Roku Feed
Publish your content as a Roku streaming channel using VideoNest's Roku-compatible MRSS feed and Roku Direct Publisher.
For an overview of all CTV platforms, see CTV Setup. For the full MRSS field reference, see MRSS Feed Configuration. See the Roku integration page for a platform overview.
How Roku channels work
Roku is the largest streaming TV platform by active users in the United States. Roku channels are built from MRSS feeds using Roku Direct Publisher — Roku's self-serve web-based channel builder. You provide a VideoNest feed URL; Roku ingests it and creates a browsable channel. No app development is required.
VideoNest generates a Roku Direct Publisher-compatible MRSS feed that satisfies Roku's schema requirements, including content ratings, closed captions, series metadata, and thumbnail specifications. Your channel updates automatically whenever you publish new content in VideoNest.
Step 1: Create a Roku feed in VideoNest
Go to Media → Feeds → Create Feed → Video → Roku.
Choose Automated or Custom mode:
- Automated: VideoNest generates the feed from your entire published library. Your feed URL is ready immediately.
- 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 appear on your Roku channel.
Step 2: Complete required metadata
Roku requires the following fields on every video in your feed:
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | Displayed in the Roku channel browser |
| Description | Yes | Shown in video detail view on Roku |
| Thumbnail | Yes | 16:9, minimum 1280×720; used as the tile image in the channel |
| Video URL | Yes | Direct MP4, DASH, or HLS stream; must be publicly accessible |
| Duration | Yes | Automatically derived from your video file |
| Content rating | Yes | TV Parental Guidelines (TV-G, TV-PG, TV-14, TV-MA) or MPAA equivalent |
| Publication date | Yes | ISO 8601 format; used for sorting within the channel |
| Language | Yes | ISO 639-1 code (e.g., en); set per video or as a feed-level default |
| Genres/categories | Recommended | Improves discovery in Roku's content catalog search |
Closed captions
Roku supports SRT and TTML caption formats. If you have captions uploaded in VideoNest, they are included in your Roku feed automatically. To add captions: go to Media → Library → [Video] → Captions and upload your file. Captions are required for all content on Roku's accessible channel programs.
Step 3: Get your feed URL
After saving the feed, your URL appears on the feed detail page in Media → Feeds. This URL is permanent — you only need to submit it to Roku once.
Step 4: Submit via Roku Direct Publisher
Log in at developer.roku.com and create a developer account if you don't have one. Then:
- Go to Manage Channels → Add Channel → Developer
- Select Roku Direct Publisher as the channel type
- Enter your VideoNest feed URL as the content feed
- Set your channel name, artwork (square icon 540×405, landscape poster 2160×1440), description, and category
- Submit for review
Roku reviews all channel submissions before they go live in the Channel Store. Review times vary — typically a few business days. You can resubmit after correcting any flagged items.
Create a dedicated playlist for your Roku channel content. This gives you control over what appears on TV without affecting your full VideoNest library or other feeds. Update the playlist to update your channel.
All video URLs in your feed must be directly accessible without authentication. VideoNest public feeds meet this requirement automatically.