By Fountain, a new app for podcasts, uses Bitcoin to make it easier than ever for listeners to support their favorite podcasts, and for podcasters to earn payment for their content. Fountain provides both listeners and podcasters with the ability to set up lightning wallets for value-for-value payments right on the app. Fountain also allows users to “clip” sections of podcasts into readily shareable audio or video files to send over social media or messaging—enabling listeners to support podcasters by word of mouth, too!
Setting Up a Fountain Account
The Fountain app is available on iOS and Android. After downloading, users use email to set up their account with a username, which also has the option of including a profile picture, name, bio, and website link. Users can follow other accounts and view their likes, clips, and playlists. Users can also set up a wallet to send value-for-value payments on the app.
Value-for-Value Payments on Fountain
Tipping on Fountain is easy. Users can send value-for-value payments to any podcaster with a podcaster wallet set up on the Fountain app, either by streaming a customizable “sats per minute” or by sending a customizable amount of sats at a particular timestamp, called a “Boost.”
The user also has the option of sending a message up to 400 characters with their Boost to the podcaster.
Funds are stored in the wallet. Users have the option of funding their wallets or withdrawing from their wallets over the lightning network. Users can view their transaction history of how much they’ve sent to podcasts and when, as well as any messages they may have sent to accompany the payments.
Podcaster Wallet
Podcasters can claim their “podcaster wallets” on Fountain by verifying through email that they own the podcast. After that, they can start receiving tips (with Boosts) and streaming payments from listeners, as well as Boost messages. For help on setting up a podcaster wallet, podcasters can head over to Fountain’s website for instructions, email Fountain, or get in touch with Fountain on Twitter.
Podcasters are also able to share their earnings with co-hosts, guests, or organizations by setting up splits on their podcaster wallet.
Clips on Fountain
Users can also “clip” sections of the podcasts they listen to by pressing the “clip” button underneath the cover art. From there, a user can choose from transcribed blocks of text, editing out anything not to be included in the clip. Once the right text is selected, add a title and hashtags and hit publish! New and popular clips are displayed under the “Discover” section, and users have the option of searching for other account users, clips, or playlists. Clips can be downloaded or shared with audio or video to social media, messaging, or other apps on the device. Video clips include captions.
Changing the Way We Listen to Podcasts
The value for value method of podcasting isn’t new, and there are other apps that also support this function, such as Breez and Sphinx. Today, podcasters and podcast listeners alike have many options when it comes to podcasts, whether they’re publishing, listening, sharing, supporting, or earning—and value for value apps that run on the lightning network are adding to those options for the best user experience every day.
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