If WordPress is one of your preferred tools, Libsyn provides a way for you to set up your WordPress account so you can publish your podcast episodes directly from it. To do so, you need to download and configure the Libsyn Publisher Hub, which is a WordPress plugin that gives you access to many of Libsyn's publishing capabilities - such as Libsyn's flexible and powerful distribution features - all without leaving WordPress.
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Note This article explains how to install the Libsyn Publisher Hub and set it up. When that's done, you'll be ready to upload and publish in WordPress. For more information about uploading and publishing, see Publish an Episode Directly from WordPress. However, before you can install the Libsyn Publisher Hub, you need to connect your show to your WordPress account. |
Install the Libsyn Publisher Hub
- Log in to your WordPress administrative dashboard.
- In the pane on the left, click Plugins and then select Add New in the menu that appears.
- In the Search field, enter Libsyn Publisher Hub.
- Select the Libsyn Publisher Hub plugin from the search results.
- Click Install Now. When the download is complete, the Install Now button changes to Activate.
- Click Activate. When activation is complete, Libsyn Publisher Hub appears in the pane on the left.
Set up the Libsyn Publisher Hub
To set up the Libsyn Publisher Hub so that it connects your WordPress account to your Libsyn podcast, you'll need to sign in to your LIbsyn account to obtain a client ID and client secret. To do so:
- Sign in to Libsyn 4.
Note
The client ID and client secret you need to activate the plugin are not yet available in Libsyn 5, so you need to sign in to Libsyn 4. If you are in Libsyn 5, you can switch to Libsyn 4 by clicking the
icon in the lower-right and then selecting Click Here to Sign Into Libsyn 4. To switch back to Libsyn 5 from Libsyn 4, click Sign In Here next to Want to give Libsyn 5 a Try? at the top of the Libsyn 4 page.
- Click the
icon in the upper-right of the page and then select Manage Wordpress Plugins in the menu that appears. The WordPress Plugins tab opens.
- Click ADD NEW WORDPRESS PLUGIN. The Add New Wordpress Plugin form opens.
- Enter the name you want to use for the plugin in the Application Name field. The name is for organizational purposes only, and it won't be made public. After you set a name, you won't be able to change it.
- In the Domain(s) field, enter the root address for the WordPress site where you installed the Libsyn Publisher Hub. The root address should not include "www" or "http."
- Click Save. Your WordPress plugin information appears.
- Save the client ID and the client secret to enter them in your WordPress site.
Now that you have the information you need from your Libsyn account, go back to your WordPress administrative dashboard and do the following:
- In the left pane, click Libsyn Publisher Hub and then select Settings in the menu that appears. The Add New Api form opens.
- Enter the client ID and the client secret that you got from Libsyn in the appropriate fields.
- Click Authorize Plugin. The Libsyn account login page opens.
- To connect your WordPress account to your Libsyn account, enter the email and password you use to sign in to your Libsyn account in the appropriate fields, and then click login.
- Click yes to give WordPress permission to access the data and content in your Libsyn account. When Wordpress establishes a connection with your Libsyn account, the Publisher Hub - Settings page opens.
- In the Select Show field of the Modify Api section, select which of your shows you want to publish episodes for from WordPress.
Note
You must select a show in this field for the plugin to work correctly, even if you only have one. If you have more than one show and want to publish episodes for one show now, but for a different show later, remember to change this setting so your episodes publish for the correct show.
- Click Save Changes.
Congratulations! You can now use the Libsyn Publisher Hub in WordPress to upload and publish new episodes of your show! For more information about how to do so, see Publish Your Episodes from WordPress.
Customize Your Podcast Player
You can customize the look of the podcast player that your audience sees when you publish a new episode. The podcast player plays both audio and video, and it automatically resizes to fit different platforms to give your listeners the best experience no matter what they use to listen to your podcast, including desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
To customize your player's look:
- In the left pane of your WordPress administrative dashboard, click Libsyn Publisher Hub and then select Settings in the menu that appears. The Publisher Hub - Settings page opens.
- In the Player Settings section, customize the look of the player by entering the appropriate information. For more guidance about each setting, refer the the "Podcast Player Settings" section below.
- Click Save Player Settings. When you publish an episode, the podcast player appears the way you've customized it.
Podcast Player Settings
The fields in the Player Settings section of the Publisher Hub - Settings page give you different options for customizing the look of your podcast player. The sections below describe each option.
Player Theme
The Player Theme options offer three different skins you can use to customize the look of the player.
If you select Custom, the Custom Color option field appears where you can choose a color for the player buttons. Enter a hex code into the Custom Color field to specify the color you want to use, or click Pick Color to select a color.
Display episode/show artwork on the player?
Select this check box if you want your show's artwork to appear in the player. If you select specific episode artwork for a particular episode, that artwork will replace your show artwork for just that episode in the player.
Player Height
If you chose either the Standard or Mini options as your Player Theme, you can use this field to customize the size of your player. If you chose Custom, the player height must remain at 90 px.
Note that you can't choose a size smaller than the minimum height for the Player Theme you chose. The minimum height for standard players is 45 px, and the minimum height for mini players is 26 px.
Player Placement
This setting determines where the player appears in your posts.
Display download link below the player?
Select this check box if you want a link to appear under the player that lets listeners download the episode.
If you select the check box, specify what you want your link to say in the Download Link Text field.