Since having launched the Podlove Subscribe Button (PSB) at the end of 2014, our one-stop solution for easily subscribing to Podcasts is already being used by more than 2000 podcasts on the web. And we have also got a lot of positive feedback by users and podcasters alike. So it seems subscribing to podcasts has become much easier for many podcast listeners out there - which is great!

Podcast directories and podcast hosting sites have also embraced the button as its integration in web pages of any kind is pretty easy to do. More and more podcast client developers have added the necessary hooks to their products so we have continously increased the number of apps supported by the PSB. If you are a podcast client developer and want to see your program listed in the PSB, please follow the guidelines on how to integrate and how to submit your app for inclusion to our team.

Customising the button

The Podlove Subscribe Button has always provided options for customisations. The button can present the podcast image along with it, comes in three sizes and can optionally adapt to the page size too. Of course, these features continues to exist.

However, some podcasters have complained about the particular design we chose for the button. Some disliked its 3D-style. Others wanted to customise the color or simply wanted more options to better adapt the look of the button to their web design. While we have always allowed for custom links to invoke the button for web developers, we have listened and now provide a completely revamped new look of the button with more options.

Let's walk through the new options that make customising the visual appearance easy for everyone.

Flat Design

First and foremost we have moved from the traditional 3D-inspired look to a "flat" appearance that much better integrates into current web design trends. This change is immediate and applies to all buttons currently in use - as long as they use our recommended way of using the button by simply including our hosted solution.

(If you are using the button by hosting your own copy of the button, please make sure you are always using the latest version of the master branch on GitHub).

Color

Apart from asking for a flat design, the number 1 on podcasters' customisation wish list was color. The PSB by default comes in a distinct style of green that we considered friendly and welcoming.

But many wanted to appear the button in a primary color that define the overall style of their web page. So now we allow to just that: you choose a primary color and the button uses that and automatically calculates highlight tones for button states to match this color.

Note how the button text color automatically adapts to the primary color and enables both dark and light colors to be chosen without creating conflicts.

Styles

Apart from distinct color schemes, some websites also have different styles of "lightness" where the standard "filled" button appearance seems to "heavy" when compared to other elements. So we have added to new styles to account for that.

The "outline" style removes the filling and provides a simple boxed version of the button. The "frameless" style removes the box completely and creates an even lighter look.

Square Button

We have provided both a "rectangle" and "cover" appearance from the start. New to the family is a "square" format that strips the description from the button and simply presents the generic podcast logo in the button. This should cover most design choices of web site and should allow inclusion of the button on every possible place.

Future enhancements

We will continue to enhance and evolve the Podlove Subscribe Button. Future developments might include manually selecting formats and provide local usage statistics. The exact list of features depends on the feedback of podcasters and users to please let us know what you think how everything should look and feel.

Feel free to drop feature requests, ideas or bug reports at the Podlove Community.

Thanks to Michaela and Ben for their contribution to make the redesign reality.