Podcast Chapters – What Are They, and How Do They Work?
You’ve likely already seen chapters added to YouTube videos, but what about in a podcast?
Below we’re breaking down what podcast chapters are, how they work, and why you should add them to your podcast episodes.
What Are Podcast Chapters?
Simply put, podcast chapters are timestamps in an audio file that provide your listeners with a way to jump to specific parts in your episodes. Podcast chapters include unique images, titles and links. Podcast chapters are great for enhanced storytelling.
Podcast chapters are a great feature to offer your fans as they can use this timeline of the key moments in your episodes to quickly access the parts they are most interested in.
Also, if someone needs to stop listening part way through an episode, they can use chapters to skip right to the spot where they left off.
Cool right?
How Do I Set up Chapters?
Let’s explore how to add podcast chapters to your episodes.
You’ll start by logging into your RSS.com account. Find the published episode you’d like to to add chapters to and select the chapters icon.
A new window will open that gives you the option to add a new chapter.
You’ll now be able to select the beginning and end point of each chapter and add custom chapter art to enhance the listening experience.
💡 Tip: The minimum size for chapter art is 1400 x 1400 px. If you need help creating podcast chapter art we recommend Canva.com.
Here’s a preview of how chapters appear when a fan clicks on one of your podcast episodes:
Need to modify a chapter in an episode? Click here for our step-by-step guide.
Or if you need to delete a chapter, you can click here for instructions.
Where Your Chapters Will Appear
When you create chapters in your RSS.com account, they’ll show up in:
- RSS.com’s web player and on your public podcast website (with direct chapter links – see example here)
- Spotify
- Modern podcast apps with Podcasting 2.0 features like Podverse, Fountain, and Castamatic
- PodViz-generated YouTube videos (when you convert your episodes to video)
Adding your chapters in your RSS.com dashboard is the fastest way to get chapters into multiple apps without extra tools.
Chapter Features by Platform
While chapters work across multiple platforms, the full experience varies.
Full Chapter Features (titles, custom artwork, and clickable links):
- RSS.com’s web player and podcast websites
- Podcasting 2.0 apps like Podverse, Fountain, and Castamatic
- PodViz-generated YouTube videos
Basic Chapter Navigation (titles and timestamps only):
- Spotify
- Most traditional podcast apps
All listeners can benefit from easy chapter navigation. However, it’s important to understand your custom chapter artwork and links will enhance the experience most for listeners using RSS.com’s player and modern podcast apps,
Click here for a list of the apps that feature Podcasting 2.0 features.
Alternative Ways to Add Chapters
Add Timestamps to Your Episode Description
You can also simply type timecodes in your episode show notes like:
- 00:00 Intro
- 04:35 Guest Interview
- 26:50 Q&A
Apple Podcasts (starting with iOS 18+) will turn these into clickable chapters automatically. This is a simple way to add chapter support specifically for Apple Podcasts users.
Embed Chapters in Your Audio File (Advanced)
If you have a large Apple Podcasts audience, you can embed chapters into your MP3 file before uploading. This requires a tool like Forecast (Mac) or any ID3 chapter editor. It’s more technical, but gives extra coverage for Apple users.
Best Practice for Maximum Coverage
Not all platforms support chapters the same way yet. To make your chapters available to the most listeners:
- Create your chapters in RSS.com (recommended)
- Add timestamps in your show notes for clickable chapters in Spotify and Apple Podcasts
- Optionally embed ID3 chapters if Apple compatibility is critical for your audience
Why You Need Podcast Chapters
With podcast chapters, you’ll be able to create the best experience possible for your show’s followers and fans.
Enhanced Features: RSS.com supports advanced chapter features like custom images and clickable links for each chapter. These allow rich features like titles, images, and links that create a more engaging listening experience.
Future-Proof: The chapter formats RSS.com uses are built into your RSS feed, so you keep control. They’re also future-proof, with growing support from podcast apps. We expect more apps to adopt these standards over time, so the chapters you create today will continue to work tomorrow.
If you’re thinking of starting a podcast or have an existing show, you can sign up for a free RSS.com account today.
Get Started Today
If you’re already hosting your podcast with RSS.com, you can easily edit and update all of your episodes to include chapters using the process we outlined above.
Happy podcasting!