Podcasting’s Missing Link
Podcast apps are browsers for audio, but they still can't follow a link. Here's what it would take to fix that.
Nathan Gathright
Nathan Gathright is a product designer advocating for the open podcasting ecosystem.
Latest posts
Podlink’s Next Chapter
Today, I’m thrilled to share that Spotify has returned Podlink to my care! After four and a half years, Podlink is back with its original founder, and I’m excited about what’s ahead. In August 2018, I launched Podlink to help podcasters share their shows
Introducing Episodes.fm
I launched Podlink in 2018 to make sharing links to the podcasts you love easier. I sold it at the end of 2020, and Spotify laid me off in 2023, but I still wanted to iterate on that mission. Today, I’m excited to announce an early preview of
Examining Update Frequency: Two Years Later
In April 2021, Apple Podcasts let podcasters specify an Update Frequency to help listeners know how often podcasts plan to update their show with new episodes. Two years later, I wanted to revisit that analysis and propose a way to bring this feature to all podcast apps. Adoption In July
Spotify Podcast Inbox
Spotify’s music recommendations are widely regarded as some of the best in the industry, but that hasn’t led to similar success in podcasting. The consumption patterns are too dissimilar, and to offer better recommendations, our algorithms needed better ways to separate the signal from the noise.
Steno.fm: Transcript-centric podcast app
For many years, I moaned and groaned about the lack of easily accessible transcripts in podcasting. Apps like Descript tempted me to scratch my own itch, but I shelved my idle designs when faced with the economic realities of high-quality transcription. In 2021, I realized that the stars were finally
My Chicago Office
Last fall, I moved to Chicago and had a chance to redesign my remote work setup. This was my first time setting up a dedicated office (as opposed to a corner of the living room ), working fully remote. With a new job and a generous WFH stipend, I invested a
Why is sharing podcast episodes such a pain?
Every time I hear, “find us wherever you get your podcasts,” I’m reminded of how little pride podcasters take in their websites. Reciting their domain name at the end of an episode would surely be the most memorable call-to-action, but the common convention would tell you
A listener’s guide to boostagrams
I dipped my toe into the world of boostagrams, a new way for listeners to support their favorite podcasters.
Leveling-up custom search keywords with JavaScript
Modern browsers have so much hidden complexity that I shouldn't be surprised when I discover something new to me that’s been around for a long time. But imagine my surprise when I realize a feature I thought I knew well was even more powerful than I
Facebook Podcasts
Facebook’s announced their new Podcast Service. Better yet, they’ve released the terms and conditions too! 🤪 Let’s dig in and see if there's anything interesting. ✂️ Podcasters grant Facebook the right to "create derivative works of" their content, which
My Pandemic Workstation
After a few months of the pandemic, I decided that working from my kitchen table wasn’t going to be a sufficient long-term solution. I cancelled my co-working space membership, re-arranged my living room, and built out a functional space for myself. Desk After looking around for a desk
A simple guide to recording your USB microphone in social audio apps
With all the buzz around social audio apps like Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces, there’s a lot of people looking to improve their audio quality on iOS. But if you’re not a professional podcaster, introducing XLR cables and audio interfaces to your setup might be a bridge
What do Apple’s new subscriptions mean for podcast advertising?
Apple’s recently announcement that publishers will be able to offer premium subscriptions to listeners has people curious about what this means for podcast advertising. Let’s dive into the specifics. Publishers can choose between free, freemium, or paid Apple Podcasts has always supported free shows, but they
Understanding Apple Podcasts’ new 2×2 grid
Yesterday, Justin Jackson took a stab at renaming the confusing new options in Apple Podcasts Connect. There has to be a way of delineating these two a regular public show, which is based on an RSS feed, hosted elsewhere off of Apple. And a premium subscription show. I’m