Castopod is an open-source podcast hosting solution for everyone, that can connect to the Fediverse through the W3C ActivityPub standard (Pixelfed, Mastodon, Pleroma…). Castopod is user friendly, and allows for easy discovery everywhere. Whether you are a beginner, an amateur or a professional, you will get everything you need: you can create, upload, publish, manage server subscriptions (WebSub embedded server). You can allow users to listen to your podcast directly, but just as easily connect to commercial directories (Apple, Google, Spotify…).
Castopod is self-hostable—run on your own server, not a rented closed platform. Generic docs: docs.castopod.org (install). Self-hosted instances (examples: castopod.hacktivism.ch, podcast.projets-libres.org, podcast.horens.audio).
Castopod Mobile is a free and open-source mobile podcast player (GPL v3): player plus Fediverse client in one app. It uses ActivityPub features for podcasts from a Castopod server — simpler onboarding to open networks, and a template for communities that run private Castopod servers with custom mobile clients.
Project page (NLnet): Castopod Mobile.
Castopod Plugins is a modular framework so anyone can ship plugins for Castopod: versioned custom features, a slimmer core, community-driven extensions, and local compliance without forking the whole host.
Project page (NLnet): Castopod Plugins.
Castopod runs on infrastructure communities control—no single canonical host. The live instances below are examples only; deploy your own with the generic docs.
Generic (Castopod project): docs.castopod.org — install guide.
Example instances (live):
| Instance | Notes |
|---|---|
| castopod.hacktivism.ch | one self-hosted deployment (FOSS Airwaves); setup docs document this instance only |
| podcast.projets-libres.org | Projets Libres / LinuxFr.org free-software podcast |
| podcast.horens.audio | Wie Wat Bewaart; public Castopod-powered show |
Podcast distribution is increasingly concentrated on platforms that intermediate the relationship between creators and audiences, extract revenue, and apply opaque recommendation systems. Creators who build an audience on one platform risk losing reach overnight through algorithm or policy changes.
Castopod returns control to podcasters: self-hosted publishing, direct listener access, and Fediverse integration via ActivityPub. Castopod Mobile lowers the barrier to joining open networks without installing surveillance-based social apps. Castopod Plugins let communities adapt hosting to local legal and safety requirements rather than accepting a single global moderation and monetization model.