Decentralized Media

Podcasts are probably the best example now, while blogs were the prototype. Anybody can create and maintain one quite easily using any of wide variety of options, and anyone else can consume it very easily using a wide variety of players. No middleman required. Made by anyone and accessible to the whole world. So we get an endless variety of shows with no limit on what can be said etc. And great competition in apps created to consume them so that everyone can have a great experience.

But we can do this for all digital media. Reading articles and books, or having them read to us. Movies, TV shows and live video streams. Music and radio. And people are already building and refining the necessary technology. They just need wider adoption, money and perhaps some better coordination to improve faster. No big corporations involved.

Some basic ideas re the technology we need for this ecosystem to work...

Podcasts (#FediPodcasts)

It's probably the most widely adopted example of decentralized media (outside of the web itself). But it's not yet social. We need to find a way to incorporate boosts.

Reader Apps (#FediReader)

Just like podcasts, but for articles. They need text to speech capability.

Video (#FediYouTube)

The YouTube model of video should be our future, but make it decentralized. No central ownership or ads. One interface for all creators. Available on our TVs. Not separate big tech services. And recommendations via our social graph, not algorithms.

Music (#FediSpotify)

Basically decentralized music streaming. Musicians on their own independent sites, but using a protocol and payment system that allows fans to use one app to listen to and support them all. And recommend them to others.

Internet Radio (#FediRadio)

An ecosystem that lets us displace terrestrial radio. Great apps to listen wherever we are and good systems to let human DJs play the music, talk about and promote it and also communicate live with listeners.