Celebrate the Longevity of RSS!
In the digital landscape, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) continues to play a significant role as a tool for distributing and managing content, particularly for blogs and podcasts. Despite the rise of social media and other content platforms, RSS remains valued for its independence and flexibility, allowing users to subscribe to content directly without relying on centralized platforms.
However, the influence of big tech companies is evident in how content is consumed and monetized. These tech giants, including Apple, Google, and Amazon, have made moves to enclose the podcast commons, potentially diverting revenue away from traditional RSS models.
The podcast industry heavily relies on RSS to distribute episodes across various platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Big tech companies exert their control over this industry by managing major distribution channels. For instance, Apple Podcasts and Spotify require RSS feeds to list podcasts, but these companies also offer additional services like hosting and monetization that can impact the traditional RSS model.
Spotify, identified as one of the egregious actors in this process, has been accused of squeezing independent blogs and websites for an increasingly large part of their revenue. This shift towards proprietary platforms can redirect revenue and affect the traditional RSS model.
While RSS itself is primarily a distribution technology, podcast monetization often involves ads and sponsorships, which big tech companies can influence through their platforms. Some platforms offer alternative monetization methods, such as subscription-based models or dynamic ad insertion, affecting traditional revenue streams.
Moreover, big tech's involvement in podcasting has improved discovery and accessibility, making podcasts more mainstream. However, this also means that the way podcasts are discovered and consumed is increasingly controlled by these large companies.
The illustrated history of RSS, created by [A. McNamee] and [A. Service], serves as a reminder that RSS is not dead (yet). Despite being mostly forgotten, some remember it as the backbone of the podcast industry, serving content to millions of users, mostly unaware of its origins in the 90s.
In the face of these challenges, independent creators and content providers must navigate the complexities of the digital landscape. Cory Doctorow, in a keynote speech at Supercon, discussed the impact of big tech on the internet and provided insights on how to reverse the negative effects. As the battle for control of the internet continues, the resilience of RSS and the creativity of independent content providers remain crucial.
Data-and-cloud-computing technologies are being utilized by big tech companies to control the podcast industry, as they offer additional services like hosting and monetization that can impact the traditional RSS model. In this digital landscape, the influence of technology, particularly big tech companies, is evident in how content is monetized and distributed, including podcasts, which often involve ads and sponsorships that can be affected through their platforms.
