One-Click Podcast Subscription for Zune
A much-needed alternative to the iTunes one-click podcast subscription will be available soon. This comes with the upcoming release of the Zune 2 software and line of players in mid-November.
I don’t have anything against iTunes and the iPod (I use them myself). I just don’t like the fact that it has been the only seamless directory/podcatcher/player combo for the last two years. Finally another viable option is entering the field.
It’s in the best interest of podcast publishers to support this new one-click format by offering it on their sites. The more options we (and our users) have, the better.
Zune Insider has posted the instructions for creating a one-click subscription link. To create a one-click Zune link, use this format.
zune://subscribe/?PodcastTitle=PodcastRSSFeedURL
Replace PodcastTitle with the name of the podcast and PodcastRSSFeedURL with the feed web address. For The Podcasting Underground the link address would look like this.
zune://subscribe/?The+Podcasting+Underground=http://www.podcastingunderground.com/feed
Notice that you can use ‘+’ or spaces or ‘%20′ between words in the title of the podcast. Simply attach this link address to an appropriate button/chicklet to add it to your site. Here’s the official button posted by Microsoft 
, but many others are popping up. I’d personally like to see a larger one that uses the Zune logo.
I have to say I’m not a big fan of the link format. It seems to be more complex than it needs to be. I don’t know why the title appears in the link if that can be pulled from the feed itself. Ultimately we need a universal one-click that will open whichever software the user has previously selected on their computer.
Here are a few other important points about the Zune one-click mechanism.
- All current Zune players will be able to update to the new 2.0 firmware that will support podcast syncing.
- Right now if a Zune one-click link address is clicked, the Zune software will launch, but nothing will happen. The podcast subscription feature won’t be available until the new Zune Marketplace software is released in November.
- The new Zunes support a wide variety of video formats. If a video format that is not supported is downloaded, the Zune Marketplace software will convert it to a format that can be played before syncing it to the device.
- If the user clicks on a link but does not have the Zune Marketplace software, they will be forwarded to a page where they can download it.
What would make me really happy is if this one-click mechanism worked with Windows Media Player, then we’d have a podcatcher built into very Windows PC.
November 1st, 2007 21:09
Ya know… a hat tip would be nice. ;)
November 2nd, 2007 06:59
Thanks for passing this info along.
November 4th, 2007 11:51
[...] Colligan og Jason Van Orden er blandt dem, der har nikket [...]
November 4th, 2007 11:51
[...] Colligan og Jason Van Orden er blandt dem, der har nikket [...]
November 7th, 2007 09:29
[...] or zunecast?)… To read more on the subject, here are a few links : Zuneinsider.com: Unveiling jasonvanorden.com: One-Click Podcast Subscription for Zune Marketing online live : Now The Microsoft Has Embraced Podcasting With The Zune, What Changes? [...]
November 13th, 2007 17:40
[...] for Zune users to subscribe to your podcast. I talked about the format of the one-click Zune link in this post. Paul Colligan put together a handy page for easily creating your Zune link here. He also has a [...]
December 5th, 2007 11:07
[...] require the feed url, which will never contain characters that could break your web pages.
December 12th, 2007 19:40
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