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This service doesn't give podcast hosts a way to retrieve their own material. It doesn't inform them that they'll be completely locked into Apple's service. If

This service doesn't give podcast hosts a way to retrieve their own material. It doesn't inform them that they'll be completely locked into Apple's service. If creators were aware of this upfront, then sure, I'd say "just don't use it" too.

crazygringo 4y ago
Why would there be any expectation that a podcast distribution service should also serve as a private file archive? And why would podcast hosts even need to retrieve their own material? If there are podcast hosts who don't hold onto their original audio files they had before uploading them, then what are they thinking? That's like sending a project to a client and then deleting your own copy of it. I understand that the author tries to provide an "import from Apple Podcasts" service for convenience, but that's merely a convenience. It really shouldn't be too hard for a podcaster to just re-upload their original audio files and descriptions to a new service. Nobody's "locked in" to anything here as far as I can tell.
- bastawhiz 4y ago
  > It really shouldn't be too hard for a podcaster to just re-upload their original audio files and descriptions to a new service. Nobody's "locked in" to anything here as far as I can tell. If you reupload your audio to a new hosting service, there's no way to have your listeners move to the new service. The listeners need to physically unsubscribe and resubscribe with a new feed. This is a feature of _every single podcast hosting service_ with the exception of Apple. If I bought a bunch of apps on my Samsung phone, and then I wanted to switch to an LG phone, but I couldn't transfer my apps or data—despite the phone running the same OS—that's lock-in. If "having to start over if you want to leave" isn't lock-in, I'm not sure what is. It's an artificial limitation that Apple deliberately put in place and didn't make clear to their customers.
  - CharlesW 4y ago
    > If you reupload your audio to a new hosting service, there's no way to have your listeners move to the new service. That's incorrect. https://podcasters.apple.com/support/3965-how-to-change-hosting-providers https://podcasters.apple.com/support/3965-how-to-change-host...
    - bastawhiz 4y ago
      This doesn't apply to Apple's own hosting, as there is no RSS feed.
- dabernathy89 4y ago
  What a weird attitude. "Why would you ever expect [Business X] to offer [Feature Y] that you, as a potential customer, would like to see?" edit: especially since they are an outlier in the podcast hosting space in this regard!
- freedomben 4y ago
  > I understand that the author tries to provide an "import from Apple Podcasts" service for convenience, but that's merely a convenience. When you run a podcast with thousands or tens of thousands of episodes, each with titles, descriptions, tags, and all other sorts of metadata on top of the mp3, it's not "merely a convenience."
  - crazygringo 4y ago
    There are no podcasts with tens of thousands of episodes. And there are very few with thousands. And if you're at that level of professionalism and popularity then you know what you're doing and this article doesn't apply.
- lmm 4y ago
  > Why would there be any expectation that a podcast distribution service should also serve as a private file archive? And why would podcast hosts even need to retrieve their own material? If it's a podcast distribution service it should be distributing the rss and mp3s. That's what "podcast" means!
moogleii 4y ago
I'm a bit out of the loop but wouldn't hosts have the original source material that they uploaded? Similar to how users have the source images/videos to whatever they upload to TikTok and Instagram? I suspect neither offer an export either. Additionally, the author complains that an Apple Podcast user has to go through the app (and all its restrictions), but again, not that different from Instagram posts. As a user, you must go through Instagram to see photos. These users aren't there just for generic hosting, but also for the network effects. For those that want generic hosting, there are other more appropriate services, like google photos or maybe Flickr (or self hosting). I'm not arguing the Podcasts/Instagram model is better, just that there is fairly old precedent, so the purported shock value seems pretty low.
- bastawhiz 4y ago
  Author here. > wouldn't hosts have the original source material that they uploaded As far as I'm aware, Apple never resurfaces the audio after it's uploaded, even in your dashboard. Even if they did, making someone manually download and reupload every asset for potentially hundreds of episodes is sadistic. Moreover, you physically can't leave, because your listeners won't follow you to your new hosting service. > These users aren't there just for generic hosting, but also for the network effects. The network effects are limited to an app with only 40% of the market. Outside the US, that number is even smaller. > just that there is fairly old precedent Every podcast hosting service ever has allowed you to leave their service.
  - howinteresting 4y ago
    This is all Apple bringing their usual dirty tactics into an ecosystem that has historically been open. Everything Apple does is designed to keep you buying Apple products and services forever.
    - mrkstu 4y ago
      Except that "pod"casts have always been Apple's ecosystem. They've introduced a new product that is less open, but haven't actually stopped supporting the completely open options that have always existed.

crazygringo 4y ago

Why would there be any expectation that a podcast distribution service should also serve as a private file archive? And why would podcast hosts even need to retrieve their own material? If there are podcast hosts who don't hold onto their original audio files they had before uploading them, then what are they thinking? That's like sending a project to a client and then deleting your own copy of it. I understand that the author tries to provide an "import from Apple Podcasts" service for convenience, but that's merely a convenience. It really shouldn't be too hard for a podcaster to just re-upload their original audio files and descriptions to a new service. Nobody's "locked in" to anything here as far as I can tell.

bastawhiz 4y ago
> It really shouldn't be too hard for a podcaster to just re-upload their original audio files and descriptions to a new service. Nobody's "locked in" to anything here as far as I can tell. If you reupload your audio to a new hosting service, there's no way to have your listeners move to the new service. The listeners need to physically unsubscribe and resubscribe with a new feed. This is a feature of _every single podcast hosting service_ with the exception of Apple. If I bought a bunch of apps on my Samsung phone, and then I wanted to switch to an LG phone, but I couldn't transfer my apps or data—despite the phone running the same OS—that's lock-in. If "having to start over if you want to leave" isn't lock-in, I'm not sure what is. It's an artificial limitation that Apple deliberately put in place and didn't make clear to their customers.
- CharlesW 4y ago
  > If you reupload your audio to a new hosting service, there's no way to have your listeners move to the new service. That's incorrect. https://podcasters.apple.com/support/3965-how-to-change-hosting-providers https://podcasters.apple.com/support/3965-how-to-change-host...
  - bastawhiz 4y ago
    This doesn't apply to Apple's own hosting, as there is no RSS feed.
dabernathy89 4y ago
What a weird attitude. "Why would you ever expect [Business X] to offer [Feature Y] that you, as a potential customer, would like to see?" edit: especially since they are an outlier in the podcast hosting space in this regard!
freedomben 4y ago
> I understand that the author tries to provide an "import from Apple Podcasts" service for convenience, but that's merely a convenience. When you run a podcast with thousands or tens of thousands of episodes, each with titles, descriptions, tags, and all other sorts of metadata on top of the mp3, it's not "merely a convenience."
- crazygringo 4y ago
  There are no podcasts with tens of thousands of episodes. And there are very few with thousands. And if you're at that level of professionalism and popularity then you know what you're doing and this article doesn't apply.
lmm 4y ago
> Why would there be any expectation that a podcast distribution service should also serve as a private file archive? And why would podcast hosts even need to retrieve their own material? If it's a podcast distribution service it should be distributing the rss and mp3s. That's what "podcast" means!

moogleii 4y ago

I'm a bit out of the loop but wouldn't hosts have the original source material that they uploaded? Similar to how users have the source images/videos to whatever they upload to TikTok and Instagram? I suspect neither offer an export either. Additionally, the author complains that an Apple Podcast user has to go through the app (and all its restrictions), but again, not that different from Instagram posts. As a user, you must go through Instagram to see photos. These users aren't there just for generic hosting, but also for the network effects. For those that want generic hosting, there are other more appropriate services, like google photos or maybe Flickr (or self hosting). I'm not arguing the Podcasts/Instagram model is better, just that there is fairly old precedent, so the purported shock value seems pretty low.

bastawhiz 4y ago
Author here. > wouldn't hosts have the original source material that they uploaded As far as I'm aware, Apple never resurfaces the audio after it's uploaded, even in your dashboard. Even if they did, making someone manually download and reupload every asset for potentially hundreds of episodes is sadistic. Moreover, you physically can't leave, because your listeners won't follow you to your new hosting service. > These users aren't there just for generic hosting, but also for the network effects. The network effects are limited to an app with only 40% of the market. Outside the US, that number is even smaller. > just that there is fairly old precedent Every podcast hosting service ever has allowed you to leave their service.
- howinteresting 4y ago
  This is all Apple bringing their usual dirty tactics into an ecosystem that has historically been open. Everything Apple does is designed to keep you buying Apple products and services forever.
  - mrkstu 4y ago
    Except that "pod"casts have always been Apple's ecosystem. They've introduced a new product that is less open, but haven't actually stopped supporting the completely open options that have always existed.