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Add a URL Prefix (or Prepend) to Your Show

Kelly Litzenberger
Updated

A URL prefix (or prepend) is the addition of a URL in front of a URL. This enables you to use third-party analytics services.

For example, if your file URL hosted at Libsyn normally looks like this:

https://traffic.libsyn.com/showname/somefile.mp3

…and you want to have an external service track stats for your show. That company may give you a URL Prefix you can add to your normal file URLs. Let’s say your URL Prefix looks like this:

https://thisisa.com/url/prefix

If the URL Prefix gets added to your regular media file URL, your media file URL will suddenly look like this:

https://thisisa.com/url/prefix/https://traffic.libsyn.com/showname/somefile.mp3


The service must be whitelisted. Keep in mind that sending your listener to another service to track things means that you need to care a lot about that third party service protecting the privacy of you and your listeners. Libsyn’s prefix system whitelists services with prefixes that have already been vetted to be GDPR and CCPA compliant. If the service is not part of Libsyn’s whitelist, it cannot be used for a prefix. Currently, the whitelisted services providing prefixes are:

  • AdBarker
  • Artsai
  • audi-on
  • Blubrry
  • Charisma Media
  • Chartable
  • Claritas
  • CoHost
  • Magellan
  • Podcorn
  • Podscribe
  • Podtrac
  • Spotify Ad Analytics/Podsights
  • Up.Audio
  • Veritonic

There is a limit of seven prefixes. Redirects can be very useful. They can be used for a number of important processes performed for URLs across the internet. However, the internet will only tolerate so many changes of direction before it complains about too many redirects. Libsyn’s system, therefore, will limit you to adding 7 URL prefixes to your show’s file URLs.

Don’t add multiple redirects pointing back to the same service. What we mean by that is, even if you have more than one assigned prefix URLs from a company, it doesn’t mean that company supports having a single show sent to their service multiple times. In other words, if you have two Chartable prefixes (for example), only add one in Libsyn. Adding both will actually break your file delivery to listeners as it isn’t supported by most third-party services.

So, I have a URL Prefix. How do I add it to my show?

To add a prefix to your show:

  1. Click the Settings.png icon at the top of your Libsyn account to display the Settings page.

  2. Click Advanced Tools.

  3. In the row for URL Prefixes, click Edit.

  4. Add up to seven Prefix URLs.

  5. Click Save.

prefixes.jpg

  • If you enter a URL that is not whitelisted, the system will give you an error stating that the URL couldn’t be saved as it doesn’t meet specifications. If you still want to add the prefix, please reach out to support@libsyn.com for consideration.
  • Once the URL prefixes are added, you will see that your file URLs will all be generating with the prefix attached automatically.

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