If you listen to podcasts, you’ve probably been doing it through Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Maybe it’s what came pre-installed on your phone, or maybe you use the app for music too, and so it just makes sense. But here’s the thing: those platforms are quietly reshaping podcasting—and not necessarily for the better.
What Is RSS, and Why Does It Matter?
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is the open protocol that makes blog readers and podcast apps work. It lets creators publish updates (like new blog posts or podcast episodes) to a feed that anyone can subscribe to. Before podcasting became platform-dependent, people could, and still can, subscribe to any podcast by pasting its RSS feed into any app that supports it. That’s how podcasting was designed: open, decentralized, and platform-agnostic.
Want a more detailed explanation? aboutfeeds.com breaks this down beautifully.
If you’re using a third-party podcast app like AntennaPod (Android), Overcast, or Pocket Casts (iOS), you can listen to any podcast, regardless of whether it’s been approved/added to their library by Spotify or Apple. You’re connecting directly to the creator’s feed with no middleman. And using these apps, you can still subscribe and have new episodes pushed directly to your phone! The experience is virtually the same.
But when you listen through Spotify or Apple Podcasts, you’re adding an extra layer. That layer comes with strings.
What Happens When You Add a Middleman?
- Censorship by omission: If a podcast doesn’t align with a platform’s rules, or it’s too political, controversial, or niche, the platform might not include it in its podcast library for you to find while browsing or searching. You as a user lose access, even though the podcast is still freely available via RSS on the broader internet.
- Advertising control: Existing on a platform like Spotify means that the platform can inject their own ads into podcast episodes, similar to how YouTube can put ads in front of even un-monetized videos. These ads don’t benefit the creator, and they’re not part of the original content.
- Data hoarding: Spotify and Apple collect detailed listener data including who you are, when you listen, and how long you listen. This information is then owned by the middleman, and they have complete control over what parts and how much of it they share with the podcast creators.
As Cory Doctorow laid out in this excellent thread, this is how open systems get enclosed. Big platforms create convenience, and then they can use that leverage to take over.
So, why Do Podcasters Use Spotify or Apple?
To be fair, platforms offer a few things creators genuinely like:
- Discovery: Apple and Spotify have large user bases. Being listed there can help new listeners find your show. Think about how often your favorite podcast asks you to leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
- Built-in monetization: These platforms may offer tools for running ads or setting up subscriptions.
- Subscriber data: Traditional RSS-based podcasting relies mostly on download numbers, which are anonymous and don’t always reflect whether someone ACTUALLY listened, just that their app downloaded the file. Platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts can give podcasters a more detailed picture of their audience, which can be useful when seeking advertisers or sponsors.
But these come at a cost: creators have to give up control over distribution, audience relationships, and sometimes even content.
Want to Listen More Directly?
Here’s how to follow your favorite podcasts using RSS instead:
- Download a podcast app that supports RSS feeds.
- Android: AntennaPod (I use this one; it’s free and open-source)
- iOS: Overcast or Pocket Casts
- Find the podcast’s RSS feed.
- Many podcasters link to it on their website.
- If not, check https://podcastindex.org to search by show name.
- Paste the RSS link into your app.
- In most apps, look for an “Add feed” or “Add by URL” option.
- Paste the link, hit subscribe, and you’re in.
That’s it. You’re now connected directly to the source—no platform middlemen, no algorithmic meddling, no gatekeeping.
Podcasting doesn’t have to be another walled garden, to borrow Cory Doctorow’s metaphor. RSS still works. It’s simple, it’s proven, and it’s free. Use it.
Bonus: Want to know what an RSS feed actually looks like? It’s really just a big document formatted as XML that includes a description, metadata, and a link to the audio file for each podcast episode. A Github user created an example RSS feed you can view here. It might look a little complicated, but there are many tools and web services out there that will let you create and edit your own RSS feed without having to manually format an XML document. It’s not only for the tech geeks, PROMISE!
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