Nostr notes by fountain_app

With Fountain for Podcasters you can now publish video directly ...

2026-07-27T11:59:54Z

With Fountain for Podcasters you can now publish video directly to Apple Podcasts.

The feature is available immediately to all existing customers on the Pro plan ($50/month) with no monthly limits.

https://fountain.fm/blog/publish-video-to-apple-podcasts-with-fountain

Thanks! Can you clarify what you mean?

2026-07-10T13:09:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…9j5p
_________________________

Thanks! Can you clarify what you mean?

Sorry to hear that. What do you dislike about the new library ...

2026-07-09T13:51:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…jujd
_________________________

Sorry to hear that. What do you dislike about the new library view?

We’re looking into this for you 👍

2026-07-09T13:50:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…mum8
_________________________

We’re looking into this for you 👍

We’ve supported Android Auto for a while! ...

2026-07-08T18:21:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…ghel
_________________________

We’ve supported Android Auto for a while!

https://fountain.fm/blog/fountain-144---carplay-and-android-auto

Damn, The Paisley Daze are playing to a packed room here at The ...

2026-04-30T20:30:21Z

Damn, The Paisley Daze are playing to a packed room here at The Old Blue Last with many more tuned in live.

Join the stream here: https://fountain.fm/live/

TOMORROW 🚨 Fountain x @nprofile…stfu The Old Blue Last, ...

2026-04-29T15:36:13Z

TOMORROW 🚨

Fountain x Antidote (nprofile…stfu)
The Old Blue Last, London
14:30 ET / 19:30 UK

Join the live stream on Fountain or your favourite Nostr client ↓

https://fountain.fm/live

Fountain 1.5 is live 🌎 Our new home feed delivers a discovery ...

2026-04-27T16:59:55Z

Fountain 1.5 is live 🌎

Our new home feed delivers a discovery experience that feels more curated, more dynamic and more relevant.

See trending notes that include references to podcasts and music from people you follow or anybody on Nostr.

https://fountain.fm/blog/fountain-15---revamped-trending-feed

Most podcast monetization advice is built for the top 1%. More ...

2026-04-15T20:36:42Z

Most podcast monetization advice is built for the top 1%.

More downloads → more ads → more revenue.

Sounds nice. Doesn’t work for most.

Here’s what actually does.

https://fountain.fm/blog/the-honest-truth-about-podcast-monetization-and-why-most-advice-is-wrong

Blockstream announced that the Jade hardware wallet now supports ...

2026-03-18T13:48:54Z

Blockstream announced that the Jade hardware wallet now supports Lightning.

To celebrate this world-first, we're giving one away. To enter:

1⃣ Follow Blockstream (nprofile…hxm7)
2⃣ Repost this note
3⃣ Reply with your color of choice

A winner will be announced on 3/25 at 17:00 UTC.

All lightning payments will be temporarily down between 13:00 - ...

2026-03-17T12:21:55Z

All lightning payments will be temporarily down between 13:00 - 17:00 UTC today while we perform some maintenance work.

Apologies for any disruption. We will let you know when the work has been completed.

Not at the moment, but it’s something we are working on.

2026-03-09T20:55:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…2myk
_________________________

Not at the moment, but it’s something we are working on.

When we go quiet, you can trust that we're working away on ...

2026-03-05T12:10:05Z

When we go quiet, you can trust that we're working away on some major updates.

All will be revealed very 🔜

Do you have a link to this episode @nprofile…umgp?

2026-02-10T20:48:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…r46h
_________________________

Do you have a link to this episode marksea (nprofile…umgp)?

In our upcoming webinar, we will show why deeper listener ...

2026-01-27T12:49:08Z

In our upcoming webinar, we will show why deeper listener engagement drives stronger word-of-mouth, higher retention, and more reliable revenue.

Join us on Thursday 5th Feb to learn how hosting your podcast on Fountain makes it possible (and how to make the shift).

Register: https://riverside.com/webinar/registration/eyJzbHVnIjoibmljay1tYWxzdGVycy1zdHVkaW8iLCJldmVudElkIjoiNjk3MjRmNjI3NGY0MzY1MTczNmZkYTMzIiwicHJvamVjdElkIjoiNjk3MjRmNjI3YjU3ZWVhYjQyMzIyNDdjIn0=

The legacy streaming model was built for the platform, not the ...

2026-01-26T20:37:14Z

The legacy streaming model was built for the platform, not the creator.

RSS + Lightning + Nostr is the new standard for independent music distribution.

With Fountain for Artists, you can take full ownership of your work, your audience, and your income for just $1/month.

quoting
naddr1qv…vc8j

Introducing: Fountain for Artists

The legacy streaming model was built for the platform, not the creator. Between opaque payout formulas and the struggle for algorithmic visibility, artists are often sidelined from the value they create.

We launched Fountain for Artists to return sovereignty to the musician. Fountain is built on open protocols - RSS, Bitcoin, and Nostr - ensuring that your music, your fan relationships, and your earnings are never gated by a single company. Whether you’re a solo producer or a full touring band, Fountain provides the infrastructure to build a sustainable career on your own terms.

With Fountain for Artists, you can now:

Publish and distribute your music to an open, global ecosystem

Earn instantly with direct-to-artist payments from every listener

Cultivate a community through exclusive subscriptions and tiers

Own your data with transparent analytics and audience insights

Manage your team with automated revenue splits for collaborators

](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6Zkh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F788ee8c1-2ef3-47a4-b340-a5950455cbf4_3306x1860.png)

Distribution without compromise

Professional hosting designed for creative autonomy.

Unlimited catalog: Upload your entire discography without artificial limits or recurring per-track fees.

Open standards: We use open protocols so your music remains portable. You aren’t locked into a walled garden, you’re part of the open internet.

](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xYwQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ffbd2f6-bd31-4d55-96d1-84988a170d16_3306x1860.png)

Instant, transparent monetization

Stop waiting for royalty checks. Start earning in real-time.

Instant payments: Listeners support directly from the player. Get paid for every minute listened, or receive one-time payments with a comment (known as “Boosts”).

Automatic splits: Adding collaborators is easy. Set your percentages and your team gets paid automatically and instantly.

](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6e9s!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F11e45af5-2d07-4983-ab85-7b234e3d1bd3_3306x1860.png)

Premium fan experiences

Turn listeners into patrons by launching a paid subscription.

Exclusive releases: Offer bonus tracks, early access, or high-res masters to your most dedicated supporters.

Frictionless payments: Listeners can subscribe with their card through Stripe or use Lightning for instant, low-fee payments.

Direct engagement: Communicate with your supporters without fighting an algorithm for their attention.

](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!76pu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5701dbe8-0f50-40b9-abbc-0f3a961f0adf_3306x1860.png)

Advanced analytics

Elite-level insights to help you grow.

Audience depth: See exactly who and where your fans are, and how they are interacting with your music across the open network.

Revenue tracking: Monitor your earnings across subscriptions, one-time payments, and streaming revenue in one clean dashboard.

](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!BIRX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8bd77fbe-e4ce-4491-bb46-f37dd8526cf7_3306x1860.png)

A new home for your music

Fountain is built to support your vision, not dictate it. Whether you are building a small, dedicated circle of supporters or reaching a global audience, we provide the tools for you to remain independent and in control.

Start today for just $1/month. Create your artist page, publish your music and convert listeners into supporters. Just head to fountain.fm/artists.

For more details on the what and why of Fountain for Artists, check out these articles:

Open Distribution: The Quiet Power of RSS Open Payments: Rewriting the Payout Model for Artists Open Social: How Streaming Forgot the Social Side of Music

Fountain 1.4.4 is now live 📲 We've made some major ...

2025-12-23T15:35:05Z

Fountain 1.4.4 is now live 📲

We've made some major improvements to CarPlay and Android Auto - just in time for your drive home for Christmas.

You can now play podcasts or music saved to your library, or explore recommendations from people you follow on Nostr, all without touching your phone.

Read the full release notes below 👇

quoting
naddr1qv…wqeq

Fountain has always been compatible with CarPlay and Android Auto, but the app has never really been optimised for use when driving. As the world takes to the roads to travel home to their families, we wanted to make some timely improvements to offer the best in-car experience possible.

You can now use your vehicles’s built-in controls to open Fountain and find something to listen to. That might not sound like headline news, but if you who often listen to Fountain in the car, this will be music to your ears.

The Home tab shows your recently played episodes, making it easy to pick up where you left off. You can also explore trending episodes and trending tracks, which are recommendations from other listeners you are following.

The new Library tab now includes Albums, Artists, Episodes, Shows and Tracks. There is also a dedicated page for Downloads, in case you’re driving through area with poor coverage. The Queue tab remains unchanged and works just as it always has.

We’ve also added collection playback to improve listening continuity. When you select an item from an Album, Artist, Trending Tracks, or Tracks page, we’ll now load and play the entire collection starting from your selected item.

Finally, here’s a quick look at Android Auto, which also features library search. The new in-car improvements are available now in version 1.4.4 on iOS and Android.

We would love to hear how you’re finding Fountain. Please submit your thoughts and feedback via the main menu in the app and we will take it on board as we continue to improve the app.

If you want to help test new features out before they get released, you can join Fountain Beta on Telegram. All iOS and Android users welcome.

Wen NWC? Now! Fountain 1.4, is live, and we've completely ...

2025-12-12T17:30:09Z

Wen NWC? Now!

Fountain 1.4, is live, and we've completely redesigned the Fountain wallet, made UX improvements to payments across the app and added some highly-requested features:

💜 Nostr Wallet Connect
⚡️ Pay Lightning Address
⬆️ Withdraw to strike (nprofile…m2qp)
💳 Choose Payment Method

Read more 👇

quoting
naddr1qv…32dg

The first thing you’ll notice after updating is a cleaner, simpler look for the new Fountain wallet. But this wasn’t just about refreshing the design - we’ve added several highly requested features and made user-friendly improvements across every payment surface in the app.

Nostr Wallet Connect

Here we go… the most requested feature of 2025! You can now use an external wallet like Alby or Primal to send and receive payments on Fountain. To connect an external wallet by pasting your the Nostr Wallet Connect String. You can switch between your Fountain wallet and your external wallet at any time.

Choose Amount

The redesigned choose amount screens offer a much smoother and more transparent experience. As you enter an amount, you’ll see the minimum and maximum you can send, as well as the estimated fees that apply.

Pay Lightning Address

You can now pay anyone instantly from Fountain. Enter the recipients Lightning Address or search for their Nostr profile, then add an optional message with your payment. This feature is accessible from the Send options in the Fountain wallet.

Withdraw to Strike

Strike is doing great things, and we are proud to be partnered with them to make moving money between apps more seamless. By popular demand, we’re excited to announce that you can now withdraw to Strike through our Connect Strike feature.

For listeners, connecting Strike allows you to deposit funds to Fountain in your preferred currency without leaving the app. For podcasters and artists, connecting Strike makes it possible to convert your earnings into your preferred currency and send them your bank account.

Choose Payment Method

More podcasts and artists now support card payments, allowing you to pay in your preferred currency through Stripe. You can now choose your payment method when boosting and switch to card whenever it’s supported.

If you’re a podcaster or an artist and you want to make card payments available for your listeners, sign up for Fountain for Podcasters or Fountain for Artists and connect a Stripe Business account.

We would love to hear how you’re finding Fountain. Please submit your thoughts and feedback via the main menu in the app and we will take it on board as we continue to improve the app.

If you want to help test new features out before they get released, you can join Fountain Beta on Telegram. All iOS and Android users welcome.

We now publish Fountain app updates directly to @npub10r8…t2p8. ...

2025-11-03T21:33:06Z

We now publish Fountain app updates directly to Zapstore (npub10r8…t2p8).

For those of you who have been asking us about this for a while, we appreciate your low time preference.

Thanks @npub10r8…t2p8! Please could you remove the previous app ...

2025-11-03T16:28:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…fln6
_________________________

Thanks Zapstore (npub10r8…t2p8)! Please could you remove the previous app listing page so that there’s only one?

Fountain 1.3.10 is live on iOS and Android 📲 The latest update ...

2025-11-02T11:39:08Z

Fountain 1.3.10 is live on iOS and Android 📲

The latest update fixes a few playback and download issues that were reported recently.

Your feedback helps make Fountain better. If there’s anything you would like to share with us, please do so via the main menu in the app.

Calling all podcasters! Join our webinar tomorrow if... • You ...

2025-10-29T22:37:30Z

Calling all podcasters!

Join our webinar tomorrow if...

• You want to stack more sats
• You want to grow your community on Nostr
• Your current hosting provider doesn't help you achieve these goals

🗓️ Thursday 30 October 2025
⏰ 11:00 (US Eastern) | 15:00 (UK)

https://events.zoom.us/ev/AqgPMkmVIkHTIFSDQX0MiWF3RKZZvs7dKoYqlDeW49Dmq0z_cyYn~Aihq3H-_aJPeMP5rUr21V6AiLsQqB_DTFqMHnvbgepQFboN8xyF1qw8gxA

Introducing: Fountain for Podcasters 🚀 Seriously powerful ...

2025-10-27T13:39:21Z

Introducing: Fountain for Podcasters 🚀

Seriously powerful podcast hosting that converts listeners into supporters. Powered by RSS, Lightning and Nostr.

• Host and distribute everywhere
• Add video, chapters and transcripts
• Launch a paid subscription
• Take card payments
• Advanced analytics

Learn more 👇

nostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqefcjf0tldnp7svd337swjlw96906au8q8wcjpcv9k5nd4t3u4wrqyt8wumn8ghj7etyv4hzumn0wd68ytnvv9hxgtcpvemhxue69uhkv6tvw3jhytnwdaehgu3wwa5kuef0dec82c33wc6h2enedq6xc6m9wdkxw7rcvd3kceecvccxs7np0f5xzaehwfehy6rkvech27r6d5exv6ekx33nwvngwpengdtwxpmr20mzwfhkzerrv9ehg0t5wf6k2qprd9h8gun0v36kx6twvukkvmm4de6xz6tw94nx7u3dwphkgcmpwd6x2unnzeqqfm

Nostr, if you would like @nprofile…6dtc to make his podcast ...

2025-10-21T21:03:55Z

Nostr, if you would like jack mallers (nprofile…6dtc) to make his podcast video available in Fountain, zap or comment below 👇

quoting
nevent1q…a2tq
jack mallers (npub1cn4…3vle) can you upload the video version to fountain_app (npub1v5u…n0v5) ? 🙏

Hi Joe, please can you send us a link to the show on Fountain so ...

2025-10-15T05:11:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…vqry
_________________________

Hi Joe, please can you send us a link to the show on Fountain so we can look into this?

Fountain 1.3.7 is live on iOS & Android 📲 🐛 Fixed ...

2025-10-14T20:49:54Z

Fountain 1.3.7 is live on iOS & Android 📲

🐛 Fixed downloads bug on Android
🐛 Fixed Amber signer bug

Nothing to write home about in this update, but there are some big improvements to the wallet and payments coming soon.

Appreciate all your feedback!

We've opened a ticket and will keep an eye on any more errors ...

2025-10-14T08:24:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…8tmu
_________________________

We've opened a ticket and will keep an eye on any more errors like this. Let us know if it continues to happen.

This will be fixed in version 1.3.7, which should be available on ...

2025-10-13T13:35:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…4vk9
_________________________

This will be fixed in version 1.3.7, which should be available on the app stores in the next 48 hours. You can get access to this version in beta earlier if you wish - just let us know and we'll share the link!

Hey - looking into this for you. Will let you know what we find.

2025-10-12T17:29:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…zd6w
_________________________

Hey - looking into this for you. Will let you know what we find.

Hi Jeremy sorry about this. We’re identified the issue and will ...

2025-10-12T17:26:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…6f2q
_________________________

Hi Jeremy sorry about this. We’re identified the issue and will ship a fix as soon as possible. We will let you know when the update is ready.

🫡

2025-10-11T21:10:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…jrne
_________________________

🫡

Aiming to launch NWC support later this month

2025-10-09T19:59:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…e4ke
_________________________

Aiming to launch NWC support later this month

Fortunately, app stores approvals were rapid today and version ...

2025-10-09T19:54:58Z

Fortunately, app stores approvals were rapid today and version 1.3.6 is already available.

If you have experienced any issues with downloads and offline listening recently, please update and let us know if everything is smooth 👍

quoting
nevent1q…mu8s
Fountain 1.3.5 is live on iOS & Android 📲

⚙️ Change font size across the app
🎶 Improved music collection playback
🪪 Profile follow lists

Shipping another update soon to fix some playback bugs reported in the last couple of days.

Appreciate your feedback as always!

Fountain 1.3.5 is live on iOS & Android 📲 ⚙️ Change ...

2025-10-09T19:44:35Z

Fountain 1.3.5 is live on iOS & Android 📲

⚙️ Change font size across the app
🎶 Improved music collection playback
🪪 Profile follow lists

Shipping another update soon to fix some playback bugs reported in the last couple of days.

Appreciate your feedback as always!

Sorry Jimmy - this was a bug we accidentally introduced. It will ...

2025-10-09T12:21:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…rf6g
_________________________

Sorry Jimmy - this was a bug we accidentally introduced. It will be fixed in version 1.3.6, which will be available in the next few days.

You can stream sats every minute on Fountain. While you drive ...

2025-10-08T19:46:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…pw2c
_________________________

You can stream sats every minute on Fountain. While you drive 👍

You can’t create livestreams in Fountain yet, but that’s ...

2025-10-08T19:45:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…nzmj
_________________________

You can’t create livestreams in Fountain yet, but that’s coming soon. For now you can use zap.stream (nprofile…uj7n) and people who follow you will see your stream in Fountain.

Nice! You should consider hosting the podcast on Fountain. ...

2025-10-08T19:43:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…hvce
_________________________

Nice! You should consider hosting the podcast on Fountain. We’re building out a growing list of community and monetization tools.

https://fountain.fm/podcasters

What happened?

2025-10-08T19:39:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…z548
_________________________

What happened?

The way streaming pays artists today is built to serve everyone ...

2025-10-08T13:30:39Z

The way streaming pays artists today is built to serve everyone except the people making the music.

Payments are slow, the economics heavily favor the biggest players, and most artists sit at the end of a chain that extracts value long before they see it.

With Lightning and Value for Value, something different is starting to take shape.

Article by theo (npub19v6…vkdy) 📖

quoting
naddr1qq…78xc

A Model That Needs Fixing

The way streaming pays artists today is built to serve everyone except the people making the music. The payment chain is bloated with middlemen who all take a cut before anything reaches the artist. Major labels, publishers, distributors, and rights organizations have designed a system that protects their positions and locks in their share of revenue.

Beyond that, payouts are often delayed for months, leaving artists waiting while money filters through various parties. And even when payments do finally arrive, the streaming model's reliance on pooled royalty payouts means the money artists receive often has little to do with how many times their fans actually listened to their music.

The result is a structure that protects incumbents, hides where the money goes, and makes it nearly impossible for most independent artists to earn fairly from their own audience.

This post is about what happens when you rebuild that system with something entirely different, using the Lightning Network and Value for Value. The Lightning Network is the payment infrastructure that allows real-time micropayments across RSS feeds.

If you're new to the concept of open distribution, I highly recommend checking out the Fountain blog on Rethinking Music Distribution to dive deeper into how it works.

How the System Was Designed to Benefit the Majors

When streaming first launched, the major labels were quick to secure licensing deals that would protect their dominance. These deals allowed them to dictate how money flowed through the system, ensuring they captured revenue before anyone else. For platforms like Spotify, this was a tradeoff: they needed the major label catalogs to scale quickly and build user bases.

The result was a system built around gatekeeping and control. Instead of simplifying payments from listener to artist, the model inserted layers of intermediaries; labels, distributors, publishers, and collection societies, all with their own cuts and reporting systems. The payout structure prioritizes these organizations at every level.

For independent artists trying to build an audience, this system makes it extremely difficult to grow sustainable income, no matter how loyal their fans might be.

The Broken Logic of Stream Share

Most people assume that when they pay for a Spotify subscription, their money goes to the artists they listen to. But that’s not how the system works.

Streaming platforms like Spotify operate on a stream-share model. Every month, all subscription and ad revenue is collected into a single pool. That pool is then divided based on which songs received the most streams across the entire platform, not based on who each individual user listened to.

If a fan streams your track 100 times, that doesn't automatically increase the amount you receive. Your payout is determined by your share of total platform streams that month. The superstars at the top who rack up billions of plays capture a disproportionate share of the pool. Independent artists with dedicated, smaller audiences end up with very little, even if their listeners are highly engaged.

This model:

Disconnects fans from directly supporting the artists they care about

Rewards mass scale and popularity over connection

Makes it extremely difficult for emerging artists to earn sustainable income

Protects incumbents who already dominate the top of the charts

It’s not a system designed to nurture creativity. It is designed to feed the top, maintain the power structure, and limit upside for everyone else.

The Delay Problem

Even once payouts are calculated, artists still wait weeks or even months to receive what they’ve earned. Distributors often operate on 60 to 90-day payout cycles, adding more delay on top of an already complex system.

This isn’t a technology issue. Platforms can track streams in real-time. The delays exist because of how payments have historically been processed and how many parties are involved in collecting their share before anything reaches the artist.

While streaming services pull in revenue daily, the artists who generate the streams sit at the very end of the line.

How Lightning Unlocks Real-Time Royalties

Now imagine something entirely different.

A fan listens to your song on an app like Fountain. While they listen, small payments, called sats (tiny fractions of Bitcoin), are sent to you right away. There’s no waiting, no complicated royalty system, and no middlemen. You get paid directly, in real-time, as people play your music.

This is the core of Value for Value. The fan decides what your music is worth to them and supports you directly. Unlike platforms like Spotify, where the stream rate is fixed by how much ad revenue and subscribers the platform collects globally, Value for Value allows each listener to pay based on the value they feel they’ve received.

Some people may choose to send small amounts. Others may choose to contribute more depending on the connection they feel with your work. The point is that value moves directly from listener to artist without being filtered or diluted along the way.

Boosts: Another Layer of Direct Support

In addition to automatic payments while streaming, apps like Fountain also let fans send boosts. A boost is simply a one-off payment a listener can send while listening. A way to say "I really value this" at a particular moment. It adds another layer of direct interaction between fan and artist that traditional platforms do not offer.

Boosts are optional, voluntary, and entirely fan-driven. They give the listener more agency and give the artist another form of direct support.

How to Set It Up and Get Paid Instantly

Getting started is simple:

Upload your music to an RSS feed. Use platforms like Fountain or Wavlake to publish your music so it can be streamed via open distribution.

Connect a Lightning wallet. Fountain offers an integrated wallet for artists, or you can use apps like Strike, which are easy to set up with no complex onboarding.

Set your splits if needed. If you work with collaborators, you can easily set up automatic revenue splits so everyone gets paid as streams happen.

Promote your music. Instead of defaulting to Spotify links, start sharing links to Fountain or Wavlake where listeners can directly support you.

Artists and podcasters are already using this model to earn real-time revenue from their audiences. The tools exist. Adoption is growing.

What Happens From Here

The streaming system was never really built with artists in mind. Payments are slow, the economics heavily favor the biggest players, and most artists sit at the end of a chain that extracts value long before they see it.

With Lightning and Value for Value, something different is starting to take shape. A system where artists can earn directly from their audience, where fans have real agency, and where payments happen instantly as the music plays.

This isn’t about crypto hype. It’s about exploring better ways to reward artists for their work. The infrastructure is here. What happens next will depend on how artists, platforms, and builders choose to push it forward.\ \ By theo (nprofile…c906)

Brand new music from @nprofile…rw2x and a brand new podcast ...

2025-10-04T10:43:15Z

Brand new music from nprofile1qqsxwp7rnek98mu5t3wl9xhhsenae9q7mqqffx2t6fj0mqr2dc9ryvqpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduq3yamnwvaz7tmsw4e8qmr9wpskwtn9wvmerw2x (nprofile…rw2x) and a brand new podcast where you can hear the story behind it.

https://fountain.fm/track/mZ8ci07BjsjT5XriuZCv

quoting
nevent1q…0x59
Please enjoy this 15 minute mini pod I recorded with my husband last night, discussing my new song, “God, With You”. ✨♥️
https://fountain.fm/show/GINEeXHPBThZybt0BX0P

Streaming was supposed to democratize music. Instead, it locked ...

2025-10-02T14:46:25Z

Streaming was supposed to democratize music. Instead, it locked creators into a new hierarchy.

You don’t own your audience. You don’t own your data. And unless you're in the top 1%, you barely own your income.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Article by theo (nprofile…c906) 📖

quoting
naddr1qv…ad3c

Why do musicians still need permission to reach their own fans?

Streaming was supposed to democratize music. Instead, it locked creators into a new hierarchy, one where algorithms decide who gets heard, payouts trickle in months late, and artists are cut off from the people who support them most.

You don’t own your audience. You don’t own your data. And unless you're in the top 1%, you barely own your income.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

There’s a technology that’s been working away in the background, powering the open internet for over two decades, letting podcasters and bloggers reach audiences without permission, middlemen, or algorithms. It’s called RSS. And while it wasn’t built for music, it might be the infrastructure that finally puts artists back in control.

The Real Cost of Closed Platforms

For all its convenience, modern music distribution is still built on closed infrastructure.

To get your music heard, you rely on a distributor. That distributor pushes your tracks to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and others. Those platforms then decide, via opaque algorithms, who sees it, when it shows up, and how it’s paid out. Most artists accept this as the cost of exposure. But that exposure comes with serious trade-offs:

Delayed payments: Royalties are most commonly distributed on a quarterly schedule, filtered through multiple layers of intermediaries.

Zero visibility into fan data: You can have 500K monthly listeners and still not know who any of them are.

Algorithmic dependency: A single tweak to a recommendation system can cut your plays in half overnight.

Lack of portability: Your audience lives inside the platform’s walls. You can’t move them, reach them directly, or build with them elsewhere.

These aren’t minor inconveniences, they’re structural constraints designed to keep power centralized. Platforms benefit from locking down user data and controlling the monetization flow. And artists? They get analytics dashboards, not ownership.

Meanwhile, creators in other industries, especially podcasting, have quietly thrived on open infrastructure. Thanks to RSS, podcasters can publish once and syndicate everywhere. They own their feed. They own their relationship with listeners. And no platform gets to decide whether they succeed.

Music has lagged behind, not because the tools don’t exist, but because the business incentives haven’t supported openness.

Until now.

The Artist-First Alternative: Music Via RSS

The solution isn’t another platform, it’s a protocol.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a publishing format that lets you distribute content directly to the open web. It’s how podcasts work: you publish once to your own feed, and anyone using a compatible app can access your content instantly.

For music, that means something radical: You can publish a track, set your own terms, get paid directly by fans, and stay in control of your catalog.

Platforms like Fountain are already proving this works. Artists can upload music to an RSS feed and embed payment instructions using the Lightning Network, enabling direct, instant, global payments to everyone involved in the track, automatically split between artists, producers, and collaborators based on preset percentages. It’s portable. It’s decentralized. And it’s creator-owned.

Compared to traditional streaming:

You own the feed: Not Spotify, not Apple, not some other corporate entity.

You control the revenue: No payout delays or middlemen.

You access your listeners: Not just their streams, but their support and identities (if they choose to share them).

You define your business model: One-time donations, monthly subscriptions -it’s up to you.

But music is more complex than podcasts. It comes with layered rights, splits, and legal protections. That’s why we’ve paired RSS with two powerful tools that make it viable at scale:

Value for Value License

A flexible, open license that defines how your music can be used, shared, and monetized in the RSS ecosystem. It sets expectations, enforces value splits, and prohibits unauthorized use.

Embedded ISRC Codes

Each track includes an ISRC code. A globally recognized ID for sound recordings. These codes serve as proof of authorship, help prevent piracy, and enable future takedowns or legal action if needed.

Together, RSS, the Value for Value license, and embedded ISRC codes form a self-sovereign distribution model. One that isn’t a closed marketplace or a temporary workaround, but a true foundation for an artist-owned future.

How Artists Can Use RSS Today

If you’re an artist looking to distribute music using RSS, here’s how to get started:

Choose a platform that supports music over RSS, such as Fountain or Wavlake . When you upload a track, the platform generates an RSS feed for your catalog. You can add your ISRC codes and V4V license easily through the artist upload page.

Promote your RSS feed directly to fans. Encourage listeners to follow your feed through compatible apps that support streaming payments. This allows them to support you directly using the Lightning Network.

Set value splits in advance. Define percentages for collaborators, producers, and contributors. When payments are made, funds are automatically split and sent to each party.

Common Concerns

Do I need to leave Spotify or Apple Music? No. RSS can run in parallel to existing distribution. You’re not replacing DSPs, you’re creating an additional, direct channel you control.

What if someone copies my track? Embedded ISRCs and licensing metadata help prove authorship and support takedown requests or legal action.

Do fans need Bitcoin? No. Apps like Fountain make it easy for fans to top up with traditional payment methods. The Lightning Network runs in the background

This is an additive step, not an overhaul. It gives you more control without requiring you to abandon your current setup.

Reclaiming the Rails

The core issue isn’t just low payouts or limited visibility, it’s structural dependence. Artists are tied to platforms that control distribution, obscure data, delay payments, and narrow the paths to monetization.

RSS provides a true alternative. It allows artists to publish music directly to the web, reach listeners without platform interference, and receive payments instantly and transparently. With tools like the Value for Value license and embedded ISRC codes, it offers a practical framework for independent, accountable, and scalable distribution.

Tim Berners-Lee said:

> ‍"Data is a precious thing and will last longer than the systems themselves."

Ownership of data, and the ability to control how it flows, is what makes open protocols like RSS powerful.

The infrastructure is already here. What happens next depends on adoption. Artists can start by publishing one track and building one feed. Developers can begin by supporting those feeds and integrating the tools that make them viable. Fans and listeners can begin to support and interact with music they love on host platforms.

The future of music distribution can be artist-owned and protocol-driven. But only if we start using the tools that make it possible.

By theo (nprofile…c906)

Only @nprofile…8u77 will be able to give you the definitive ...

2025-09-28T21:31:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…46rx
_________________________

Only Bugle_News (nprofile…8u77) will be able to give you the definitive verdict

Yes NWC will be coming soon 👍

2025-09-27T14:19:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…lvvl
_________________________

Yes NWC will be coming soon 👍

Hey - previously you reported an issue on Fountain where new ...

2025-09-26T09:58:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…8pw2
_________________________

Hey - previously you reported an issue on Fountain where new episodes from shows you follow were not appearing in your library. We made some backend improvements this week and through our internal testing we are confident that this issue should now be fixed. If you continue to experience this issue, just let us know!

If you only upload your full video podcast to X, YouTube and ...

2025-09-25T12:21:05Z

If you only upload your full video podcast to X, YouTube and Nostr, you’re missing out.

Here are some popular shows using Fountain to publish video to their RSS feed:

TFTC: A Bitcoin Podcast TFTC (nprofile…kxcv)
THE Bitcoin Podcast Titcoin (nprofile…rsvz)
What Bitcoin Did Danny (nprofile…2vts)
Ben Wehrman Podcast benwehrman (nprofile…08fs)
Rabbit Hole Recap RabbitHoleRecap (nprofile…raye)
Free Cities Podcast Timothy (nprofile…l93d)
Presidio Bitcoin PresidioBitcoin (nprofile…3skh)
State of Bitcoin greencandleit (nprofile…9cu4)
Stacker News Live stackernews (nprofile…8syn)
All In Bitcoin All in Bitcoin (nprofile…9wl9)
Bitcoin Veterans Bitcoin Veterans (nprofile…2me9)
Once Bitten! A Bitcoin Podcast Danielprince (nprofile…hg79)

Join them 👉 fountain.fm/podcasters

Normal conferences: Raise your hand and hope the mic comes your ...

2025-09-20T13:37:33Z

Normal conferences:
Raise your hand and hope the mic comes your way.

bsebtc@bsebtc.co.uk (nprofile…kslc):
Zap your questions and comments straight to the big screen.

Mic drop 🎤

What was your wallet balance at the time of zapping?

2025-09-05T17:31:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…6f2u
_________________________

What was your wallet balance at the time of zapping?

Sorry about this. We are treating this as high priority and will ...

2025-09-02T08:46:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…gzqs
_________________________

Sorry about this. We are treating this as high priority and will let you know once the issue has been resolved.

You can now search for a Fountain lightning address or npub. ...

2025-08-19T11:07:55Z

You can now search for a Fountain lightning address or npub.

Thanks shawn (nprofile…jraf) for the feature request 👊

quoting
nevent1q…5yxy
fountain_app (nprofile…7u5r) need to be able to search by fountain address in app.

Fountain 1.3 is live on iOS & Android 📲 Our latest update ...

2025-08-15T16:12:10Z

Fountain 1.3 is live on iOS & Android 📲

Our latest update makes it easier to discover podcasts and music worth supporting - in the app and on web.

❤️ Likes
🏡 New Home Tab
🔍 Improved Search
🔨 Nostr Infrastructure Upgrades

Here’s what’s new in Fountain 1.3 👇

https://primal.net/Fountain/fountain-13---likes-new-home-tab-improved-search-and-nostr-infrastructure-upgrades

Who wants @nprofile…gw6j to start publishing his vlogs as a ...

2025-08-14T21:24:56Z

Who wants HODL (nprofile…gw6j) to start publishing his vlogs as a video podcast on Fountain?

If this post gets 42,294 sats in zaps, he will get his first month of hosting for free.

https://fountain.fm/podcasters/

15–20% of U.S. listeners have paid for podcast content. Make ...

2025-08-12T21:07:25Z

15–20% of U.S. listeners have paid for podcast content.

Make subscriptions, paywalls, and donations seamless, and that number will skyrocket.

That's why we built Fountain for Podcasters — powerful podcast hosting, simple monetization.

Schedule a demo and switch to the freedom tech stack of RSS + Lightning + Nostr.

YouTube is now using AI to determine if you're under 18 to ...

2025-07-30T08:06:30Z

YouTube is now using AI to determine if you're under 18 to "protect" minors from sensitive content.

In other words, big tech is censoring information which is freely available via open RSS in most podcast apps.

You're right - it's GrapheneOS requiring Play Services. I ...

2025-07-18T11:26:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…u5gs
_________________________

You're right - it's GrapheneOS requiring Play Services. I believe we have found a workaround. Try updating to the latest version and let us know if you see an improvement.

Fountain 1.2.8 is live on iOS and Android 🚀 The update ...

2025-07-07T11:01:23Z

Fountain 1.2.8 is live on iOS and Android 🚀

The update includes:

- Player design refresh
- Video playback
- AirPlay and Chromecast support
- Auto-queue on play
- Other bug fixes and improvements

Read more below 👇

quoting
naddr1qp…h9fu

We’re excited to share that Fountain 1.2.8 is now available on iOS and Android. This update brings a refreshed player design, video playback, AirPlay and Chromecast support, plus a host of other improvements and bug fixes. Here's what's new:

Player Design Refresh

The new player interface makes listening to podcasts — and music — feel smoother and more refined. Artwork takes center stage, complemented by larger text, a cleaner layout, and smoother transitions. Playback controls are now more intuitive and easier to use. We’ve also made subtle UX improvements to the clipping tool, which you can now access via the tab bar at the bottom of the player.

You will notice that earning rewards are no longer shown on the player. Instead, you’ll see a toast notification when you first play a podcast each day which lets you know if you’re earning today (and what your rate is).

Video Playback

Fountain now supports video podcasts and you can now toggle seamlessly between audio and video by tapping the artwork on the player.

If a show provides an MP4 or HLS video in their feed, you’ll see a video icon on the episode card and episode page. By default, video will auto-play when available. You can customize this in Settings > Playback to control video playback based on your data preferences (Never, Wi-Fi only, or Mobile Data).

You can find a demo created by Justin Jackson below and learn more about the implementation over on the Podcast Standards Project blog.

We’ll soon be sharing an update on the new podcast hosting product we’ve been building. It will allow podcasters to upload a video version when publishing new episodes, making video playback available in all supported apps. Please contact us if you'd like to learn more and get access to our beta.

AirPlay and Chromecast Support

You can now cast audio and video to your favourite devices with AirPlay and Chromecast support. Tap the artwork on the player to see your casting options and connect with ease.

Auto-Queue on Play

We’ve added a new library setting which automatically queues episodes when played. Choose whether you want the episodes added to the top or the bottom of your queue. You can enable this by going to Settings > Library.

Other Bug Fixes & Improvements

Improved playback of downloaded content on Android

Fixed issue where play position was lost after resuming

Fix for playback state tracking, reducing issues with paused or unresponsive play buttons

Faster seek forward/back responsiveness

Improved support for custom RSS feeds with video enclosures and modern streaming formats (HLS, DASH, SmoothStreaming)

Fixed an issue where queued items were not advancing properly when played from the queue or library

Resolved crash when setting custom boost/zap amounts

Fixed issue where downloaded items could fail to resume

Solved occasional "grey screen" in the Library due to incorrect content mapping

Seek errors on iOS when loading new assets are now resolved

Transcript start/end times are now more reliable

Improved error handling and transcript performance

Reduces unnecessary UI rebuilds for player controls and queue

Filters out live items from auto-delete downloads

We would love to hear how you’re finding Fountain. Please submit your thoughts and feedback via the main menu in the app and we will take it on board as we continue to improve the app.

If you want to help test new features out before they get released, you can join Fountain Beta on Telegram. All iOS and Android users welcome.

Tomorrow, the UK’s first ever gig powered by bitcoin is taking ...

2025-05-22T20:57:59Z

Tomorrow, the UK’s first ever gig powered by bitcoin is taking place.

Giving live audiences the ability to easily send money and messages to the artists on stage is a big deal.

We need more events like this to show fans and the wider music industry the power of Lightning + Nostr.

The show kicks off at 8pm local time on Friday (that’s 3pm EST). Details for the livestream will shared in advance.

Fountain 1.2.2 is live on iOS and Android 📲 This update ...

2025-05-15T14:48:27Z

Fountain 1.2.2 is live on iOS and Android 📲

This update contains a couple of bug fixes for playback issues that were reported in the last week or so.

We hope you've been enjoying Fountain and please keep the feedback coming 💪

quoting
nevent1q…43jn
Fountain 1.2 is live on iOS and Android 🚀

This massive update brings significant design and UX improvements across the app along with a new episode summaries features. Here's what's new:

Library Design Update

We've made it much easier to navigate between podcasts and music in your library with the addition of the new content-type filters. The Recently Played view allows you to quickly jump back into what you were listening to before and the design of the content cards have been refreshed too.

Content Pages Design Update

All of the different content pages have undergone an extensive redesign, including shows, episodes, artists, albums, tracks, clips and playlists. We’ve replaced the tab layout with scrollable pages, improved the formatting of show notes and revamped features like chapters and transcripts.

Episode Summaries

Every episode page now has a Summary button above the show notes. Simply pay 500 sats to unlock a summary, or upgrade to Fountain Premium for $2.99/month to enjoy unlimited summaries. Summaries and transcripts now come as a bundle, and they’re now faster, cheaper, and more accurate than ever before.

Playback Improvements

We’ve completely rebuilt our audio engine from the ground up. Playback is now more robust and reliable — especially for music. Tracks now play instantly when tapped, and if you're playing an album, or playlist, you can now skip next and previous seamlessly. We've also made some design updates to the player for easier access show notes, comments, transcripts and chapters, and we added a smart resume feature for podcasts.

We would love to hear how you’re finding Fountain 1.2. Please submit your thoughts and feedback via the main menu in the app and we will take it on board as we continue to improve the app.

Read more:
https://blog.fountain.fm/p/1-2-1

https://m.primal.net/KGmY.mov Fountain 1.1 with #nostr is now ...

2024-08-21T15:51:03Z

Fountain 1.1 with #nostr is now live on iOS and Android!

Why Nostr?

We regularly hear from both listeners and podcasters that the social features in Fountain are a great way to discover content that's worth listening to.

When you support a podcast, or comment on an episode, your message is surfaced to your followers in the Fountain home feed and anyone that sees these can add the content to their library.

But this came with a few problems. When you first start using Fountain you wouldn't have any followers so your posts wouldn't get seen. If you wanted to share something you were listening to, you had to choose between leaving a comment on Fountain, or sharing on another social platform.

Today we are excited to announce a massive update to Fountain that solves these problems with Nostr:

- You can bring your existing profile and followers to Fountain
- Your boosts and comments will be surfaced in other Nostr clients
- Posts shared from other Nostr clients relating to audio will appear in your feed
- Conversation and interactions now flow freely across multiple apps

Read more about the new Fountain nostr features here: https://blog.fountain.fm/p/1-1