‘Apple today announced a transformative update coming to Apple Podcasts this spring that will bring advanced video podcast capabilities to the app. This enhanced video podcast experience uses Apple’s industry-leading HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology’

they did it!

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/02/apple-introduces-a-new-video-podcast-experience-on-apple-podcasts/

but... not through RSS (sad trombone) which remains mov/mp4/etc only

https://podcasters.apple.com/support/5593-how-to-publish-video

weak sauce - but it makes sense given that Apple is receiving a video from the hosting provider and HLSifying it and hosting it themselves, and they don't own the RSS feed

@js what a weird choice the API thing... why not just RSS?

@Barredo maybe they want to host it for performance and ad selling reasons

@manton agreed

they are hosting and taking a cut of ad impressions

@js ohhhh, yeah. I can see that happening...

@manton @js but will they host the videos (a future huge can of worms for Apple) or just manage the HLS requests?

@Barredo @manton

unclear, they are starting with only 4 partners

easiest way to think about Apple's HLS video at the moment is like Apple premium content

host uploads to them, they host it, not available at all to third party players or represented in the RSS feed at all

@js That was my thought as well. I was really hoping for alt enclosure.

even better, it's kind of like a "private alternate enclosure"

@js I can't really believe this is the end of the story. This feature is "Publishing" video on Apple Podcasts. I still think they will add support for <podcast:alternateEnclosure> video playback now that the HLS pipeline is in the app.

@dave exactly this seems like a safe first step with four partners. If it goes well, they can open it up to the random Internet later.

@js Yes. They've been very consistent lately with their support of the open way of doing things. Even when it was a totally thrown in cherry on top. It'll happen.

@dave i'd imagine a big selling point to this first launch is the cut of ad revenue. This would go out the window if they supported any HLS in the RSS feed.

@js maybe I'm just turning cynical, but I have zero hope that Apple will adopt an open alternative here. It would be so easy to offer an alternative enclosure tag with an HLS link, but that's not the direction they went.

Spotify and YouTube are doing the same thing.

@js @dave if the HLS stream downloadable like any mp3? Does this allow saving the video file for archiving and offline playing?

If not, it should not be named podcast and not ve implemented in podcast apps.

@js @dave I’m inclined to believe Apple will never open up anything to anyone anymore. On the one hand, they’re hosting the videos so they can argue that’s to make the experience better.

On the other hand for each ad spot served they get services revenue which is their only growth. Don’t expect openness when it would reduce revenue.

@pl @js I don’t think it’s that simple. If the only thing that mattered to Apple was revenue, they would’ve never supported podcasting in the first place, since for most of its existence, Apple never made a dime off podcasting.

@pl @js The podcast team inside of Apple is a vestigial organ. They have always had a different, more collaborative outlook than the rest of the company.

@pl @js I truly believe the people on that team want to support open RSS innovation. If it becomes obvious ,at some point that they don’t, then I’ll be disappointed.

@lutindiscret @dave hls can be downloaded in general, but only apple podcasts will have access to the underlying hls url.

@dave @js I beg to differ.

Since iOS 14.5, Apple does essentially own the "RSS feed" in Apple Podcasts because they proxy the feed and serve only from their proxy. HLS video is now another thing they will host through their proxy.

Even their chapter support relies on MP3 chapters first and uses their proprietary "timed links" instead of the open standards of chapter links (legacy or P2.0).

I see Apple using open tech to build proprietary solutions.

@theDanielJLewis @dave @js This isn’t how any of this works.

@dave @js Apple basically released its podcasting apparatus in the last millennium. The company is fundamentally different in 2026. It has released premium gated podcasts that are thoroughly closed. It’s releasing this, which is thoroughly closed. It’s two things already. The vestigial organ has one mission: make us new services revenue.

@js @dave The business model means it won’t be open. You send Apple the m3u8 playlist (only) through the existing subscription API. That way, Apple knows who to bill for the dynamic ads, which they will charge for.

Without any mechanism of billing, I see it as unlikely that it will be open to self-hosting podcasters.

@james @dave

at the moment, yes, but at some point...

https://podcastindex.social/@js/116082749846630253