How to Turn Nextcloud Audio Files into a Podcast Feed

Why Nextcloud Changes the Cloud-to-Podcast Equation

Every other cloud PushPod connects to belongs to a vendor. Nextcloud is the odd one out: it's the cloud you (or your institution) run. Self-hosters keep their audio on their own hardware, universities and companies run Nextcloud for their members, and national academic clouds like sciebo hand every student and researcher tens of gigabytes on servers operated by their university. Until now that audio sat in a folder your podcast app couldn't see. PushPod bridges the gap with the Cloud-to-Podcast Sync Pipeline: it watches your PushPod folder on the server, maps file metadata into episodes, and regenerates a standard RSS feed (per the RSS 2.0 specification) whenever the folder changes.

Connecting is deliberately low-ceremony, too. There is no OAuth app to register and no third-party consent screen between you and your own server — you prove access with a Nextcloud app password, a revocable credential generated in your account's security settings. Nextcloud support is available to all PushPod users today and carries a Beta badge while the integration matures.

Prerequisites

• An account on a Nextcloud server — your own instance, your organisation's, or an institutional cloud like sciebo
• Audio files (MP3, M4A/M4B) stored on — or ready to move to — that server
• A PushPod account (start with the free trial)
• A podcast app that accepts custom RSS URLs: Pocket Casts, Overcast, Apple Podcasts, AntennaPod, and similar

Step 1: Create an App Password in Nextcloud

• Open Settings → Security → Devices & sessions in your Nextcloud web interface.
• Enter a name for the session (e.g. PushPod) and create it — Nextcloud generates a random app password.
• Copy the generated password — you'll paste it into PushPod in the next step. Never use your real login password; the app password is separate, scoped and revocable at any time.

Step 2: Connect PushPod to Your Nextcloud Server

• In PushPod's storage settings, choose Nextcloud and fill in three fields: the server URL (e.g. https://cloud.example.com), your login name and the app password from Step 1. The login name isn't always your email address — the app password screen shows the exact account name to use; for many accounts it is your email address, for others an institution-specific ID.
• No OAuth app registration, no developer console, no redirect URLs — PushPod authenticates directly against your server, the way self-hosted integrations should.
• HTTPS is strongly recommended (your credentials travel with each request); the connection works with plain self-hosted instances and institutional clouds alike.
• Your files stay on your server the entire time — PushPod lists, streams and (for covers) writes into the folder, but nothing is copied off the infrastructure you control.

Step 3: Organize Your Audio Files in the PushPod Folder

• One folder = one feed — PushPod keeps everything inside a PushPod directory in your Nextcloud, and each folder inside it becomes one podcast, e.g. PushPod/Commute Lectures.
• Use consistent filenames — files without tags fall back to the filename, so 01 - Introduction.mp3, 02 - Methods.mp3 keeps order clear.
• Prefer date prefixes for chronological series — 2026-08-15 - Standup.mp3 sorts naturally and reads well in the player.
• Drop an image in the folder to set the cover — the first image file found in a podcast folder is picked up automatically as its cover art.

Step 4: Generate Your Custom RSS Link

• Create the podcast for your Nextcloud folder — PushPod builds the feed and shows its private RSS URL.
• The URL is unlisted — PushPod never submits feeds to public directories, so your feed can't be discovered without the link (see Creating a Private Podcast Feed for Personal or Team Use).
• Sharing with a small circle? With Audience Management each listener gets their own private RSS link with an individual access key, an optional expiry date and one-click revocation — within your plan's member limit.
• Copy the URL — you'll paste it into your player next.

Step 5: Subscribe in Your Preferred Podcast Player

• Pocket Casts: Profile → Add Podcast → Add by URL
• Overcast: Add (+) → Add URL
• Apple Podcasts: Library → Edit → Add a Podcast by URL
• AntennaPod: Add Podcast → Add Podcast by RSS address

Episodes load immediately and stream straight from your server with HTTP Range request support — skip to the middle of a two-hour lecture without downloading the front half first.

How Feed Updates Work Without Push Webhooks

Nextcloud has no push webhooks, so instead of being notified the moment a file lands, PushPod polls your PushPod folder about every 30 minutes. The poll is cheap — it checks the folder's ETag, and a change triggers a full re-index, metadata mapping (tags first, filename fallback per the ID3 standard) and feed regeneration. Your player's next refresh picks up the new episode. Impatient? Run a manual refresh from the podcast's page and the feed is rebuilt on the spot — useful right after you've dropped in a batch of files.

Cover Art That Lives With Your Files

Covers work in both directions. Drop an image file into a podcast folder and PushPod auto-detects it as the show's cover art. Prefer to pick artwork in PushPod? Upload a cover from the podcast's page and PushPod writes the image back into the folder on your Nextcloud — so the artwork travels with the files, not with PushPod. Rename the podcast, move servers one day, and the cover is still sitting right there next to the audio.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• File not appearing: confirm it is inside the exact folder connected to the podcast, and that it's an audio format (MP3/M4A/M4B); then allow up to 30 minutes for the poll or trigger a manual refresh
• Connection suddenly broken: if the app password was revoked or expired server-side, the storage account is marked Faulted and you get an email — generate a fresh app password and reconnect; your podcasts and feed links survive
• Wrong episode title: fix the tag or rename the file — the feed reflects metadata on the next sync
• Player won't accept the URL: make sure you copied the complete URL; Spotify will never work — it doesn't accept custom feeds
• Episodes in the wrong order: use numeric or date prefixes in filenames, as described in Step 3

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PushPod need to be installed on my Nextcloud server?

No. PushPod talks to your existing Nextcloud over its standard web interface from the outside — there is no app to install and no server configuration to change. You only need an account on the server and an app password for PushPod.

What happens if I revoke the app password?

PushPod loses access immediately and marks the storage account as Faulted, and you receive an email with reconnect instructions. Generate a fresh app password in Nextcloud, reconnect from the storage settings, and your podcasts, episodes and feed links continue exactly where they left off.

How soon do new files appear in the feed?

Nextcloud has no push webhooks, so PushPod polls your PushPod folder about every 30 minutes and regenerates the feed when it finds changes. Need it sooner? Run a manual refresh from the podcast's page and the feed is rebuilt on the spot.

Can I share the feed with specific people only?

Yes. PushPod feeds are unlisted — they are never submitted to any podcast directory — and with Audience Management each listener gets their own private RSS link with an individual access key, an optional expiry date and one-click revocation, within your plan's member limit.