iTunes does not show podcast image

Question

I cannot seem to get iTunes to display the image for my podcast. To be precise, iTunes doesn't even try to download the image for my podcast. Apache logs show the podcast and first audio file being downloaded by iTunes, but it is completely ignoring the <image> and <itunes:image> sections (shown here):

<image>
    <url><?php echo htmlentities($imageURL) ?></url>
    <title>My Podcast</title>
    <link>http://<?php echo $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] ?></link>
    <width>300</width>
    <height>300</height>
</image>
<itunes:image>
    <url><?php echo $imageURL ?></url>
    <title>My Podcast</title>
    <link>http://<?php echo $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] ?></link>
</itunes:image>

I have also tried this slightly shorter alternative, with no luck.

<image>
    <url><?php echo $imageURL ?></url>
    <title>My Podcast</title>
    <link>http://<?php echo $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] ?></link>
    <width>300</width>
    <height>300</height>
</image>
<itunes:image href="<?php echo $imageURL ?>" />

A few notes:

• Yes the image URL works, but keep in mind that iTunes doesn't even try to download the image.
• This podcast is not listed in the iTunes Store.
• My iTunes is not connected with the iTunes Store.

Jeremie

That <image> is directly under <channel>, right? – Serviceberry

Did you try a feed validator? feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http://yoururl – Serviceberry

Yes, the <image> is under the <channel> element. – Jeremie

Answer 1

iTunes itself doesn't use the images set in the RSS feed (they're only used by the iTunes Store).

iTunes actually uses the cover art embedded in downloaded tracks (it appears to use the art from the newest track).

You can verify this by subscribing to a new podcast. You'll see its icon remains blank in the Podcasts listing in iTunes until a track has been downloaded, at which point the track cover art will be used for the podcast icon.

Latham

Does it have to be embedded in a certain way? I currently use blogger to create my feed. I've put an image in the most recent post but iTunes still doesn't seem to recognize it. Thoughts? – Cornwell

It uses the cover art embedded in the last downloaded media file, i.e. the MP3 or M4A file that is the actual podcast episode. Adding images to the RSS feed doesn't do squat. You have to embed cover art in the media files. – Latham