Two years ago at FOSDEM, I gave a talk titled “How Podcasting 2.0 Will Save the Open Internet”. I’ll be honest—it was partly a bluff. But it turns out I was right. Today, we are here to celebrate the victory of open standards in podcasting.

Podcasting 2.0, launched in 2020 to revitalize a stagnant ecosystem, introduced innovations like transcripts, funding tags, and social interaction features. These weren’t just tools; they empowered creators, listeners, and developers while keeping podcasting open and decentralized.

In a surprising turn, even Apple—long resistant to adopting anything "not invented here"—embraced the Podcasting 2.0 DTD specification in April 2024, bringing transcription features to its platform.

This was a milestone for open standards and open source. Transcriptions improve accessibility for millions, while also boosting SEO, content discoverability, and personalized recommendations. Through Castopod—one of the first platforms to implement Podcasting 2.0 features.

A grassroots, open-source movement is reshaping an entire industry.

But this victory is just the beginning. Together, let us explore how the lessons of Podcasting 2.0 can be applied to other areas, ensuring that technology remains open, accessible, and collaborative.

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