PodcastingCAN I VIBECODE
Buzzsprout?
BUILD FIRST
- A non-sensitive or read-only version of the core experience
- A manual review step wherever correctness or trust matters
- A narrow companion tool that removes a real piece of work
LEAVE FOR LATER
- Regulated decisions, payments, or irreversible actions
- Claims of correctness, compliance, or uptime that the MVP cannot support
- Sensitive integrations until security, support, and auditability are ready
RESEARCH NOTES
What this tool actually does.
Buzzsprout is a podcast hosting and distribution platform. It offers a free tier (2 upload hours/month, episodes hosted 90 days) and paid plans at $19, $39, and $79/month providing 4, 15, or 35 upload hours monthly (unused hours don't roll over; overage billed at hourly rate). It hosts audio and video, with video distribution to Apple Podcasts on higher tiers, and auto-lists shows in directories (Apple, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, etc.). It generates an RSS feed, a podcast website, and custom embed players. Features include IAB-certified advanced stats (downloads by episode, app, location, device), automatic transcripts on paid plans, Dynamic Content for pre/post-roll segments, and episode optimization (filetype/bitrate/ID3 tags) with scheduling. Monetization tools: Listener Support (monthly donations via PayPal), Subscriptions (premium content, integrates with Apple Podcasts Subscrip
RESEARCHED BUILD PROMPT
Give this to your coding agent.
Build a self-hosted podcast hosting and distribution web app inspired by the workflow of Buzzsprout (a podcast hosting platform), but do not copy its brand, logo, copy, or UI. Core workflow: a podcaster uploads an audio file per episode; the system optimizes it (normalize format/bitrate, write ID3 tags), lets the user schedule immediate or future publish, auto-generates an RSS feed and a public podcast website with an embeddable player, and lists the show in directories. Requirements: user accounts with multiple podcasts; episode upload, metadata (title, description, artwork, chapter markers); automatic transcript generation; per-episode and aggregate download analytics (by app, location, device, date); monetization via listener donations and optional premium/subscriber-only episodes; pre-roll/post-roll dynamic content injection; and a free tier with upload-hour quotas plus paid tiers with higher monthly upload hours and an archive mode. Technical approach: Node.js or Python backend, PostgreSQL for metadata and analytics, object storage (S3-compatible) for media, a background job queue for transcoding/transcription, and a React front end. Explicitly out of scope: video hosting, ad-network marketplace, AI content-generation add-ons, and payment processing beyond a PayPal-style donation link. Include a README with setup steps, architecture notes, and important limitations (e.g., no IAB certification, single-region storage, no Apple Podcasts API integration).