diff --git a/src/components/Footer.astro b/src/components/Footer.astro
index ee6a242..ff7cc87 100644
--- a/src/components/Footer.astro
+++ b/src/components/Footer.astro
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { site } from '../site.config';
     <div>
       <p class="footer-label">Read independently</p>
       <a href="/rss.xml">RSS feed</a><br />
+      <a href={site.podcastFeedUrl}>Podcast feed</a><br />
       <a href={site.repositoryUrl}>Public repository</a>
     </div>
     <div>
diff --git a/src/components/Header.astro b/src/components/Header.astro
index a624cd0..b12b018 100644
--- a/src/components/Header.astro
+++ b/src/components/Header.astro
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const [stories, briefings, episodes, guides] = await Promise.all([
 const visibleNavigation = navigation.filter((item) => {
   if (item.href === '/stories') return stories.length > 0;
   if (item.href === '/briefing') return briefings.length > 0;
-  if (item.href === '/podcast') return episodes.length > 0;
+  if (item.href === '/podcast') return episodes.length > 0 || site.podcastFeedUrl !== '';
   if (item.href === '/guides') return guides.length > 0;
   if (item.href === '/book') return site.book.enabled;
   return true;
diff --git a/src/content.config.ts b/src/content.config.ts
index 5dbfc76..1e8d5d0 100644
--- a/src/content.config.ts
+++ b/src/content.config.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ const episodes = defineCollection({
     published: z.coerce.date(),
     duration: z.string().optional(),
     audioUrl: z.url().optional(),
+    audioBytes: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
     guests: z.array(z.string()).default([]),
     ...maintenance,
   }),
diff --git a/src/content/episodes/episode-template.md b/src/content/episodes/episode-template.md
index bbdbabb..926023e 100644
--- a/src/content/episodes/episode-template.md
+++ b/src/content/episodes/episode-template.md
@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ status: developing
 draft: true
 duration: "00:00"
 guests: []
+# audioUrl: https://…/episode-001.mp3   (durable location only)
+# audioBytes: 0                          (file size in bytes, for the feed enclosure)
 ---
 
-> Draft episode template. Add the audio URL in frontmatter only after the durable feed location is known.
+> Draft episode template. Add the audio URL in frontmatter only after the durable feed location is known. Episodes without an audio URL never enter the podcast feed.
 
 ## Listen
 
diff --git a/src/pages/index.astro b/src/pages/index.astro
index cca25d7..67d9c53 100644
--- a/src/pages/index.astro
+++ b/src/pages/index.astro
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ interface FrontPageItem {
 
 const stories = (await getCollection('stories', ({ data }) => !data.draft))
   .sort((a, b) => a.data.editorialOrder - b.data.editorialOrder);
+const episodes = (await getCollection('episodes', ({ data }) => !data.draft))
+  .sort((a, b) => b.data.published.getTime() - a.data.published.getTime());
+const latestEpisode = episodes[0];
 const toneCycle = ['blue', 'paper', 'ink', 'soft', 'amend', 'paper'] as const;
 const frontPageItems: FrontPageItem[] = stories
   .filter(({ data }) => data.homepage)
@@ -55,6 +58,21 @@ const sizeCycle = ['wide', 'standard', 'compact', 'compact', 'compact'] as const
       />
     ))}
   </section>
+  {latestEpisode && (
+    <section class="podcast-rail shell" aria-label="The podcast">
+      <div class="rail-wave" aria-hidden="true">
+        {Array.from({ length: 9 }).map((_, index) => <i style={`--n:${(index * 41) % 100}`} />)}
+      </div>
+      <div class="rail-copy">
+        <p class="eyebrow">Podcast · Episode {latestEpisode.data.episode}</p>
+        <h2><a href={`/podcast/${latestEpisode.id}`}>{latestEpisode.data.title}</a></h2>
+      </div>
+      <div class="rail-links">
+        <a href={`/podcast/${latestEpisode.id}`}>Listen →</a>
+        <a href={site.podcastFeedUrl}>Subscribe</a>
+      </div>
+    </section>
+  )}
   <div class="more-stories shell">
     <a href="/stories">Read more <span>{Math.max(0, stories.length - frontPageItems.length)} more stories</span></a>
   </div>
@@ -70,6 +88,79 @@ const sizeCycle = ['wide', 'standard', 'compact', 'compact', 'compact'] as const
     background: var(--rule);
   }
 
+  .podcast-rail {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: auto minmax(0, 1fr) auto;
+    gap: clamp(1.25rem, 3vw, 2.5rem);
+    align-items: center;
+    margin-top: clamp(1.5rem, 3vw, 2.5rem);
+    padding: clamp(1.1rem, 2.5vw, 1.75rem) clamp(1.1rem, 2.5vw, 2rem);
+    background: var(--ink);
+    color: var(--paper);
+  }
+
+  .rail-wave {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 4px;
+    height: 44px;
+  }
+
+  .rail-wave i {
+    display: block;
+    width: 2px;
+    height: calc(25% + var(--n) * 0.7%);
+    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--paper) calc(30% + var(--n) * .5%), var(--amend));
+  }
+
+  .podcast-rail .eyebrow {
+    margin-bottom: 0.3rem;
+    color: #9fb8d4;
+  }
+
+  .podcast-rail h2 {
+    margin: 0;
+    font-family: 'Newsreader Variable', Georgia, serif;
+    font-size: clamp(1.4rem, 2.6vw, 2rem);
+    font-weight: 600;
+    letter-spacing: -0.03em;
+    line-height: 1.02;
+  }
+
+  .podcast-rail h2 a {
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .podcast-rail h2 a:hover {
+    color: #9fb8d4;
+  }
+
+  .rail-links {
+    display: flex;
+    gap: 1.25rem;
+    font-size: 0.8rem;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+  }
+
+  .rail-links a {
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .rail-links a:hover {
+    color: #9fb8d4;
+  }
+
+  @media (max-width: 620px) {
+    .podcast-rail {
+      grid-template-columns: 1fr;
+    }
+
+    .rail-wave {
+      display: none;
+    }
+  }
+
   .more-stories {
     display: flex;
     justify-content: center;
diff --git a/src/pages/podcast/[id].astro b/src/pages/podcast/[id].astro
index 05a0f13..12658bc 100644
--- a/src/pages/podcast/[id].astro
+++ b/src/pages/podcast/[id].astro
@@ -23,10 +23,49 @@ const { Content } = await render(entry);
   status={entry.data.status}
   sourcePath={`src/content/episodes/${entry.id}.md`}
 >
-  {entry.data.audioUrl && <audio controls preload="metadata" src={entry.data.audioUrl}>Your browser does not support embedded audio.</audio>}
+  {(entry.data.guests.length > 0 || entry.data.duration) && (
+    <p class="episode-facts">
+      {entry.data.guests.length > 0 && <span>With {entry.data.guests.join(', ')}</span>}
+      {entry.data.duration && <span>{entry.data.duration}</span>}
+    </p>
+  )}
+  {entry.data.audioUrl && (
+    <div class="player">
+      <audio controls preload="metadata" src={entry.data.audioUrl}>Your browser does not support embedded audio.</audio>
+      <a href={entry.data.audioUrl} download>Download audio ↓</a>
+    </div>
+  )}
   <Content />
 </ArticleLayout>
 
 <style>
-  audio { width: 100%; margin-bottom: 2.5rem; }
+  .episode-facts {
+    display: flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    gap: 1rem;
+    margin: 0 0 1.5rem;
+    color: var(--muted);
+    font-family: 'IBM Plex Mono', monospace;
+    font-size: 0.72rem;
+    letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+  }
+
+  .player {
+    margin-bottom: 2.5rem;
+    padding: 1.1rem;
+    border: 1px solid var(--rule);
+    background: var(--paper-raised);
+  }
+
+  .player audio { width: 100%; }
+
+  .player a {
+    display: inline-block;
+    margin-top: 0.7rem;
+    font-family: 'IBM Plex Mono', monospace;
+    font-size: 0.7rem;
+    letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+  }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/pages/podcast/feed.xml.ts b/src/pages/podcast/feed.xml.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2d28282
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pages/podcast/feed.xml.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import rss from '@astrojs/rss';
+import type { APIContext } from 'astro';
+import { getCollection } from 'astro:content';
+import { site } from '../../site.config';
+
+const AUDIO_TYPES: Record<string, string> = {
+  mp3: 'audio/mpeg',
+  m4a: 'audio/mp4',
+  ogg: 'audio/ogg',
+  opus: 'audio/opus',
+  wav: 'audio/wav',
+};
+
+function audioType(url: string): string {
+  const extension = new URL(url).pathname.split('.').pop()?.toLowerCase() ?? '';
+  return AUDIO_TYPES[extension] ?? 'audio/mpeg';
+}
+
+export async function GET(context: APIContext) {
+  const episodes = (
+    await getCollection('episodes', ({ data }) => !data.draft && Boolean(data.audioUrl))
+  ).sort((a, b) => b.data.published.getTime() - a.data.published.getTime());
+
+  return rss({
+    title: `${site.title} — the podcast`,
+    description:
+      'Who gets to act in our name? Conversations about authority, delegation, recovery, and responsibility, with full transcripts published beside every episode.',
+    site: new URL('/podcast', context.site).href,
+    xmlns: {
+      itunes: 'http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd',
+    },
+    customData: [
+      '<language>en</language>',
+      `<itunes:author>${site.author.name}</itunes:author>`,
+      '<itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit>',
+      `<link>${new URL('/podcast', context.site).href}</link>`,
+    ].join(''),
+    items: episodes.map((entry) => ({
+      title: entry.data.title,
+      description: entry.data.description,
+      link: `/podcast/${entry.id}`,
+      pubDate: entry.data.published,
+      enclosure: {
+        url: entry.data.audioUrl!,
+        length: entry.data.audioBytes ?? 0,
+        type: audioType(entry.data.audioUrl!),
+      },
+      customData: [
+        `<itunes:episode>${entry.data.episode}</itunes:episode>`,
+        entry.data.duration ? `<itunes:duration>${entry.data.duration}</itunes:duration>` : '',
+      ].join(''),
+    })),
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/podcast/index.astro b/src/pages/podcast/index.astro
index 741b4a2..314fa62 100644
--- a/src/pages/podcast/index.astro
+++ b/src/pages/podcast/index.astro
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 import { getCollection } from 'astro:content';
 import BaseLayout from '../../layouts/BaseLayout.astro';
 import { formatDate, newestFirst } from '../../lib/content';
+import { site } from '../../site.config';
 
 const entries = newestFirst(await getCollection('episodes', ({ data }) => !data.draft));
+const feedUrl = new URL(site.podcastFeedUrl, Astro.site).href;
 ---
 
 <BaseLayout title="Podcast" description="Conversations about authority, delegation, recovery, and responsibility.">
@@ -19,21 +21,47 @@ const entries = newestFirst(await getCollection('episodes', ({ data }) => !data.
       {Array.from({ length: 21 }).map((_, index) => <i style={`--n:${(index * 37) % 100}`} />)}
     </div>
   </section>
+
+  <section class="shell subscribe" aria-label="Subscribe to the podcast">
+    <div>
+      <p class="eyebrow">Subscribe</p>
+      <p class="subscribe-copy">
+        Paste the feed into any podcast app. New episodes arrive there the moment they are published here —
+        no platform account between you and the audio.
+      </p>
+    </div>
+    <div class="feed-box">
+      <span class="feed-label">Feed</span>
+      <a href={site.podcastFeedUrl}>{feedUrl}</a>
+    </div>
+  </section>
+
   <section class="shell episode-list">
     <div class="section-rule">
       <h2 class="section-title">Episodes</h2>
-      <a href="/rss.xml">RSS →</a>
+      <a href={site.podcastFeedUrl}>Podcast feed →</a>
     </div>
     {entries.length > 0 ? entries.map((entry) => (
       <article>
-        <span>{String(entry.data.episode).padStart(2, '0')}</span>
+        <span class="episode-number">{String(entry.data.episode).padStart(2, '0')}</span>
         <div>
           <h3><a href={`/podcast/${entry.id}`}>{entry.data.title}</a></h3>
           <p>{entry.data.description}</p>
+          {entry.data.guests.length > 0 && <p class="guests">With {entry.data.guests.join(', ')}</p>}
+        </div>
+        <div class="episode-facts">
+          <time datetime={entry.data.published.toISOString()}>{formatDate(entry.data.published)}</time>
+          {entry.data.duration && <span>{entry.data.duration}</span>}
         </div>
-        <time datetime={entry.data.published.toISOString()}>{formatDate(entry.data.published)}</time>
       </article>
-    )) : <p class="empty-state">The archive is ready for real episodes and transcripts. No synthetic placeholder episode has been published.</p>}
+    )) : (
+      <div class="empty-state">
+        <p>
+          The archive is empty because no episode has been recorded yet — this publication does not ship
+          synthetic placeholders. The feed above is already live: subscribe now and episode one will simply appear.
+        </p>
+      </div>
+    )}
   </section>
 </BaseLayout>
 
@@ -44,11 +72,72 @@ const entries = newestFirst(await getCollection('episodes', ({ data }) => !data.
   .podcast-grid > p { color: #bcb8af; }
   .wave { display: flex; height: 210px; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; margin-top: 4rem; overflow: hidden; }
   .wave i { display: block; width: 2px; height: calc(20% + var(--n) * .75%); background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--paper) calc(25% + var(--n) * .5%), var(--amend)); }
-  .episode-list { margin-top: 6rem; }
-  .episode-list article { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 4rem 1fr 8rem; gap: 2rem; padding: 2rem 0; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule); }
-  .episode-list article > span, time { color: var(--muted); font-family: 'IBM Plex Mono', monospace; font-size: .7rem; }
+
+  .subscribe {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 1.1fr);
+    gap: clamp(1.5rem, 4vw, 4rem);
+    align-items: center;
+    margin-top: clamp(3rem, 6vw, 5rem);
+    padding: clamp(1.5rem, 3vw, 2.5rem);
+    border: 1px solid var(--rule);
+    background: var(--paper-raised);
+  }
+
+  .subscribe-copy { max-width: 44ch; margin: 0; color: var(--muted); font-size: 0.92rem; }
+
+  .feed-box {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 1rem;
+    min-width: 0;
+    padding: 0.9rem 1.1rem;
+    border: 1px solid var(--ink);
+    background: var(--paper);
+    font-family: 'IBM Plex Mono', monospace;
+    font-size: 0.78rem;
+  }
+
+  .feed-label {
+    color: var(--amend);
+    font-size: 0.62rem;
+    font-weight: 500;
+    letter-spacing: 0.08em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+  }
+
+  .feed-box a {
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .episode-list { margin-top: clamp(3.5rem, 7vw, 6rem); }
+  .episode-list article { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 4rem 1fr 9rem; gap: 2rem; padding: 2rem 0; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule); }
+  .episode-number { color: var(--muted); font-family: 'IBM Plex Mono', monospace; font-size: .7rem; }
   h3 { margin: 0; font-family: 'Newsreader Variable', Georgia, serif; font-size: 2.3rem; line-height: 1; }
   h3 a { text-decoration: none; }
   .episode-list p { color: var(--muted); }
-  @media (max-width: 700px) { .podcast-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; } .episode-list article { grid-template-columns: 2rem 1fr; } time { grid-column: 2; } }
+  .guests { font-size: 0.82rem; }
+
+  .episode-facts {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    gap: 0.4rem;
+    color: var(--muted);
+    font-family: 'IBM Plex Mono', monospace;
+    font-size: .7rem;
+    text-align: right;
+  }
+
+  .empty-state { margin-top: 2rem; }
+  .empty-state p { max-width: 60ch; margin: 0; }
+
+  @media (max-width: 700px) {
+    .podcast-grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
+    .subscribe { grid-template-columns: 1fr; }
+    .episode-list article { grid-template-columns: 2rem 1fr; }
+    .episode-facts { flex-direction: row; grid-column: 2; text-align: left; }
+  }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/site.config.ts b/src/site.config.ts
index 3b9f3a9..7e7cc91 100644
--- a/src/site.config.ts
+++ b/src/site.config.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export const site = {
   },
   repositoryUrl: 'https://git.frrn.life/ana/trust-issues',
   newsletterUrl: '',
-  podcastFeedUrl: '',
+  podcastFeedUrl: '/podcast/feed.xml',
   contactUrl: '',
   book: {
     enabled: false,