We got a comment on Twitter that AntennaPod is not in the list of apps on the Blind Tech Guys website. These folks are using Buzzsprout, which offers podcasters the option to add directory-specific links to their listing, which then appears on their website:
When you are approved by a directory they will (most likely) email you directly to let you know. In that email, they will include your public listing URL. Once you get that URL then log into Buzzsprout and go to the Directories page. Then click into the directory and scroll down, you will see a field to add your listing URL manually. Paste the URL into your account there and then you will see that reflected on your Directories page and on your public page!
Now, of course, AntennaPod strictly speaking doesn’t have a ‘directory’. But if we could make the case that specific URLs open in AntennaPod, we could ask Buzzsprout and other platforms alike to include AntennaPod in the list of apps. Therefore I was wondering whether e.g. www.antennapod.org?podcast=https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1163732.rss opens directly in AntennaPod?
If not, would it be a crazy idea to implement this? Or, maybe better, making use of the Podcast Index ID? E.g. www.antennapod.org?podcast=297254 - after which we pull the data from PI?
(tagging @benjaminbellamy and @mavek because of the link with PI, former also because the work with Castopod caught my eye )
Of the two, I would pick this, as this is extensible to any podcast feed any where, not just buzzsprout.
While PI hopes to cover all podcasts eventually, the truest reckoning of any podcast is its RSS feed. I, for example, am hosted on buzzsprout, but the feed I use with all the directories is from the podlove plugin generated one on my own website.
As to getting listed as an app on buzzsprout specifically, here is the section at the bottom of their directory listings:
Arguably AntennaPod satisfies that criteria right now, reach out and see what they have to say. I know that they are already very active and vocal in the PI namespace work.
I am a bit annoyed by the fact that everyone specifies their own links. If everyone just followed the standard, the Android system could open your podcast app automatically instead of having to display a huge list of clients on each website.
I totally agree with you @ByteHamster, all these links are ugly and make not much sense but they were kind of mandatory when every platform had its own index.
It is also to show that you exist.
And it can still make sense for AntennaPod for user who don’t have the app installed, who are not on Android, etc… Then you would be able to display a page with a specific message, a link to the app in both Google play store and F-droid.
Thanks for that overview. Those specific URLs aren’t particularly contributing to an open podcasting ecosystem. But it’s not a particular threat either, and I reckon that in many platforms it’s not enough to say ‘I support the RSS’ link to get your app listed - they expect URLs.
We could ask Buzzsprout to add our app, using the non-standard protocol. But since they can just take the feed link, there’s no need for the podcaster to add their specific platform URL (like there is for the other listed platforms). What would Buzzsprout display instead? Just a toggle, so that podcasters can decide to promote us? Would they add us to the list for all their clients (and possibly get similar requests from other apps)?
That’s a good point, also.
What would be the benefit to have both?
I think originally we didn’t have an svg that could be opened properly in Inkscape. But I believe that @ByteHamster looked into that some time ago and created a usable SVG? If not, I’ll look into it (though it may take some time).
Having both would not have any immediate benefit but both have advantages:
Using Feed URL does not require the podcast hosting platform to know its PodcastIndex ID.
Using PodcastIndex ID could become the universal podcast sharing link we’ve all been missing for decades.
PodcastIndex is groping around these days so it’s hard to guess what will prevail and what will be forgotten for ever. Adoption from all players (hosting, app, indexes…) will make that choice.
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