Summary: This guide explains how to upload sermon audio files manually or connect a podcast RSS feed to your custom church app. Following these steps allows your congregation to listen to sermons and teachings directly from their mobile devices.
Before You Begin
Permissions: You must be an Admin to access the App dashboard.
File Limits: For manual uploads, MP3 files must be under 50 MB (suggested size is 5-40 MB).
RSS Feeds: If connecting a feed, the URL must be valid.
Tithely Sites: If you use Tithely Sites, the generated RSS feed will only populate sermons that are less than one year old.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Option 1: Connecting an Audio RSS Feed (Recommended)
This method automatically syncs new episodes from your podcast or website to the app.
Log in to Tithely and select Apps.
Click on Audio in the left navigation bar and select the RSS Feed tab.
Click the Add New button.
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Enter your RSS Feed URL.
Note: If the URL is invalid, the popup form will not allow you to save.
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(Optional) Assign the feed to a Sermon Series or enter a custom Tab Name.
Note: Sermon Series titles are limited to 32 characters.
Click Save to finish.
Option 2: Manually Adding Audio Files
This method allows you to upload individual MP3 files or link to specific audio URLs.
Log in to Tithely and select Apps.
Click on Audio in the left navigation bar and select the Add New tab.
Enter the details for the sermon, including Title, Author, Date, and Summary. You can also upload an image (optional).
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Select your audio source:
Upload MP3: Select this to upload a file from your computer. (You will upload the actual file after saving).
Add a URL: Select this to paste a direct public link to an MP3 file.
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Click Save.
If you selected Upload MP3: You will be prompted to upload your file on the next screen.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why won't my RSS Feed save? If the system refuses to save your RSS feed, the URL is likely invalid or formatted incorrectly. Please use https://www.rssboard.org/rss-validator/ or https://validator.w3.org/feed/ to check if your feed is valid.
My MP3 file won't upload. What's wrong? The Church App has a strict file size limit of 50 MB. If your file is larger than this, the upload will fail. You will need to compress the audio file to a smaller size (ideally between 5-40 MB) and try again.
Can users listen to sermons offline? Yes. App users can download audio files to listen when they are not connected to WiFi or data. However, users can only store one downloaded file at a time (the most recent one), and playback speed controls are disabled for downloaded files.
What is the best way to manage sermon series? We recommend using Sermon Series in Tithely Sites to host your sermons and creating your RSS feed there. This provides the most seamless integration. Simply set up your sermons in Tithely Sites, then connect that RSS feed to your app using Option 1 above.