Creating Sugaze: A Podcast Just For My Girlfriend

Creating Sugaze: A Podcast Just For My Girlfriend

g gatsu
3 min read

How I built a private podcast for my girlfriend using Yunohost and Castopod, hosted on my own server.

self-hosting podcast castopod yunohost love
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The Idea: A Digital Mixtape

We all know the trope of making a mixtape for your crush. It’s classic, personal, and shows you care. But in 2024, I wanted to do something a bit different. My girlfriend loves listening to podcasts during her commute, so I thought: Why not make a podcast just for her?

I didn’t want to host it on Spotify or Apple Podcasts where the whole world could stumble upon our inside jokes. I wanted it to be ours. Plus, as a tech enthusiast, I saw this as the perfect excuse to tinker with some self-hosted software.

Why Self-Host?

At first, I considered free services like Anchor, but they didn’t offer the privacy or control I was looking for. I wanted:

  • Privacy: No tracking, no ads, just audio.
  • Ownership: I own the files, the RSS feed, and the platform.
  • Fun: I honestly just enjoy managing my own Linux server.

I already had a VPS running Yunohost, an operating system that makes self-hosting web apps incredibly easy. It’s like the App Store for servers. I started looking for a podcasting platform that would fit the bill and found Castopod.

The Stack: Yunohost + Castopod

Castopod is an open-source hosting platform for podcasts. What makes it cool is that it’s connected to the Fediverse (like Mastodon). While I didn’t need the social features for this private project, the interface is clean, modern, and mobile-friendly.

Step 1: The Server

I use a small VPS from Hetzner. It costs about the price of a coffee per month. Installing Yunohost is as simple as running a curl command:

Terminal window
curl -LsSf https://yunohost.org/install | bash

Once that was up, I had a web admin panel where I could manage domains, users, and apps.

Step 2: Installing Castopod

This is where Yunohost shines. I didn’t have to mess with Docker containers or Nginx configs manually. I just went to the “Applications” tab, searched for “Castopod,” and clicked Install.

I set it up on a custom subdomain: podcast.gatsu.blog.

Step 3: Configuration

Castopod’s UI is intuitive. I created a new podcast show called “Sugaze”.

  • Cover Art: I designed a simple, lo-fi aesthetic cover (the one you see at the top of this post).
  • Episodes: I recorded the first episode—a rambling intro about why I love her—and uploaded the MP3.

The Result

I sent her the RSS feed link. She added it to her favorite podcast player, and boom—she had a private show that updated whenever I uploaded a new “episode” (usually just me reading a poem or talking about our day).

It was a unique gift that combined my love for tech with my love for her. If you’re looking for a romantic gesture that’s a little out of the ordinary, I highly recommend building something digital. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be yours.