Antennapod: Podcastindex.org integration/search

[AbelLykens]

Checklist

• [x] I have used the search function to see if someone else has already submitted the same feature request.
• [x] I will only create one feature request per issue.
• [x] I will describe the problem with as much detail as possible.

System info

App version: 1.8.2 (F-Droid)

Feature description

Adding podcasts now uses the Apple podcast index (I think). I would like the new PodcastIndex.org as an option for search. Other apps are implementing this too.

Added benefit is that AntennaPod could (later) use PodcastIndex.org to poll for feed updates, as the platform provides this service, too, leasing to near-realtime feed updates.

Suggested solution:
Podcastindex allows for developer accounts and API keys at https://api.podcastindex.org/signup . Documentation is at https://api.podcastindex.org/developer_docs . This feature would allow to search the open PodcastIndex.org database.

Screenshots / Drawings / Technical details:
n/a

[keunes]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. Wasn't sure about th costs or license, but is seems it's a project with an open spirit:

Promise

The core, categorized index will always be available for free, for any use

Financing

The core Podcast Index is financed by its founders and stakeholders: Podcasters, Developers and Listeners

Corporate interests and advertising are antithetical to our business

Podcast Index LLC strives to grow by providing enhanced API services of value to developers and organizations

Help us out...

None of this is free. If you get any value from this project, or if you just believe in it and want to help us out with hosting fees and paying the bills, a donation of any amount would be great.

Project is on GH here: https://github.com/Podcastindex-org

[ByteHamster]

To be honest, that service looks more like a typical commercial start-up to me. They have website and funding but their GitHub is mostly empty. Also, they require API keys (which would not work on F-Droid). Looks like they plan to develop their own podcast aggregator (but the repo is completely empty) - why is this needed for an index? To me, the whole project feels like they want to be just another commercial podcasting platform.

I hope that I am wrong. Before integrating with the service, I want to see in what direction it is going.

[AbelLykens]

All great questions. I can weigh in a bit here I think.

• They only just started, some weeks ago; explains low code volume.
• Adam Curry (aka The Podfather aka The Guy That gave the original podcast index to Apple) is involved and wants to keep this open. They will release the archive (torrent probably).
• They index feeds and episodes. Their crawlers will do the feed updating/parsing, meaning podcast players can focus on The Fun Stuff (eg making good podcast experiences) instead of all kind of weird parsing work ;). The PodcastIndex will notify in a pubsub-way that new eps are available.
• API keys are to allow for more features (for example an API key owner can block some results from showing up in searches done BY that API key, if they want that)
• They will have costs, which is why they have an LLC I think (also to receive donations).

I suggest listening to the creators in their podcast "Podcasting 2.0" http://mp3s.nashownotes.com/pc20rss.xml where they explain it :).

Thanks for considering!

[tonytamsf]

I tried to look for their terms of service to check for

1) max api request rate per day/hour
2) their coverage of Podcasts, ( countries and language coverage )
3) privacy

[keunes]

And the related podcast feed: http://mp3s.nashownotes.com/pc20rss.xml

[keunes]

@tonytamsf If you didn't find any, maybe you could create an issu in their API docs repo?

[adamc199]

Hi, I'm a the co-founder of podcastindex.org We are a partnership (LLC) with three people and are funding this project ourselves with donations from the podcast community. This funding model has served us well with other podcast projects over the past 13 years. We are NOT some VC backed outfit.

Our missions, goals and promises are on our landing page:

• Preserve Podcasting as a platform for free speech

• re-tool Podcasting as a Platform of value.

We are community driven. If devs feel there is reason for a detailed TOS, then let's discuss, we have no set agenda either way.

Please open an issue on our github (currently most entries are at api-docs) so all stake holders can weigh in. Also makes it easier for my partner Dave Jones to address specific technical questions.

AC

[AbelLykens]

@adamc199 will try to answer the questions of @tonytamsf

max api request rate per day/hour

No current limit

their coverage of Podcasts, ( countries and language coverage )

Everything. Free to submit. All feeds are allowed. Filtering could happen at the consumer side of the API, eg: the podcast player apps.

privacy

Database will be open to all.

[ByteHamster]

@adamc199 thank you very much for commenting here!

I must say that I do not like the idea of having a central service that performs feed parsing and acts as the only data source. In my opinion, podcasts should be used in a distributed way where applications fetch feeds directly from the creators. For AntennaPod, I do not want to go all-in and only rely on a single platform for things like feed parsing.

Nevertheless, I think that we can include Podcastindex.org as a source for the search function. A problem I see with the search function is that a completely open directory where everyone can submit feeds (like Podcastindex.org) can quickly become full of duplicates. I have asked in the docs-api repo how you plan to deal with this.

[adamc199]

Thanks. I understand your concerns. You will find in our community we are all thinking and starting to work on a distributed index, perhaps DHT, but we already have a IPFS running on our personal systems.

That seems to be the way of the future that everybody wants to go. A lot of issues to work on to get there, but starting with an open resource for all to experiment on is the right path we feel.

Thanks for considering integration and I hope to see you and any other interested Devs working on true decentralization and ability to add great functionality, features, and other functions possibly not thought of yet.

AC

[edwinhere]

@ByteHamster can you consider merging pull request #4435 ?