Zapstr
Music and podcasts on Nostr. Share, discover, and zap audio content.
Overview
Zapstr is a media-focused Nostr client for audio content. It allows artists and podcasters to publish music and audio directly to Nostr, where listeners can discover, stream, and support creators with Lightning payments.
Key Features
Audio-First Design
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Zapstr │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 🎵 Now Playing: Artist Name - Track Title │
│ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━●━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 2:34 / 4:12 │
│ [⏮] [⏯] [⏭] [🔀] [🔁] ⚡ Zap │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 📻 Music Feed │
│ ├── 🎵 New Release - Bitcoin Song │
│ ├── 🎵 Podcast Episode - Nostr Talk #42 │
│ └── 🎵 Remix - Lightning Beats │
│ │
│ [Discover] [Following] [Playlists] [Library] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Kind 31337 Events
Zapstr uses a specialized event kind for audio tracks:
{
"kind": 31337,
"tags": [
["d", "unique-track-id"],
["title", "Track Name"],
["artist", "Artist Name"],
["url", "https://audio-url.mp3"],
["duration", "252"],
["c", "music"],
["c", "electronic"]
],
"content": "Description of the track"
}
Value 4 Value
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Value 4 Value │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Listener enjoys track │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ ⚡ Zap the track │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ Sats go directly to: │
│ ├── Artist (primary) │
│ └── Split recipients (collaborators, etc.) │
│ │
│ No middleman. Direct creator support. │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Cross-Platform Embeds
Share Zapstr content across Nostr:
<!-- Copy a Zapstr link -->
https://zapstr.live/track/abc123
<!-- Paste in Habla, Coracle, etc. -->
<!-- Renders as embedded audio player -->
Compatible clients:
- Habla (long-form articles)
- Amethyst
- Primal
- Other NIP-94 aware clients
Podcasting
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Episodes | Full podcast support |
| RSS import | Bring existing shows |
| Chapters | Episode navigation |
| Transcripts | Text versions |
| Zap splits | Multi-host payments |
For Artists
Publishing Music
- Create account or login with Nostr key
- Upload audio file
- Add metadata (title, artist, cover art)
- Set categories/tags
- Publish to relays
Ownership Options
Option 1: Music Feed Publishing
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Music Feed publishes on your behalf │
│ Good for onboarding new artists │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Option 2: Self-Publishing
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Publish with your own npub │
│ Full ownership and control │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Revenue
- Direct zaps — Listeners pay you directly
- No platform cut — 100% of zaps are yours
- Instant settlement — Lightning is fast
- Global audience — No geographic restrictions
For Listeners
Discovery
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Feed | Latest uploads |
| Following | Artists you follow |
| Categories | Browse by genre |
| Search | Find specific content |
| Trending | Popular tracks |
Playback
- Stream in browser
- Background play
- Queue management
- Playback history
Supporting Artists
- Find a track you enjoy
- Click the zap button
- Choose amount
- Confirm payment
- Artist receives sats instantly
Integration
With Other Clients
Zapstr tracks can be:
- Embedded in Habla articles
- Shared on Amethyst/Primal
- Referenced in any Nostr client
- Played from event links
With Podcasting 2.0
Zapstr aligns with Podcasting 2.0 value tags:
- Value splits
- Streaming sats
- Chapter support
- Transcripts
Technical Details
Event Structure
Audio tracks use kind 31337 (addressable events):
| Tag | Purpose |
|---|---|
d | Unique identifier |
title | Track name |
artist | Creator name |
url | Audio file URL |
duration | Length in seconds |
c | Categories |
thumb | Cover art |
Storage
Audio files can be hosted on:
- Blossom servers
- Traditional CDNs
- Self-hosted servers
- IPFS (if supported)
Use Cases
Musicians
- Release singles and albums
- Build direct fan relationships
- Receive instant payments
- Own your distribution
Podcasters
- Publish episodes to Nostr
- Import from existing RSS
- Monetize with value 4 value
- Cross-post to other platforms
Listeners
- Discover new music
- Support artists directly
- Build playlists
- Ad-free experience
Links
- Website: zapstr.live
- GitHub: zapstr/zapstr
- Kind 31337: Audio track standard
See Also
- Nostr Protocol — The protocol
- Habla — Embed audio in articles
- Alby — Lightning payments
- Highlighter — Highlights app