diff --git a/app/jobs/publish_feed_job.rb b/app/jobs/publish_feed_job.rb
index 2157b9d95..3545fe50d 100644
--- a/app/jobs/publish_feed_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/publish_feed_job.rb
@@ -19,32 +19,51 @@ def perform(podcast, pub_item)
     podcast.feeds.each { |feed| publish_rss(podcast, feed) }
     PublishingPipelineState.complete!(podcast)
   rescue Apple::AssetStateTimeoutError => e
-    PublishingPipelineState.error!(podcast)
-    Rails.logger.error("Asset processing timeout", {podcast_id: podcast.id, error: e.message, backtrace: e.backtrace.join("\n")})
+    handle_apple_timeout_error(podcast, e)
   rescue => e
-    PublishingPipelineState.error!(podcast)
-    # TODO, we can remove this once we have a better way to track errors
-    Rails.logger.error("Error publishing podcast", {podcast_id: podcast.id, error: e.message, backtrace: e.backtrace.join("\n")})
+    handle_error(podcast, e)
   ensure
     PublishingPipelineState.settle_remaining!(podcast)
   end
 
   def publish_apple(podcast, feed)
     return unless feed.publish_to_apple?
-    res = PublishAppleJob.do_perform(feed.apple_config)
-    PublishingPipelineState.publish_apple!(podcast)
-    res
-  rescue => e
-    NewRelic::Agent.notice_error(e)
-    res = PublishingPipelineState.error_apple!(podcast)
-    raise e if feed.apple_config.sync_blocks_rss?
-    res
+
+    begin
+      res = PublishAppleJob.do_perform(podcast.apple_config)
+      PublishingPipelineState.publish_apple!(podcast)
+      res
+    rescue => e
+      PublishingPipelineState.error_apple!(podcast)
+      NewRelic::Agent.notice_error(e)
+      raise e
+    end
   end
 
   def publish_rss(podcast, feed)
     res = save_file(podcast, feed)
     PublishingPipelineState.publish_rss!(podcast)
     res
+  rescue => e
+    handle_rss_error(podcast, feed, e)
+  end
+
+  def handle_apple_timeout_error(podcast, error, raise_error: true)
+    PublishingPipelineState.error!(podcast)
+    Rails.logger.error("Asset processing timeout", {podcast_id: podcast.id, error: error.message, backtrace: error&.backtrace&.join("\n")})
+    raise error
+  end
+
+  def handle_rss_error(podcast, feed, error)
+    PublishingPipelineState.error!(podcast)
+    Rails.logger.error("Error publishing RSS", {podcast_id: podcast.id, feed_id: feed.id, error: error.message, backtrace: error&.backtrace&.join("\n")})
+    raise error
+  end
+
+  def handle_error(podcast, error)
+    PublishingPipelineState.error!(podcast)
+    Rails.logger.error("Error publishing podcast", {podcast_id: podcast.id, error: error.message, backtrace: error&.backtrace&.join("\n")})
+    raise error
   end
 
   def save_file(podcast, feed, options = {})
diff --git a/test/jobs/publish_feed_job_test.rb b/test/jobs/publish_feed_job_test.rb
index 0f3a11cb5..693d975a6 100644
--- a/test/jobs/publish_feed_job_test.rb
+++ b/test/jobs/publish_feed_job_test.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   let(:episode) { create(:episode, prx_uri: "/api/v1/stories/87683") }
   let(:podcast) { episode.podcast }
   let(:feed) { create(:feed, podcast: podcast, slug: "adfree") }
-  let(:private_feed) { create(:private_feed, podcast: podcast) }
+  let(:private_feed) { create(:apple_feed, podcast: podcast) }
 
   let(:job) { PublishFeedJob.new }
 
@@ -25,71 +25,109 @@
       end
     end
 
-    it "can process publishing a podcast" do
+    it "transitions to the error state upon rss error" do
       job.stub(:s3_client, stub_client) do
-        PublishFeedJob.stub(:perform_later, nil) do
-          PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
-        end
-
-        pub_item = PublishingQueueItem.unfinished_items(podcast).first
-
-        rss = job.perform(podcast, pub_item)
-        refute_nil rss
-        refute_nil job.put_object
-        assert_nil job.copy_object
+        PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+        assert_raises(RuntimeError) { job.handle_rss_error(podcast, feed, RuntimeError.new("rss error")) }
+        assert_equal ["created", "error"], PublishingPipelineState.where(podcast: podcast).latest_pipelines.pluck(:status)
       end
     end
 
-    it "will skip the publishing if the pub items are mismatched" do
+    it "transitions to the error state upon general error" do
+      # Simulate some method blowing up
       job.stub(:s3_client, stub_client) do
-        PublishFeedJob.stub(:perform_later, nil) do
-          PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+        PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+        PublishingPipelineState.stub(:publish_rss!, ->(*, **) { raise "some general" }) do
+          assert_raises(RuntimeError) { job.handle_rss_error(podcast, feed, RuntimeError.new("some general")) }
+          assert_equal ["created", "error"], PublishingPipelineState.where(podcast: podcast).latest_pipelines.pluck(:status)
         end
-
-        pub_item = PublishingQueueItem.create(podcast: podcast)
-        assert job.mismatched_publishing_item?(podcast, pub_item)
-        assert_equal :mismatched, job.perform(podcast, pub_item)
       end
     end
 
-    it "will skip the publishing if the pub items are null" do
-      job.stub(:s3_client, stub_client) do
-        assert PublishingQueueItem.unfinished_items(podcast).empty?
+    describe "validations of the publishing pipeline" do
+      it "can process publishing a podcast" do
+        job.stub(:s3_client, stub_client) do
+          PublishFeedJob.stub(:perform_later, nil) do
+            PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+          end
 
-        assert job.null_publishing_item?(podcast, nil)
-        assert_equal :null, job.perform(podcast, nil)
+          pub_item = PublishingQueueItem.unfinished_items(podcast).first
 
-        # There is no currently running publishing pipeline
-        pub_item = PublishingQueueItem.create(podcast: podcast)
-        assert job.null_publishing_item?(podcast, pub_item)
-        assert_equal :null, job.perform(podcast, pub_item)
+          rss = job.perform(podcast, pub_item)
+          refute_nil rss
+          refute_nil job.put_object
+          assert_nil job.copy_object
+        end
+      end
 
-        # `settle_remaining` is called at the end of the publishing job
-        # This means pub_item has been picked up and scheduled
-        assert_equal "created", pub_item.reload.last_pipeline_state
-        PublishingPipelineState.complete!(podcast)
-        assert_equal "complete", pub_item.reload.last_pipeline_state
+      it "will skip the publishing if the pub items are mismatched" do
+        job.stub(:s3_client, stub_client) do
+          PublishFeedJob.stub(:perform_later, nil) do
+            PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+          end
 
-        # Start a pipeline: Create publishing item and transition that item's pipeline to :created
-        queue_item = PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+          pub_item = PublishingQueueItem.create(podcast: podcast)
+          assert job.mismatched_publishing_item?(podcast, pub_item)
+          assert_equal :mismatched, job.perform(podcast, pub_item)
+        end
+      end
+
+      it "will skip the publishing if the pub items are null" do
+        job.stub(:s3_client, stub_client) do
+          assert PublishingQueueItem.unfinished_items(podcast).empty?
+
+          assert job.null_publishing_item?(podcast, nil)
+          assert_equal :null, job.perform(podcast, nil)
 
-        refute job.null_publishing_item?(podcast, queue_item)
-        res = job.perform(podcast, queue_item)
-        refute_equal :null, res
+          # There is no currently running publishing pipeline
+          pub_item = PublishingQueueItem.create(podcast: podcast)
+          assert job.null_publishing_item?(podcast, pub_item)
+
+          PublishAppleJob.stub(:do_perform, :publishing_apple!) do
+            assert_equal :null, job.perform(podcast, pub_item)
+          end
+
+          # `settle_remaining` is called at the end of the publishing job
+          # This means pub_item has been picked up and scheduled
+          assert_equal "created", pub_item.reload.last_pipeline_state
+          PublishingPipelineState.complete!(podcast)
+          assert_equal "complete", pub_item.reload.last_pipeline_state
+
+          # Start a pipeline: Create publishing item and transition that item's pipeline to :created
+          queue_item = PublishingPipelineState.start_pipeline!(podcast)
+
+          refute job.null_publishing_item?(podcast, queue_item)
+          PublishAppleJob.stub(:do_perform, :publishing_apple!) do
+            refute_equal :null, job.perform(podcast, queue_item)
+          end
+        end
       end
     end
   end
 
   describe "publishing to apple" do
-    it "does not schedule publishing to apple if the feed is non-apple" do
-      assert_nil job.publish_apple(podcast, private_feed)
+    let(:apple_feed) { private_feed }
+    let(:apple_config) { podcast.apple_config }
+
+    before do
+      assert private_feed.persisted?
+      assert podcast.reload.apple_config.present?
     end
 
-    describe "when the apple config is present" do
-      let(:apple_feed) { create(:apple_feed, podcast: podcast) }
+    it "does not schedule publishing to apple if the apple config prevents it" do
+      podcast.apple_config.update!(publish_enabled: false)
+      assert_nil job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed)
+    end
+
+    it "does not schedule publishing to apple if the apple config is disabled" do
+      apple_config.update!(publish_enabled: false)
+      assert_nil job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed)
+    end
 
+    describe "when the apple config is present" do
       it "does not schedule publishing to apple if the config is marked as not publishable" do
-        apple_feed.apple_config.update!(publish_enabled: false)
+        podcast.apple_config.update!(publish_enabled: false)
+
         assert_nil job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed)
       end
 
@@ -101,31 +139,10 @@
         end
       end
 
-      it "Performs the apple publishing job based regardless of sync_blocks_rss flag" do
-        assert apple_feed.apple_config.present?
-        assert apple_feed.apple_config.publish_enabled
-
-        # stub the two possible ways the job can be called
-        # perform_later is not used.
-        PublishAppleJob.stub(:perform_later, :perform_later) do
-          PublishAppleJob.stub(:do_perform, :do_perform) do
-            apple_feed.apple_config.update!(sync_blocks_rss: true)
-
-            assert_equal :do_perform, job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed)
-
-            apple_feed.apple_config.update!(sync_blocks_rss: false)
-            feed.reload
-            assert_equal :do_perform, job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed)
-          end
-        end
-      end
-
       describe "when the apple publishing fails" do
         before do
           # Simulate a publishing attempt
           PublishingQueueItem.create!(podcast: feed.podcast)
-          PublishingPipelineState.attempt!(feed.podcast)
-          PublishingPipelineState.start!(feed.podcast)
         end
 
         it "raises an error if the apple publishing fails" do
@@ -133,29 +150,21 @@
           assert apple_feed.apple_config.publish_enabled
 
           PublishAppleJob.stub(:do_perform, ->(*, **) { raise "some apple error" }) do
-            # it raises
-            assert_raises(RuntimeError) { job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed) }
+            assert_raises(RuntimeError) { PublishingPipelineState.attempt!(feed.podcast, perform_later: false) }
 
-            assert_equal ["created", "started", "error_apple"].sort, PublishingPipelineState.where(podcast: feed.podcast).latest_pipelines.pluck(:status).sort
+            assert_equal ["created", "started", "error", "error_apple"].sort, PublishingPipelineState.where(podcast: feed.podcast).latest_pipelines.pluck(:status).sort
           end
         end
 
-        it "does not raise an error if the apple publishing is not blocking RSS" do
+        it "raises an error if the apple publishing times out" do
           assert apple_feed.apple_config.present?
           assert apple_feed.apple_config.publish_enabled
-          apple_feed.apple_config.update!(sync_blocks_rss: false)
 
-          mock = Minitest::Mock.new
-          mock.expect(:call, nil, [RuntimeError])
+          PublishAppleJob.stub(:do_perform, ->(*, **) { raise Apple::AssetStateTimeoutError.new([]) }) do
+            assert_raises(Apple::AssetStateTimeoutError) { PublishingPipelineState.attempt!(feed.podcast, perform_later: false) }
 
-          PublishAppleJob.stub(:do_perform, ->(*, **) { raise "some apple error" }) do
-            NewRelic::Agent.stub(:notice_error, mock) do
-              job.publish_apple(podcast, apple_feed)
-            end
+            assert_equal ["created", "started", "error", "error_apple"].sort, PublishingPipelineState.where(podcast: feed.podcast).latest_pipelines.pluck(:status).sort
           end
-          assert_equal ["created", "started", "error_apple"].sort, PublishingPipelineState.where(podcast: feed.podcast).latest_pipelines.pluck(:status).sort
-
-          mock.verify
         end
       end
     end
diff --git a/test/models/publishing_pipeline_state_test.rb b/test/models/publishing_pipeline_state_test.rb
index 70db46bd8..820524a6d 100644
--- a/test/models/publishing_pipeline_state_test.rb
+++ b/test/models/publishing_pipeline_state_test.rb
@@ -255,7 +255,8 @@
         PublishFeedJob.stub_any_instance(:save_file, nil) do
           PublishFeedJob.stub_any_instance(:publish_apple, ->(*args) { raise "error" }) do
             pqi = PublishingQueueItem.ensure_queued!(podcast)
-            PublishingPipelineState.attempt!(podcast, perform_later: false)
+
+            assert_raises(RuntimeError) { PublishingPipelineState.attempt!(podcast, perform_later: false) }
           end
         end