Podcast Standards Project Proposes Unified Feed For Audio And Video.

The Podcast Standards Project, a group of industry members focused on preserving open podcasting by innovating new features for the RSS standard, says the growing focus on video podcasts requires some changes to keep up with the times. 

“The old iTunes paradigm of separate feeds for audio and video is outdated,” says Transistor co-founder Justin Jackson, who is a member of the group. He says the group is instead proposing a new paradigm that would have an audio-first RSS feed, with an alternate enclosure for streaming video. “This ensures that podcasters don’t split their audience between two feeds and allows them to publish a video podcast to open RSS apps,” Jackson says in a blog post.

The Podcast Standards Project the goal of bringing the two formats together being achieved through the use of HLS—or HTTP Live Streaming. It is an adaptive bitrate streaming protocol developed by Apple. Unlike traditional file downloads, HLS breaks media into small segments that are typically two to ten seconds apiece. That allows consumers to stream video without downloading entire files, while allowing the playback quality to automatically adjust to the user’s internet connection speed. It also doesn’t require consumers to download large video files to their device, which can eat up valuable storage space. Under this setup, a creator would upload video episodes to their hosting platform, which would then be encoded in formats compatible with HLS. 

“We know from our creator surveys, that podcasters want to do video, and that they want to distribute their video everywhere. There’s an appetite for more podcast platforms to support video podcasts beyond YouTube,” says Helen Ryles, Head of Customer Success at Transistor in the post.

Even though the focus is on video, the proposed changes could also benefit audio-only podcasts. Jackson points to “significant advantages,” including the use of adaptive bitrate audio streaming, which automatically adjusts sound quality based on network speed. This allows for high-quality audio on fast connections and smooth, uninterrupted playback on slower ones.

There are also potential advantages for podcasters when it comes to measurement. Supporters say the changes could enable detailed analytics on actual playback—such as how long listeners engage, where they drop off, and which parts are replayed. This would give creators and hosting providers YouTube-level insights while preserving the open, decentralized nature of RSS podcasting.

“I have a feeling this delivery will go hand in hand with video HLS to provide more accurate measurement for not only content, but ad impressions as well,” SoundStack Chief Strategy Officer Rockie Thomas says in the post.

Jackson says the Podcast Standards Project is already working on developing a spec for HLS video streaming in podcast RSS feeds. And he says several hosting providers are planning to build out prototypes to give the industry an idea of how it will look before being deployed. He notes some apps like Pocket Casts already support HLS streaming, but the main focus is getting Apple Podcasts onboard to support their effort. “We think it would be especially beneficial to them for expanding Apple TV+ and offering video as bonus content in Podcast Subscriptions,” Jackson says.

The Podcast Standards Project may know where it wants to do, but Jackson acknowledges there remains some issues that still need to be worked out, especially around bandwidth costs for hosting platforms. But he says it is critical, as video is more of the industry’s focus. 

“If we don’t nail this, we’ll be essentially telling podcasters that their only real options for podcast video are YouTube and Spotify,” Jackson says.