Podcasting 2 and Value4Value usher in a new era of podcasting that’s free

A true podcast is based on an open protocol (RSS) that any player can use to subscribe to any show. The creator of the standard, Adam Curry (The Podfather) is back with Podcasting 2.0, which returns podcasts to their open nature built on protocols with new tricks and features (Value4Value, etc.) to take the industry to the next level while returning to its open nature.

You might be wondering, “Why can’t you do this over Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, etc.?” There are two reasons.

The first is it’s not feasible to send someone $0.05 as a thank you for their podcast episode due to transaction fees. The Bitcoin Lightning Network also brings final settlement nearly instantly. Over the Visa rails, it takes six weeks before you can be guaranteed not to have a chargeback. Using Value4Value, listeners and creators have a direct path to monetization.

The second reason is using Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, etc. assumes everyone in the world has access to a credit card and/or bank account. The reality is they don’t. Billions of people around the world don’t have access to a stable banking ecosystem or the Visa network. Podcasting 2.0’s Value4Value system brings a way to monetize your passion regardless of where you’re at in the world and regardless of if you can access a bank. All you need is a Lightning Wallet, and you can participate in commerce.

Fans of podcasting got lucky that Apple kept an open directory for years. It was the only directory. Today, we’ve got a directory from Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon, etc. Podcast Index is an open directory with a promise to remain open as it’s crowdfunded.

When Apple launched the iTunes podcast directory, it became the default directory going forward. Apple’s podcast directory had an API, so it became the default for third-party apps as they came on the market in the years ahead.