MSN Feed
Reach audiences on MSN.com, Microsoft Edge, Bing Video, and the Windows news feed through VideoNest's direct MSN partnership.
For the full MSN content partner requirements, editorial standards, and distribution program details, see the MSN integration page. For general news syndication setup, see News Syndication. For the full MRSS field reference, see MRSS Feed Configuration. For a walkthrough of MSN distribution setup, see Automate Video Distribution to MSN.
How MSN distribution works
MSN (Microsoft News) ingests publisher video via MRSS feeds. VideoNest generates a feed formatted to Microsoft's exact ingestion specifications — field names, category taxonomy, metadata requirements — so your content passes validation automatically. VideoNest is an approved Microsoft News feed provider with a direct technical relationship that keeps your feed current with MSN's ingestion standards.
Distribution modes
VideoNest offers two modes for MSN distribution:
- Managed distribution — VideoNest submits and manages your MSN feed on your behalf. You publish content in VideoNest; we handle the partner relationship and feed delivery. Available on the Starter plan and above.
- Self-managed distribution — You maintain your own Microsoft News Partner Hub account and submit the feed URL directly. VideoNest generates and maintains the feed; you control the partner relationship. Available on Business and Enterprise plans.
Managed distribution is the fastest path to MSN — VideoNest handles onboarding and compliance. Self-managed gives you direct access to Partner Hub analytics, direct Microsoft contacts, and the ability to configure distribution settings beyond what VideoNest exposes. Most publishers start with managed and switch to self-managed as their operation scales.
Creating an MSN feed
MSN feeds are Video feeds. Go to:
Media → Feeds → Create Feed → Video → MSN
You are then presented with two modes:
- Automated: VideoNest generates the feed automatically from your full published library. All required MSN metadata fields are populated from your video metadata. Your feed URL is ready immediately after saving.
- Custom: Manually assign individual videos to this feed. No filters are available in Custom mode — you select each video one by one from your library. Use this when you want precise control over exactly which videos reach MSN.
Custom feed: assigning videos
In Custom mode there are no automated filters. To add videos to your feed, go to Media → Feeds → [Your MSN Feed] → Videos and add each video individually. Videos you add must still meet all MSN metadata requirements listed below.
Required metadata fields
VideoNest automatically populates all required MSN fields from your library metadata. These fields must be complete on every video included in your feed:
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | Clear, descriptive; avoid clickbait titles which can reduce placement |
| Description | Yes | Must be substantive — short or empty descriptions are the most common reason for rejection |
| Thumbnail | Yes | 16:9 aspect ratio; minimum 1280×720 recommended |
| Video file URL | Yes | Direct MP4 URL; must be publicly accessible |
| Duration | Yes | Automatically derived from your video file |
| Publication date | Yes | ISO 8601 format; set at upload or in video metadata |
| Category | Yes | Must map to Microsoft News taxonomy (see below) |
| Publisher credit | Yes | Your channel name as approved by Microsoft; set in feed settings |
| Content rating | Conditional | Required for mature content; defaults to general audience if omitted |
| Keywords | Recommended | Improves discovery and category matching on MSN surfaces |
Category mapping
Microsoft News uses its own category taxonomy. VideoNest maps your internal categories to the Microsoft taxonomy in your feed's Field Overrides settings. The primary Microsoft News categories are:
News · Sports · Entertainment · Finance · Health · Technology · Lifestyle · Autos · Food & Drink · Travel · Weather
To configure mapping: go to Media → Feeds → [Your MSN Feed] → Field Overrides → Category Mapping. Each of your internal categories can be mapped to a single Microsoft News category.
MSN surfaces
Content distributed via VideoNest's MSN feed can appear across the following Microsoft surfaces, based on editorial placement and audience relevance:
- MSN.com — the main news and entertainment hub, with dedicated video sections per category
- Microsoft Edge new tab — the News section shown to Edge users on every new tab
- Bing Video — video results integrated into Bing search
- Windows News & Interests widget — the news feed shown in the Windows taskbar
Podcast distribution via MSN
MSN supports podcast-style distribution alongside standard video. When creating an MSN feed, you can enable the podcast component to designate a specific playlist as a podcast feed — all videos in that playlist will be flagged as podcast content in the MRSS output and treated accordingly by MSN's ingestion system.
To enable it: in your MSN feed settings, toggle Enable podcast distribution, then select the playlist you want to use as the podcast source. Every video in that playlist will be marked with the podcast flag in the feed. Videos outside that playlist that are also in the feed will be distributed as standard video content.
This is useful for publishers who produce episodic or talk-format content alongside standard news or editorial video, and want MSN to surface both content types appropriately across its platform.
AI metadata enhancements
Enable AI enhancements in the feed settings to automatically optimize titles, descriptions, and category assignments for MSN's guidelines. This is especially useful when your existing metadata was written for a different audience or platform.
Microsoft News reviews all publisher applications before accepting a feed. VideoNest manages the technical relationship for managed-mode publishers; eligibility is determined by MSN's editorial standards. Keep metadata complete and accurate, titles clear, and content relevant to your declared category. Incomplete or misleading metadata is the most common reason for rejection.
After saving, your feed URL appears on the feed detail page in Media → Feeds. In managed mode, VideoNest uses this URL internally. In self-managed mode, this is the URL you submit to Microsoft News Partner Hub. It never changes — VideoNest keeps it current as you publish.