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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 whateve

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.
    - howinteresting 4y ago
      What? Something historically being named after an Apple product doesn't make it Apple's ecosystem. I've used Pocket Casts on Android for many years, and before that on iOS. I don't even know what the Apple podcast app looks like -- I carefully chose a podcast player that wouldn't lock me into its ecosystem. Podcasts have always been an open ecosystem, one that I greatly appreciate.
- dkonofalski 4y ago
  >Moreover, you physically can't leave, because your listeners won't follow you to your new hosting service. This is patently not true. I've had to do this after a podcast host had an outage and our followers moved over because we posted on social that there was a new feed. Joe Rogan's followers moved to Spotify just fine after he removed all other traces of his show. It's not great but you're literally getting what you pay for.
  - bastawhiz 4y ago
    As I said, this literally doesn't apply to Apple's own service, as they don't use RSS feeds. It works with every other hosting service.
    - dkonofalski 4y ago
      They don't need to. We didn't either since the server hosting the RSS feed was down. You just tell your subscribers to move on whatever platforms you're advertising on.
  - ryanbrunner 4y ago
    I'm assuming it wasn't anywhere close to 100% though, which a simple 301 redirect would give you. Every podcast host I'm aware of would be happy to do that for you.
    - dkonofalski 4y ago
      That wasn't possible as the host was completely down. I'm not sure if it was 100% but we had more followers on the new platform than the old one within the first month so most of them must have followed.
timerol 4y ago
It's perfectly reasonable for a user to pay a big company for hosting, and then delete their local copies, since they paid for hosting. And then assume that, because their data is publicly available, that they'll be able to download that information. Getting your photos off of Instagram is easy, according to the top 10 search results for "Instagram photo downloader". But even then, the distinction that you're not paying Instagram for hosting is notable.
- greedo 4y ago
  All the podcasters I know of DON'T delete their master versions, because podcast hosts routinely have issues where they have to re-upload files.
- duxup 4y ago
  > and then delete their local copies I don’t understand this practice. Why would you delete your own local content you probably took time to create and care about….? This strikes me as just a novice computer user type thing.
  - pwinnski 4y ago
    Or your computer crashed and you're having to rebuild from a failed backup. Or you're traveling away from your backups and need access. Or you upload from one device and usually download to your archive on another device. There are more scenarios in heaven and earth than I could possibly list here.
    - duxup 4y ago
      None of that was described by the author. I have trouble believing they think of it as a backup service… If they do I think it is just another misunderstanding on the author’s part.
      - pwinnski 4y ago
        That you can't think of a single scenario in which people might want to rely on the previously-uploaded copies of a large binary files is one thing. That you dismiss the several I came up with off the top of my head is another.
ryanbrunner 4y ago
In addition to the audio, there's also show specific metadata like episode names, summaries, and show notes, which can get pretty comprehensive. It would maybe be a smart idea to have a copy of those outside of your hosting provider, but that's not common. The bigger thing though is less about the data and more about your listeners. If you move to another podcast host, it's obviously important that your existing listeners move with you, and every public podcast host I'm aware of will happily redirect your feeds (as mentioned in the article) With Apple you have to ask people to move, and asking people to take an action is necessarily going to involve a lot of churn and confusion.

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.
  - howinteresting 4y ago
    What? Something historically being named after an Apple product doesn't make it Apple's ecosystem. I've used Pocket Casts on Android for many years, and before that on iOS. I don't even know what the Apple podcast app looks like -- I carefully chose a podcast player that wouldn't lock me into its ecosystem. Podcasts have always been an open ecosystem, one that I greatly appreciate.
dkonofalski 4y ago
>Moreover, you physically can't leave, because your listeners won't follow you to your new hosting service. This is patently not true. I've had to do this after a podcast host had an outage and our followers moved over because we posted on social that there was a new feed. Joe Rogan's followers moved to Spotify just fine after he removed all other traces of his show. It's not great but you're literally getting what you pay for.
- bastawhiz 4y ago
  As I said, this literally doesn't apply to Apple's own service, as they don't use RSS feeds. It works with every other hosting service.
  - dkonofalski 4y ago
    They don't need to. We didn't either since the server hosting the RSS feed was down. You just tell your subscribers to move on whatever platforms you're advertising on.
- ryanbrunner 4y ago
  I'm assuming it wasn't anywhere close to 100% though, which a simple 301 redirect would give you. Every podcast host I'm aware of would be happy to do that for you.
  - dkonofalski 4y ago
    That wasn't possible as the host was completely down. I'm not sure if it was 100% but we had more followers on the new platform than the old one within the first month so most of them must have followed.

timerol 4y ago

It's perfectly reasonable for a user to pay a big company for hosting, and then delete their local copies, since they paid for hosting. And then assume that, because their data is publicly available, that they'll be able to download that information. Getting your photos off of Instagram is easy, according to the top 10 search results for "Instagram photo downloader". But even then, the distinction that you're not paying Instagram for hosting is notable.

greedo 4y ago
All the podcasters I know of DON'T delete their master versions, because podcast hosts routinely have issues where they have to re-upload files.
duxup 4y ago
> and then delete their local copies I don’t understand this practice. Why would you delete your own local content you probably took time to create and care about….? This strikes me as just a novice computer user type thing.
- pwinnski 4y ago
  Or your computer crashed and you're having to rebuild from a failed backup. Or you're traveling away from your backups and need access. Or you upload from one device and usually download to your archive on another device. There are more scenarios in heaven and earth than I could possibly list here.
  - duxup 4y ago
    None of that was described by the author. I have trouble believing they think of it as a backup service… If they do I think it is just another misunderstanding on the author’s part.
    - pwinnski 4y ago
      That you can't think of a single scenario in which people might want to rely on the previously-uploaded copies of a large binary files is one thing. That you dismiss the several I came up with off the top of my head is another.

ryanbrunner 4y ago

In addition to the audio, there's also show specific metadata like episode names, summaries, and show notes, which can get pretty comprehensive. It would maybe be a smart idea to have a copy of those outside of your hosting provider, but that's not common. The bigger thing though is less about the data and more about your listeners. If you move to another podcast host, it's obviously important that your existing listeners move with you, and every public podcast host I'm aware of will happily redirect your feeds (as mentioned in the article) With Apple you have to ask people to move, and asking people to take an action is necessarily going to involve a lot of churn and confusion.