Distribution, Distribution, Distribution

Driving audiences is a key task for any internet TV channel operator. The best way to do this is by syndicating the service to search engines and portals. Here's a list of the various places you can submit to:

AOL
Register here http://developer.searchvideo.com/DirectorAccountsOverview.php

Truveo (part of AOL)
See the guide here http://developer.truveo.com/DirectorDocumentation.php

Apple
There’s a guide on how to submit to iTunes here http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html

Yahoo
Submit your feed here http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/submit and http://publisher.yahoo.com/rss_guide/submit.php

Google
You need to publish your rss file online where the Google bots can index it, from there use traditional SEO techniques.

Blinkx
Go to http://www.blinkx.com/rssupload and cut and paste your URL (please note that they require a direct link to your content or playlist - I regard this as both a security and commercial risk and would encourage you not to use this search engine).

Dabble
Has a manual process at http://dabble.com/feedback?subject=Add%20My%20Feed

Cast TV
In beta – contact them via http://www.cast.tv/

Planet Click
Submit your feed here http://www.planetclick.com/index.php?module=rss&action=rss_submit

Vezoom
Submit your feed here http://www.monetizemedia.us/VeZoom/myVezoom.aspx

Search for Video
Submit your feed here http://www.searchforvideo.com/misc/submit.php

Miro (formerly Democracy)
Register here https://www.miroguide.com/accounts/login?next=channels/submit

Video Bomb
Register here http://dev.videobomb.com/login/register?return_url=%2F

Mefeedia
Submit your feed here http://www.mefeedia.com/add.php

Pure Video
Submit your feed here http://search.grindtv.com/submitVideo.php

Videocasting Station
Submit feed here http://www.videocasting-station.com/submitrss.php

Fire Ant
Register here http://getfireant.com/users/addChannel

ClipBlast

Go to http://www.clipblast.com/ and click on 'index your video' on the right hand navigation bar.

Pure Video

Submit here http://search.grindtv.com/submitVideo.php

Exalead

Submit URL here http://www.exalead.co.uk/search/submitYourSitePage

Everyzing

Submit feed here http://www.everyzing.com/signUp.jsp

Vlogdir
Submit your feed here http://vlogdir.com/suggest.php?action=addlink

Participatory Culture (My Yahoo)
Register here http://publisher.yahoo.com/rss_guide/submit.php

Feedburner
Is an excellent way of submitting your feed automatically at http://www.feedburner.com/.

There are loads of non-video RSS feeds. You can find a good rundown of them here http://www.masternewmedia.org/rss/top55/ and here http://www.rss-specifications.com/rss-submission.htm

You might also want to submit to podcast sites http://www.podcasting-tools.com/submit-podcasts.htm


Most important of all, make sure that you have a clear link to your RSS feed on your Player, incorporating the standard RSS logo:


Facebook

Easiest thing to do is to simply add a link. I'm working on a app that will embed a player.

Blogger

To get viewers to add an RSS feed on Blogger you need to present them with the following instructions:

1. The first thing to do before actually setting up the RSS Feed on Blogger is to copy the address of the RSS feed.

2. Then, log into the Blogger account. If you are already logged in, click Customize in the top right corner.

3. The page that appears is the Dashboard. If you only have one blog, click on Layout for the blog listed. If you have several blogs, find the one you want to add the RSS feed to, and click Layout.

4. After Layout is clicked, the "Edit Layout" page will appear with different options of modules and items that can be included on the blog. This is where you can "Add and Arrange Page Elements" on your blog.

5. Somewhere near the top of the layout will be a box with a frame of broken lines. The other page elements are framed by solid lines. In the box with broken lines it reads "Add a Page Element." Click on that box.

6. The "Choose New Page Element" Box will appear. In order to add an RSS Feed to the blog on blogger, you must pick the right box, or it may not always feed properly. Blogger makes it easy to select the right box Click on "Feed." The Feed box reads "Add content from a site feed to your blog." Click on "Add to Blog."

7. Go to the page which has the RSS feed. Copy it. Paste it into the "Configure Feed" box that appears. Click continue. A message will appear that Blogger is retrieving the feed.

8. Once the feed is retrieved by blogger, customize it:a. Create a title for the feed.b. Choose to show between 1 and 5 items.c. Click in the box to include item dates (optional).d. Click in the box to include sources and authors (optional).You're almost done. Now click "Save Changes."

9. The "Edit Layout" from step 4 will reappear. Click and drag the RSS feed box to a new place on the page, or leave it where it is.Click View Blog, to see the RSS feed. Now the RSS feed of your content is on your blog at blogger.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you for this excellent and helpful post! My partner and I put together a similar list several months ago, but this one quite honestly blows ours out of the water.

I'm curious about your comment regarding the direct link to the content/playlist in Blinkx. Isn't this also required in Truveo? Does Blinkx ever bypass the player and show the content directly? Or are you simply concerned about the risk of this happening in the future?

Do you advocate then, using an MRSS feed but not including the content URL in the media:content section?

Thanks again for this very helpful information,

Gradiva
Iolo Jones said…
Thanks for your kind comments.

I have some reservations about sites that require you to expose the source file URL. This means that they can hijack it. IMHO this is a commercial compromise too far.

Blinkx have been very good with the feed from Narrowstep's 200 or so channels, so it shows that there is some scope for compromise.

But, it also shows that feed submission is still a highly manual process.