Ask HN: Apple defacto removed open access to their Podcast index. What now?
Apple has replaced its open podcast listing with a new web app, limiting access to a full index, which may negatively impact the podcast ecosystem and raise concerns about its market dominance.
Apple has recently removed its open listing of all podcasts, which was previously accessible at a specific URL, and replaced it with a new Apple Podcasts web app. This change means that the old URLs now redirect to the new app, but there is no longer a comprehensive index available for users. Instead, only category pages with a limited number of podcasts and a search function are provided, making it difficult to systematically access all podcasts. This shift could pose challenges for the podcast ecosystem, as many directories relied on Apple's index to build and maintain their services. While existing directories can still crawl RSS feeds, new podcasts are likely to be submitted primarily to Apple and a few other major platforms. This situation raises concerns about whether Apple is misusing its dominant position in the podcast market and leaves users searching for alternative ways to access a complete podcast index.
- Apple has replaced its open podcast listing with a new web app, limiting access to a full index.
- The new app only offers category pages with a few podcasts and a search function.
- This change may negatively impact the podcast ecosystem and independent directories.
- Concerns have been raised about Apple's dominance in the podcast market.
- Users are seeking alternative methods to access a comprehensive podcast index.
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