What is Podcasting 2.0? And Why Should I Care?
Podcasting has a tonne of strengths, but one of its biggest is its decentralised nature. A podcaster can upload their content to a hosting provider, and it can be consumed and enjoyed by people via many different platforms, apps, and directories.
This was all made possible because of RSS, a 25-year-old technology that formed the foundations podcasting was built on.
As you can imagine, this “find us anywhere you get your podcasts” approach has benefited the medium. It can’t be owned or controlled by any one company, and it meets listeners on their own terms.
But, RSS-based podcast distribution in its traditional form has its challenges, too.
For example, if one listening app gives you access to monetisation tools, those tools will only be available on that specific platform. And that might make up a tiny per cent of your overall listenership.
Or, if another app has a comments feature, any comments left by listeners will only be visible in that specific app.
So, although the way podcasting works is great – it can be even better. That’s why the Podcasting 2.0 initiative exists.
Sam Sethi is the Chief Evangelist for the Podcast Standards Project. He’s also the CEO of TrueFans, the RSS Marketplace for Indie Content Creators, and the Podnews Weekly Review co-host.
What is Podcasting 2.0?
Podcasting 2.0 is a collection of podcasters, app developers, and hosting providers who want to build on and enhance the way podcasts are distributed.
This is done by coming up with and building new features (also called tags) that various platforms can implement and support.
What is the Podcast Namespace?
The Podcast Namespace is a core component of the Podcasting 2.0 initiative. It refers to the aforementioned tags, which can be added to a podcast’s RSS feed to allow for extended metadata and features. These tags are designed to work within the existing framework of podcasting but add functionality that wasn’t previously possible.
Key Features & Benefits of Podcasting 2.0
Whilst there’s really no limit to the features that could be created and supported across a range of different apps, here are some existing ones that are being championed by the podcasting 2.0 initiative right now.
Cross-App Comments
Cross-App Comments allow listeners to leave comments on podcast episodes, which other listeners can see and interact with across various podcast apps that support this feature.
Monetisation (Value for Value)
Value for Value (V4V) is a monetisation method that focuses on direct support from listeners rather than traditional advertising or subscription models. This can be done through small, voluntary payments called “micropayments” or “sats” (short for satoshis, which are tiny units of Bitcoin).
Live Podcasting
The Live Item Tag (LIT) feature allows real-time broadcasts similar to live radio shows. It enhances listener engagement through features like “boostagrams” for instant feedback and donations. LIT supports audio and video streaming, seamlessly integrates with the podcast ecosystem, and utilises existing RSS feeds. For a deeper dive on this, check out How Podcasting 2.0 Has LIT Up the Impact of Live Shows.
What are “Boostagrams”?
Boostagrams are messages sent by listeners to podcasters along with a small payment or tip. This feature combines the financial support of micro-payments with a messaging system, allowing listeners to send comments, feedback, or support notes directly to podcasters as they send monetary contributions.
Alternative Episode Files
The Alternate Enclosure feature allows podcasters to offer additional versions of their media files. This can include lower bitrates to cater to audiences with varying internet speeds, different formats (like video episodes), or versions of the episode in multiple different languages.
Chapter Markers
Chapter markers are timestamps within a podcast episode that divide the content into segments or chapters. Each chapter can have a title and, sometimes, additional metadata like images or links. Podcasting 2.0 has introduced new standards and tags to make chapter markers more robust and widely supported across different platforms and apps.
Person Tag
The person tag is a metadata tag that podcasters can use to provide detailed information about the people involved in creating a podcast. This can include hosts, co-hosts, guests, producers, and other contributors. Listeners can discover other works by the same person, enhancing content discovery across different podcasts.
Transcripts
The Podcasting 2.0 initiative allows transcripts to be included in the podcast’s RSS feed using new tags specifically designed for this purpose. Podcast apps that support the Podcasting 2.0 initiative can read these tags and display transcripts natively within the app interface, making it seamless for listeners to access. Podcasting 2.0 introduces new tags in the RSS feed specifically for transcripts, allowing podcasters to include multiple types of transcripts (e.g., full, summary, chapter-wise).
Podcast Discovery
Individually, these features offer loads of potential benefits to podcasters. Collectively, they all enhance podcast discovery in some way. The Person Tag and other enhanced metadata, combined with the increased searchability of transcripts and chapters, could help a podcast be found by folks interested in that topic, reducing the reliance on “boring but obvious” podcast names or over-the-top clickbaity episode titles.
Who Supports Podcasting 2.0?
If you think all of this sounds like a positive step for podcasting, where are the best places to keep an eye on things and stay up-to-date?
Organisations
- The Podcast Standards Project “is a grassroots industry coalition dedicated to creating standards and practices that improve the open podcasting ecosystem for both listeners and creators.”
- Podcasting2.org – a site created by Daniel J. Lewis and James Cridland to promote the initiative.
- The Podcast Index is a project aimed at preserving, protecting, and growing the open podcast ecosystem.
Platforms
The Podcast Index maintains and updates an exhaustive list of apps, directories, and hosting platforms that support Podcasting 2.0 in any way. Here are some highlights:
For Hosting
Blubrry, Podhome, Sovereign Feeds, RSS Blue, and CastGarden are the five hosting providers listed with the most supported features by The Podcast Index.
Other notable hosts mentioned are RSS.com, Castopod, Captivate, Transistor, Buzzsprout, RedCircle, Castos, Libsyn, Spreaker, and Simplecast.
Podcast website makers Podpage and Podcastpage.io are featured, too.
For Listening
The Podcast Index lists TrueFans, Podverse, Podcast Guru, Fountain, and Podfriend as the five podcast players with the most supported features.
Other notable apps mentioned are Podcast Addict, Pocketcasts, and Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts only supports the Transcript tag, but this is still significant for the Podcasting 2.0 initiative, given Apple’s size and reach.
What Can You Do to Support Podcasting 2.0?
Alright, so if you think this sounds like a positive initiative, what can you actually do about it? Here’s a summary of Sam Sethi’s key takeaways:
As a Podcaster
Find a podcast hosting service that supports Podcasting 2.0 features like the person tag and transcript tag. Start utilising these features by adding relevant data to your podcast. Some hosts make this as easy as entering your episode title.
Also, use your Calls to Action to encourage listeners to try out apps that support Podcasting 2.0 features.
As a Podcast Consumer
Following on from the above, if you’re a podcast fan, try using an app that supports Podcasting 2.0 features. They are free, and you can try out a few if you want to find one you really like. Access any Podcasting 2.0 features or benefits that interest you, and spread the word amongst other podcast listeners.
A big thanks to Sam Sethi for helping us break this stuff down. Once again, you’ll find him at the Podcast Standards Project, TrueFans, and on the Podnews Weekly Review.
