The order your episodes play in shapes how your audience moves through your content, so it's worth getting right. The catch is that each of Hello Audio's three feed types handles order a little differently, and turning on seasons can change things again.
This guide walks through all three, so your listeners hit play and move through your content in exactly the order you intended.
What You'll Accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll understand:
✅ How episode order works in each of Hello Audio's three feed types
✅ How to set the order your episodes appear in for listeners
✅ How turning on seasons changes that order
This takes about 5 minutes to read, and you'll know exactly how to control what your listeners see.
Two ways Hello Audio sets episode order
There are two methods, and which one you use depends on your feed type:
Drag and drop (instant and drip feeds): you arrange episodes by hand, like building a playlist.
By date (date-based feeds): you set a date on each episode, and Hello Audio orders them for you.
Once you know which feed type you're working with, the rest follows from there.
Step 1: Order episodes in an instant feed
In an instant feed, every episode is available to listeners right away, so the order is purely about how you want them to flow.
Open your instant feed
Click and drag any episode to move it up or down
Keep arranging until the 1, 2, 3 order matches what you want
That order is exactly what listeners see in their podcast apps. Think of it like a playlist you control.
Step 2: Order episodes in a drip feed
A drip feed releases episodes on a schedule, so the order does double duty here. It's both the display order and the release order.
Open your drip feed
Click and drag episodes into the order you want
The episode at the top releases first
Each episode below it releases after that, following however many days you've set between episodes. As each one is released, it appears in the listener's podcast app in the order you set.
So in a drip feed, rearranging episodes also rearranges the schedule they go out on.
Step 3: Order episodes in a date-based feed
A date-based feed works differently. You don't drag episodes here. Instead, you set a date on each episode, and Hello Audio orders them by that date.
The most recent episode appears first for the listener (newest at the top), the way most public podcasts work.
You can also set dates in the future. A future-dated episode stays scheduled, then moves to the top of each listener's list once its date arrives. This is useful when you want to line up content ahead of time and let it surface on its own.
How turning on seasons changes the order
Seasons is available on all three feed types. It groups your episodes into Season 1, Season 2, and so on. What it does to your order depends on the feed type:
Instant and drip feeds: seasons only changes how episodes are grouped on screen. You still click and drag to set the order, and nothing about release or display order changes beyond the visual grouping.
Date-based feeds: seasons flips the order. With seasons off, a date-based feed runs newest first. With seasons on, it flips to oldest first within each season. You'll see Season 1, Episode 1 (your oldest) at the top, running down to the end of Season 1, then Season 2 begins and runs the same way.
The short version for date-based feeds: seasons on means oldest first, seasons off means newest first.
For where to find the seasons setting and how to turn it on or off, see our Seasons help doc.
What Happens Next
Once your order is set, it's live for listeners in their podcast apps, no extra publish step needed. And everything stays editable: drag episodes around (instant and drip) or change a date (date-based) any time, and the feed updates for your listeners.
Getting the order right is part of turning content people meant to get to into content they actually finish, on their own time, in their ears instead of on a screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which feed types let me drag episodes into order?
Instant and drip feeds. In both, you click and drag episodes to arrange them. Date-based feeds order episodes by the date you set on each one, so there's no dragging there.
How do I change the order in a date-based feed?
Change the date on the episode you want to move. Date-based feeds order by date, with the most recent episode at the top by default. Editing an episode's date moves it to its new spot in the order.
Can I schedule an episode to appear later?
Yes. On a date-based feed, set a future date on the episode. It stays scheduled and moves to the top of each listener's list once that date arrives. On a drip feed, episodes release on your set schedule based on the order you've arranged.
In what order do my drip episodes go out?
Top to bottom. The episode at the top of your drip feed releases first, and each episode below it follows after the number of days you've set between episodes.
Why are my episodes showing oldest first instead of newest?
You most likely have seasons turned on for a date-based feed, which flips the order to oldest first within each season. If you'd rather have newest episodes at the top, turn seasons off. See [link: Seasons help doc] for where to find that setting.
Why can't I drag my episodes into a different order?
You're probably working in a date-based feed, which orders episodes by date rather than by dragging. To change the order there, edit the dates on your episodes. If you want hands-on drag-and-drop control, an instant or drip feed is the better fit.
Does turning on seasons change my release schedule?
No. For instant and drip feeds, seasons only groups episodes visually and leaves your order and release timing alone. For date-based feeds, it changes the display order (oldest first) but doesn't change the dates you've set.
Need a hand getting your episodes in the right order? Message us in the chat or email [email protected] and we'll help you sort it out.Summary for Intercom: Control the order your episodes appear in for instant, drip, and date-based feeds, and how turning seasons on changes that order.