chapters`)

1.5.3.3 Podcast Person (`podcast:person`)

1.5.3.4 Podcast Soundbite (`podcast:soundbite`)

1.5.3.5 Podcast Location (`podcast:location`)

1.5.3.7 Podcast Funding (`podcast:funding`)

1.6.1 Creative Commons License (`creativeCommons:license`)

1.6.2 Content Encoding (`content:encoded`)