‘Apple today announced a transformative update coming to Apple Podcasts this spring that will bring advanced video podcast capabilities to the app.
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@js what a weird choice the API thing... why not just RSS?
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@manton agreed
they are hosting and taking a cut of ad impressions
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@js ohhhh, yeah. I can see that happening...
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weak sauce - but it makes sense given that Apple is receiving a video from the hosting provider and HLSifying it and hosting it themselves, and they don't own the RSS feed
easiest way to think about Apple's HLS video at the moment is like Apple premium content
host uploads to them, they host it, not available at all to third party players or represented in the RSS feed at all
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easiest way to think about Apple's HLS video at the moment is like Apple premium content
host uploads to them, they host it, not available at all to third party players or represented in the RSS feed at all
@js That was my thought as well. I was really hoping for alt enclosure.
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easiest way to think about Apple's HLS video at the moment is like Apple premium content
host uploads to them, they host it, not available at all to third party players or represented in the RSS feed at all
even better, it's kind of like a "private alternate enclosure"
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@js maybe I'm just turning cynical, but I have zero hope that Apple will adopt an open alternative here. It would be so easy to offer an alternative enclosure tag with an HLS link, but that's not the direction they went.
Spotify and YouTube are doing the same thing.
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@js @dave I’m inclined to believe Apple will never open up anything to anyone anymore. On the one hand, they’re hosting the videos so they can argue that’s to make the experience better.
On the other hand for each ad spot served they get services revenue which is their only growth. Don’t expect openness when it would reduce revenue.
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@lutindiscret @js @dave HLS can be set to download/offline
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@js @dave I’m inclined to believe Apple will never open up anything to anyone anymore. On the one hand, they’re hosting the videos so they can argue that’s to make the experience better.
On the other hand for each ad spot served they get services revenue which is their only growth. Don’t expect openness when it would reduce revenue.
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@lutindiscret @dave hls can be downloaded in general, but only apple podcasts will have access to the underlying hls url.
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@js Yes. They've been very consistent lately with their support of the open way of doing things. Even when it was a totally thrown in cherry on top. It'll happen.
Since iOS 14.5, Apple does essentially own the "RSS feed" in Apple Podcasts because they proxy the feed and serve only from their proxy. HLS video is now another thing they will host through their proxy.
Even their chapter support relies on MP3 chapters first and uses their proprietary "timed links" instead of the open standards of chapter links (legacy or P2.0).
I see Apple using open tech to build proprietary solutions.
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Since iOS 14.5, Apple does essentially own the "RSS feed" in Apple Podcasts because they proxy the feed and serve only from their proxy. HLS video is now another thing they will host through their proxy.
Even their chapter support relies on MP3 chapters first and uses their proprietary "timed links" instead of the open standards of chapter links (legacy or P2.0).
I see Apple using open tech to build proprietary solutions.
@theDanielJLewis @dave @js This isn’t how any of this works.
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@dave @js Apple basically released its podcasting apparatus in the last millennium. The company is fundamentally different in 2026. It has released premium gated podcasts that are thoroughly closed. It’s releasing this, which is thoroughly closed. It’s two things already. The vestigial organ has one mission: make us new services revenue.
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@js @dave The business model means it won’t be open. You send Apple the m3u8 playlist (only) through the existing subscription API. That way, Apple knows who to bill for the dynamic ads, which they will charge for.
Without any mechanism of billing, I see it as unlikely that it will be open to self-hosting podcasters.
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@js @dave The business model means it won’t be open. You send Apple the m3u8 playlist (only) through the existing subscription API. That way, Apple knows who to bill for the dynamic ads, which they will charge for.
Without any mechanism of billing, I see it as unlikely that it will be open to self-hosting podcasters.
