What is multi_rss_combiner?

Multi_RSS_Combiner is a lightweight PHP script that merges multiple podcast RSS feeds into one. It was built for the Destination Linux Network, a group of podcasts, so listeners can subscribe to a single feed and see every new episode from every show in that network in one chronological stream. Instead of subscribing to five different shows individually, a listener just subscribes to one combined feed. Here is how it works: the script reads each individual podcast feed and pulls out the details for every episode, storing them all together. It then prepends the podcast's name to each episode title, since some shows don't include their own name in the title by default. Next, it sorts every collected episode by its publish date and wraps them all in a fresh RSS feed, complete with a custom header. The final result is a single XML file written to a folder on your server, containing every episode across the network in date order. This tool is ideal for podcast network operators or anyone managing multiple shows who wants to offer a unified subscription option to their audience. For example, if you run a podcast network with shows about tech, sports, and culture, this script lets you hand your listeners one link that captures everything. To keep the combined feed current, the README suggests setting up a recurring server task, called a crontab, to run the script hourly so new episodes appear automatically. The project is notably straightforward and procedural. The README doesn't go into detail on advanced architecture or frameworks. It is a simple, step-by-step script doing one practical job: pulling data in, sorting it, and writing it out as a file, released as free software under the GNU General Public License.