BYO-cast is short for 'Build Your Own' cast. BYO-cast generates a personalized audio podcast for you on a schedule that you define. You choose the sources (news, weather, and more), describe in plain English what topics matter to you, and BYO-cast delivers a private podcast episode — ready to play in any podcast app — at whatever time you set.

Any app that accepts an RSS feed URL works — Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, YouTube Music, Spotify (via RSS import), and many others. After you register, BYO-cast gives you a private feed URL that you paste directly into your preferred app. No special software is required.

You build your cast from segments — individual content blocks like "News" or "Weather." You write a short natural language prompt to tell our AI engine what is relevant to you, such as "Include business and economic news. Skip celebrity and sports stories." BYO-cast's AI reads your prompt and filters stories accordingly.

Right now, the Trial and Basic plans are limited to one cast. However, we are considering offering more. If you are interested in a higher service plan with more casts please contact us at [email protected].

You set the delivery time for each cast in the Schedule section. BYO-cast starts generating your episode a few minutes before that time so it's waiting in your podcast app when you're ready to listen.

No. BYO-cast's AI reads stories from your selected sources and writes an original summary and script tailored to your interests — it does not quote or reproduce articles verbatim. Your episode is a synthesized overview, not a copy.

Yes. We include stories from several mainstream outlets, but they may not cover your specific interests. Many local news sites, blogs, and publications offer RSS feeds and these can be added as a 'custom source' in your news segment. BYO-cast will verify that the RSS feed is working, with recent publications, before adding it.

Relevance prompts often need a few rounds of iteration. Try being more specific about what to include and what to exclude. For example, instead of "tech news," try "software, AI, and consumer electronics news. Exclude venture capital funding rounds and stock price stories." The Generate example button on the News Agent page can give you a starting point if you're unsure where to begin.

Not unlike human reporters, AI can hallucinate or make errors. However, at least the errors here are unintentional technology issues, not agenda-driven bias. Always treat the information with healthy skepticism and verify against other sources.

On your Dashboard, your private feed URL is displayed near the bottom of the page. Use the Email me the URL button to send it to your registered email address. Then, in your podcast app, look for an option like "Add show by URL" or "Subscribe via RSS" and paste the URL there. The exact steps vary by app — searching "[app name] add RSS feed" usually brings up a quick guide.

BYO-cast only reviews content that was published after your last cast was generated, to avoid repeating content. If BYO-cast can't find any new stories that pass your relevance filter, that segment is skipped and a short note is included in the episode. Try broadening your prompt or activating additional sources.

Yes, your feed is private. The URL contains a long, unique identifier tied only to your account. It isn't listed or indexed anywhere and not likely to be guessed. That understood, anyone who has the URL can access your feed, so treat it like a password and don't share it publicly. You can get your feed URL from your Dashboard.

We use it only to generate your cast and contact you as necessary. Your payment information is secure with our third party payment processor, and we don't store it. Passwords are hashed and never stored as text. We don't sell your data to third parties. We are strong privacy advocates and built BYO-cast for our own use, so we store minimal data, and use it only as necessary to deliver your product. Shouldn't that be what we expect from all online services?

BYO-cast is currently under development and your feedback is genuinely welcome. Email [email protected] with any questions, bug reports, or feature ideas. We read every message.