Resources / MRSS Feeds
Complete Guide

Media RSS (MRSS) Feed Guide for Video Distribution

The technical infrastructure behind how video reaches smart TVs, news platforms, podcast apps, and digital signage screens from a single upload. Learn what an MRSS feed is, which fields platforms expect, and what a proper implementation looks like.

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Updated June 2026 ~18 min read For publishers, developers & creators
MRSS Output
VideoNest Library
Auto-sync
Episode title, thumbnail, captions
Duration, rating, rights, category
Ready
Publisher metadata and ad flags
Geo, language, series, season
Ready
Media RSS feed
feeds.videonest.co/channel/mrss
Destinations
One feed
RokuRoku
MSNMSN
Samsung TV PlusSamsung
YahooYahoo
Apple PodcastsPodcasts
BrightSignSignage
1Upload source
XMLPlatform-ready feed
100+Distribution paths
The Foundation

What Is an MRSS Feed?

Media RSS, or MRSS, is an extension of the RSS 2.0 standard designed specifically for distributing multimedia content — primarily video — across platforms, networks, and destinations that need to ingest it automatically.

If you are trying to create an MRSS feed for video distribution, start with the basics: a stable feed URL, complete item metadata, public video and thumbnail URLs, and validation before you submit the feed to partners. VideoNest handles those mechanics from your library so teams can focus on publishing, rights, and partner approvals.

Standard RSS was built for text: blog posts, news articles, headlines. MRSS adds the video-specific layer: the actual media file URL, thumbnail, duration, resolution, content rating, closed captions, series metadata, and everything a downstream platform needs to present your video properly without additional input from you.

First formalized by Yahoo in the mid-2000s, MRSS is now the de facto standard for video distribution at scale. Every major smart TV platform, news aggregator, podcast directory, and digital signage network that ingests video programmatically does so through MRSS or a derivative of it.

Read the history of MRSS feeds Set up an MRSS feed in VideoNest Docs
MRSS vs. Standard RSS
RSS 2.0
  • ✓ Article titles
  • ✓ Links
  • ✓ Publish dates
  • ✓ Text descriptions
  • ✗ Video file URLs
  • ✗ Thumbnails
  • ✗ Duration & resolution
  • ✗ Content ratings
MRSS
  • ✓ Everything in RSS
  • ✓ Video & audio URLs
  • ✓ Thumbnails
  • ✓ Duration, resolution, format
  • ✓ Content ratings
  • ✓ Closed captions
  • ✓ Series, season & episode
  • ✓ Cast & credits

Who uses MRSS — and why

MRSS isn't just a publisher tool. It sits at the center of how video gets programmed, monetized, and played at scale across a wide range of industries.

📡

Publishers & Media Companies

A publisher with a video library doesn't want to manually upload to Roku, then Fire TV, then Samsung, then MSN. MRSS lets them publish once and feed every destination automatically. New videos appear across all platforms within minutes of going live, with no re-uploading, no reformatting, and no manual intervention.

💰

Advertisers & Ad Tech Platforms

Programmatic video advertising relies on standardized, structured content signals. MRSS metadata — categories, keywords, ratings, duration — lets ad servers target and place pre-roll and mid-roll ads accurately. Publishers distributing via MRSS unlock ad-supported revenue streams on platforms they'd otherwise need dedicated engineering to reach.

🖥️

Digital Out-of-Home Programmers

Digital signage networks — retail stores, airports, corporate lobbies, stadiums — need video content that updates automatically and runs in programmed loops. MRSS feeds give operators a single URL they can plug into any compatible signage system, with content that refreshes whenever the source library updates. No IT tickets, no USB drives, no manual screen management.

🎬

Creators Building Channels & Loops

Anyone building a video channel — whether it's a FAST channel on Pluto TV, a curated playlist for a niche audience, or a branded video experience — uses MRSS as the plumbing. The format is simple, well-documented, and universally accepted. If you're creating video programming of any kind and want it to reach an audience beyond your own website, MRSS is the standard that makes it happen.

The Mechanics

How MRSS Feeds Work

The core concept is simple: you maintain one video library, and MRSS handles delivery everywhere. When you upload a video, VideoNest generates an XML feed at a stable URL. Partner platforms — Roku, Samsung, MSN, Spotify, digital signage networks — periodically poll that URL, detect new items, and pull your content into their systems automatically.

You never touch the feed directly. The URL never changes. Platforms check in on their own schedule (typically every 15 to 60 minutes for CTV; longer for platforms with editorial review). Your job is to publish — the feed does the distribution.

The publish-once distribution flow
🎬
Your Video
Upload once to VideoNest
→
⚙️
VideoNest
Generates & hosts your MRSS feed
→
📡
MRSS Feed URL
feeds.videonest.co/channel/…/mrss
→
📺
Every Platform
Polls feed, ingests automatically
Platforms that pull your feed
RokuRoku
Fire TVFire TV
Samsung TV+Samsung TV+
LG ChannelsLG Channels
Pluto TVPluto TV
PlexPlex
TubiTubi
MSNMSN
YahooYahoo
SpotifySpotify
Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
iHeartiHeartRadio
💡
Your feed URL never changes

Once you submit your feed URL to a partner platform during onboarding, that's the only time you interact with it. VideoNest keeps the feed current — every new video you publish appears on the feed within minutes. You don't need to re-submit, notify the platform, or do anything else.

Precision Delivery

One Library, Multiple Feeds

Not every platform should receive your entire library. A Roku channel might need only your 16:9 long-form content. A signage network might need only videos under two minutes in a specific category. A podcast feed should contain only audio-first episodes. VideoNest lets you create as many filtered feeds as you need, each with its own URL, targeting exactly the right subset of your content to the right destination.

Filtered feed delivery
🗂️
Your Video Library
All published videos
CTV Feed
Ratio: 16:9 · Playlist: Long-form · Duration: 3+ min
Roku Fire TV Samsung
News Syndication Feed
Category: News · Tag: syndicated · Duration: < 5 min
MSN Yahoo Apple News
Podcast Feed
Playlist: Podcast Episodes · Type: Audio/Video
Spotify Apple Podcasts iHeart
Signage Loop Feed
Duration: < 90 sec · Tag: signage-approved
OptiSigns ScreenCloud BrightSign
FAST Channel Feed
Collection: FAST-ready · Ratio: 16:9 · Rating: TV-PG or lower
Pluto Plex Tubi
Each feed gets
Its own stable URL
Auto-updates on publish
Platform-specific schema
Analytics per feed
Filter your feeds by:
Aspect Ratio (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3)
Playlist
Collection
Video Duration
Content Category
Tags
Content Rating
Language
Publish Date Range
Resolution
Set up filtered feeds in VideoNest
Where Your Content Goes

Platform Delivery

MRSS is the common language spoken by every major video destination. Microsoft, Amazon, Roku, Yahoo, Spotify — they all ingest content this way. Below is how the platform landscape organizes across distribution categories. VideoNest supports all of these natively, generating schemas that pass each platform's ingestion validation on the first attempt.

CTV & Smart TV
RokuRoku
Amazon Fire TVAmazon Fire TV
Samsung TV+Samsung TV+
LG ChannelsLG Channels
Apple TVApple TV
PlexPlex
FAST Channels
Pluto TVPluto TV
TubiTubi
PlexPlex
Samsung TV+Samsung TV+
LG ChannelsLG Channels
CrackleCrackle

FAST channel distribution varies by platform. Contact our team for platform-specific onboarding guidance, particularly for DistroTV and niche FAST networks.

News & Content Syndication
MSNMSN
YahooYahoo
Apple NewsApple News
Bing Video
Microsoft Edge
FeedlyFeedly

MSN and Yahoo operate invite-only syndication programs. VideoNest can support onboarding where a partnership relationship is needed. Reach out to our team.

Podcasts & Audio
SpotifySpotify
Apple PodcastsApple Podcasts
iHeartRadioiHeartRadio
Amazon MusicAmazon Music
Digital Signage & DOOH
BrightSignBrightSign
OptiSignsOptiSigns
ScreenCloudScreenCloud
NoviSignNoviSign
EasySignageEasySignage
Play Digital SignagePlay Digital
WallboardWallboard
Embed SignageEmbed Signage
View all VideoNest integrations
Revenue

MRSS as a Monetization Engine

MRSS distribution isn't just about reach. When your video appears on ad-supported platforms and networks, you earn a share of the ad revenue generated from every view. The more distribution endpoints your content reaches, the more inventory is created — and the more revenue is possible from your existing library without producing a single additional video.

VideoNest's monetization program connects qualifying publishers to MSN, Yahoo, and a network of over 10,000 ad-supported websites with embedded video players, plus CTV and FAST channels actively seeking content. Revenue is paid monthly as CPM-based income across all distribution endpoints in the program.

Learn about the VideoNest Monetization Program
2
Premium Syndication Partners
MSN and Yahoo — two of the largest video syndication networks on the internet.
10k+
Ad-Supported Destinations
Websites with embedded video players, spanning news, lifestyle, finance, sports, and more.
CPM
Revenue Model
Monthly payouts based on views across all monetized endpoints. No revenue share minimum.

FAST and CTV channels in the VideoNest distribution network also carry advertising inventory, creating an additional revenue layer for publishers whose content reaches living room screens.

Technical Reference

What's Inside an MRSS Feed

An MRSS feed is a valid XML document. At its core, it's a channel element containing one item per video. Each item carries standard RSS fields (title, link, pubDate, description) plus a set of media: namespace elements that carry the video-specific data. Below is an annotated example of a compliant MRSS feed as generated by VideoNest.

feeds.videonest.co/channel/dailybrief/mrss 
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
  xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"
  xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">

  <channel>
    <title>The Daily Brief — Video</title>
    <link>https://thedailybrief.com</link>
    <description>News and analysis from The Daily Brief</description>
    <language>en-us</language>

    <!-- The self-referencing atom link is required by most validators -->
    <atom:link href="https://feeds.videonest.co/channel/dailybrief/mrss"
      rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>

    <item>
      <!-- Standard RSS fields ──────────────────────────────── -->
      <title>How the Fed Rate Decision Affects Your Mortgage</title>
      <link>https://thedailybrief.com/videos/fed-rate-decision</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="false">vn-4821a</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2026 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <description>Breaking down what the Fed's latest move means for homeowners.</description>

      <!-- MRSS: the actual video file ─────────────────────── -->
      <media:content
        url="https://cdn.videonest.co/dailybrief/fed-rate-decision.mp4"
        type="video/mp4"
        duration="187"
        width="1920"
        height="1080"/>

      <!-- MRSS: thumbnail image ───────────────────────────── -->
      <media:thumbnail
        url="https://cdn.videonest.co/dailybrief/thumbnails/fed-rate-decision.jpg"
        width="1920"
        height="1080"/>

      <!-- MRSS: rich metadata fields ──────────────────────── -->
      <media:title>How the Fed Rate Decision Affects Your Mortgage</media:title>
      <media:description>Breaking down what the Fed's latest move means for homeowners and buyers.</media:description>
      <media:keywords>federal reserve, interest rates, mortgage, housing market</media:keywords>
      <media:category>News/Business</media:category>
      <media:rating scheme="urn:mpaa">G</media:rating>
      <media:credit role="author">The Daily Brief</media:credit>

      <!-- Optional: series/episode data (for serialized content) -->
      <!-- <media:season>2</media:season>                        -->
      <!-- <media:episode>14</media:episode>                     -->

    </item>

  </channel>
</rss>

Field Reference

VideoNest populates all required and recommended fields automatically from your video library metadata. Optional fields are included when data is available.

Field Description Status
titleVideo title (also used as media:title)Required
linkCanonical URL for the videoRequired
guidUnique identifier — never changes, even if title updatesRequired
pubDatePublication date in RFC 822 formatRequired
descriptionText description of the videoRequired
media:content urlDirect URL to the video file (MP4)Required
media:content typeMIME type (video/mp4)Required
media:content durationRuntime in secondsRecommended
media:content width/heightVideo dimensions in pixelsRecommended
media:thumbnail urlDirect URL to thumbnail image (min 1280×720)Required
media:keywordsComma-separated keywords for categorization and ad targetingRecommended
media:categoryContent category (e.g., News/Business, Sports/Football)Recommended
media:ratingContent rating (G, PG, TV-MA, etc.)Recommended
media:creditAuthor or publisher creditOptional
media:season / media:episodeSeries and episode data for serialized contentOptional
media:text (captions)Closed caption or subtitle file URLsOptional
Full technical reference in VideoNest Docs
VideoNest

What VideoNest Does for MRSS

Serious MRSS infrastructure used to mean seven-figure contracts with enterprise video platforms, or dedicated engineering time to build and maintain it yourself. VideoNest gives independent publishers and media companies the same capability through a Business Plan starting at $249/month, with no multi-year commitment and no XML knowledge required.

⚡

Automatic Feed Generation

Your MRSS feed is created and maintained automatically from your VideoNest library. Every published video is added to the feed within minutes. You never write XML, update a file, or touch a feed URL after initial setup.

🎛️

Platform-Specific Schemas

Fire TV, Roku, Samsung TV+, MSN, Spotify — each has different metadata requirements and field naming conventions. VideoNest generates schemas formatted to each platform's specification, so your feed passes validation on the first attempt.

✅

Feed Validation

Before your feed goes live, VideoNest checks it for structural issues, missing required fields, and encoding errors. Common rejection reasons — absent content ratings, non-public thumbnail URLs, malformed character encoding — are caught automatically.

🔗

Partner Relationship Support

For platforms that require a direct editorial relationship (MSN, Yahoo, select FAST networks), VideoNest can support the onboarding process. Most VideoNest customers already have their own platform relationships and use VideoNest purely for the technical infrastructure.

📊

Feed Analytics

See every pull, every view, and every dollar earned across your distribution feeds from a single dashboard. Per-feed and per-platform reporting shows exactly where your content performs and where to invest further.

🎬

Full MRSS Spec Support

VideoNest supports the full MRSS specification — including cast, series relationships, season and episode data, multiple media formats, and closed captions. Complex serialized content is handled the same as standalone clips.

Per-Partner Feed Templates

VideoNest lets you configure a default feed template that applies to all distributions, with the ability to override and optimize individual fields per endpoint. This means you can include a specific call to action, promotional description, or metadata variation tailored to each partner — without creating a separate video or separate entry in your library.

Custom CTA text per partner Partner-specific descriptions Adjusted category taxonomy per platform Targeted keywords by destination Channel branding overrides
🚀
VideoNest Business Plan
MRSS feed generation starts at $249/month. Includes unlimited filtered feeds, platform-specific schemas, feed analytics, and partner support.
Start Your Trial Set Up a Demo
Full Platform

VideoNest Goes Beyond MRSS

MRSS is one piece of a complete video publishing stack. VideoNest connects your library to every distribution channel — feeds, players, storage, APIs, and CMS integrations — from a single platform.

🪣

Cloud Storage Sync

Sync your video library directly from Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, Backblaze B2, or any S3-compatible storage. Your source files stay where they are; VideoNest indexes, encodes, and distributes from there.

Amazon S3 integration →
▶️

Embeddable Video Player

A fully customizable video player you can embed on any website. One line of code, responsive by default, with analytics, ad support, and playlist features built in.

Video Player features →
🔌

API & Webhooks

The VideoNest API gives developers programmatic access to upload, manage, and distribute video. Webhooks let you trigger workflows in your own systems the moment a video publishes or a feed updates.

API Documentation →
📰

CMS Integrations

Connect VideoNest to WordPress, Contentful, Drupal, and other CMS platforms. Publish video content from your editorial workflow and have distribution happen automatically in the background.

View all integrations →
📱

Social Distribution

Publish to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social platforms from the same VideoNest workflow that powers your MRSS feeds. One upload, every channel.

Distribution overview →
🌐

Video Websites

Build a complete video-first website or branded channel portal directly in VideoNest — no separate website builder required. Custom domains, SEO-optimized, connected to your library.

Video Websites →
Use Cases

How Publishers Use MRSS

MRSS powers video distribution across every content vertical and format. Here are the six most common patterns VideoNest publishers use today.

📰

News & Content Syndication

News publishers use MRSS to reach aggregators like MSN and Yahoo automatically. New segments appear on partner platforms within minutes of publishing, with no manual uploads or metadata rebuilding.

Distribution guide
📺

CTV Channel Distribution

Launch and maintain a Roku, Fire TV, Samsung TV+, or LG channel from a single VideoNest library. Feed updates happen automatically as you publish new content.

Roku channel guide
⚡

FAST Channel Programming

Build a free ad-supported streaming channel on Pluto TV, Plex, or Tubi using your existing content library. VideoNest generates FAST-compliant MRSS feeds and supports full episode and series metadata.

What are FAST channels
🎙️

Podcast Distribution

Distribute video and audio podcasts to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music through a single filtered MRSS feed. Episode order, season data, and chapter metadata all supported.

5 MRSS use cases
🖥️

Digital Signage & Loops

Power video loops across retail, corporate, airport, and event screens from a single VideoNest library. Content updates across all connected screens the moment you publish — no USB drives, no manual transfers.

Signage MRSS guide
💼

Enterprise Content Libraries

Large organizations with extensive video archives use MRSS to manage distribution across internal and external destinations simultaneously, with filtered feeds per business unit, region, or content type.

Enterprise video guide
FAQ

Common Questions

Standard RSS (Really Simple Syndication) was designed for text content — headlines, article links, publish dates. MRSS (Media RSS) extends RSS with a set of media-specific fields under the media: namespace that enable video distribution: the actual media file URL, thumbnail, duration, resolution, content rating, captions, series metadata, and more. All MRSS feeds are valid RSS, but RSS feeds are not MRSS. If you're distributing video, you need MRSS.
No. VideoNest generates and maintains your MRSS feed automatically from your video library. You never write XML or interact with the feed file directly. Setup involves uploading your videos, configuring metadata (title, description, thumbnail, category, rating), and navigating to Distribution > Feed Settings to get your feed URL. See the MRSS setup guide in VideoNest Docs for the full walkthrough.
Your VideoNest MRSS feed updates within minutes of publishing a new video. How quickly the content actually appears on a partner platform depends on that platform's polling schedule — most CTV platforms check for feed updates every 15 to 60 minutes. After a platform ingests a new item, there may be an additional processing window before it appears in their interface, which can range from minutes to a few hours on CTV platforms.
Yes. VideoNest lets you create as many filtered feeds as you need from a single library. Each feed has its own stable URL and can target a specific subset of your content using filters including aspect ratio, playlist, collection, duration, category, tag, content rating, and language. For example, you can send only 16:9 content to Roku, only short clips to your signage network, and only podcast episodes to Spotify — all from the same library, all updating automatically.
MSN and Yahoo operate invitation-only video syndication programs with editorial review requirements. The technical side — the MRSS feed itself — is standard and VideoNest generates it automatically. The partnership side requires an approved relationship with their content teams. Most VideoNest publishers who distribute to these platforms have their own existing relationships and use VideoNest for the feed infrastructure. If you need support establishing a partner relationship, contact our team.
FAST stands for Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television. Platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, Plex, Samsung TV+, and LG Channels let publishers create dedicated channels within their apps — content plays in a linear, TV-like format with advertising inserted automatically. MRSS is the standard feed format these platforms use to ingest your content library. VideoNest generates FAST-compatible MRSS feeds with full support for episode relationships, series data, channel art metadata, and content ratings. Read more in our guide to FAST channels.
VideoNest checks your feed for structural issues before it goes live. For additional validation, the W3C Feed Validator at validator.w3.org/feed accepts a feed URL and reports any XML errors. Common issues that cause platform rejection include missing content ratings, thumbnails that are not publicly accessible, and malformed character encoding in descriptions. VideoNest catches these at the source — fixing the metadata in your library updates the feed automatically.
MRSS feed generation is included in the VideoNest Business Plan, starting at $249/month. The Business Plan includes unlimited filtered feeds, platform-specific schemas, feed analytics, and access to partner support. A customized free trial is available — set up a demo with our team to get started.

Start distributing to every platform that matters

One upload. Unlimited MRSS feeds. Automatic delivery to CTV, news networks, podcasts, signage, and FAST channels. No XML. No engineering team required.

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