4 ms·

As an extremely heavy listener of podcasts, there's no way I would listen anymore if I had to have 20 different apps to run to listen to them. It's an absolute

by vitd 10y ago

As an extremely heavy listener of podcasts, there's no way I would listen anymore if I had to have 20 different apps to run to listen to them. It's an absolute non-starter. And then to have ads on top of that. Fuck that. Maybe the author's right that what works for current users won't work for the masses. I don't know. But I do know that I will not listen to more ads (that's why I stopped listening to radio and I suspect I'm not the only one), and I will not go to the trouble of using more than a single app.

Arcsech 10y ago
Yeah - and there's a bunch of great podcasts that I can't really see switching to their own apps exclusively (all of Radiotopia, of which my favorites are 99% Invisible and Criminal, for example, and many independent podcasters), so any podcasts that want me to go through a custom app would have to be truly mindblowingly good.
- davidsawyer 10y ago
  I think you're right in that a lot of established and independent podcasts will tend to stick to the main channels of podcast distribution, but if it becomes too financially tempting to go through a custom app, they'd probably choose to do that. There definitely doesn't seem to be a ton of money in podcasting right now. Many of the heavy hitters in that world regularly ask for donations from listeners.
- chipotle_coyote 10y ago
  I wouldn't at all be surprised if PRX releases a Radiotopia app. (They already have one for the Apple TV, in fact.) Any podcast network that has more than, say, a dozen shows, and some data to support the notion they have listeners who subscribe to multiple shows on their network, might be very inclined to at least try an app. It doesn't have to be the only way to listen to their popular podcasts, but it might offer exclusive content. And maybe it'll be the only way to listen to older episodes, or to listen with fewer (or even no) ads. I don't think this is a good idea in the long run, but I could certainly see it happening in the not-too-distant future. I think we're already moving toward a future where we get the unbundled cable service we thought we wanted in the form of a dozen separate streaming video apps, and I don't doubt that streaming music services are going to push for ever-greater numbers of exclusive premieres, back catalogs and even original content. The question isn't whether producers will try this with podcasts, the question is how many producers will try it--and how successful it will be.
rhizome 10y ago
Are you willing to pay the ads away?
- erispoe 10y ago
  You are implying that the current ad model, with a small number of high-value crafted announcements, doesn't work. I suspect it does. Gimlet has been pretty open about how their revenue exceeds their expectations and put them under pressure to grow their offering faster than planned.
  - hcal 10y ago
    It probably works for the listners, the direct advertisers and the podcasters. It doesn't work for the advertising industry as a whole because the middle men are cut out. They want a cut and will work really hard to take it. L
    - cmdrfred 10y ago
      I agree, I mostly hear ad's with promo codes on podcasts. The companies paying for the exposure know exactly what they are getting. It works out quite well as is.
- choward 10y ago
  Yes
- eric_cc 10y ago
  Absolutely
- vitd 10y ago
  Yes, and I do donate to some of the podcasts that allow me to.
- jquast 10y ago
  yes, paying $6.95/mo for about a year now for just such a podcast, http://www.artiequitter.com http://www.artiequitter.com
ryanSrich 10y ago
I'm willing to pay $1-$2 per month per podcast. What I'm not willing todo is listen to ads. I appreciate podcasts that put their ads either at the beginning or end, that way I can fast forward through them.
jcurbo 10y ago
If I can't get a podcast into Overcast (because there's no RSS feed or whatever) there's a pretty good chance I'm not going to bother. I have limited time to listen to stuff, plenty of things on my plate, and unless it's something really exceptional or central to my interests, no RSS means it goes at the bottom of the pile.

by vitd 10y ago

Arcsech 10y ago

Yeah - and there's a bunch of great podcasts that I can't really see switching to their own apps exclusively (all of Radiotopia, of which my favorites are 99% Invisible and Criminal, for example, and many independent podcasters), so any podcasts that want me to go through a custom app would have to be truly mindblowingly good.

davidsawyer 10y ago
I think you're right in that a lot of established and independent podcasts will tend to stick to the main channels of podcast distribution, but if it becomes too financially tempting to go through a custom app, they'd probably choose to do that. There definitely doesn't seem to be a ton of money in podcasting right now. Many of the heavy hitters in that world regularly ask for donations from listeners.
chipotle_coyote 10y ago
I wouldn't at all be surprised if PRX releases a Radiotopia app. (They already have one for the Apple TV, in fact.) Any podcast network that has more than, say, a dozen shows, and some data to support the notion they have listeners who subscribe to multiple shows on their network, might be very inclined to at least try an app. It doesn't have to be the only way to listen to their popular podcasts, but it might offer exclusive content. And maybe it'll be the only way to listen to older episodes, or to listen with fewer (or even no) ads. I don't think this is a good idea in the long run, but I could certainly see it happening in the not-too-distant future. I think we're already moving toward a future where we get the unbundled cable service we thought we wanted in the form of a dozen separate streaming video apps, and I don't doubt that streaming music services are going to push for ever-greater numbers of exclusive premieres, back catalogs and even original content. The question isn't whether producers will try this with podcasts, the question is how many producers will try it--and how successful it will be.

rhizome 10y ago

Are you willing to pay the ads away?

erispoe 10y ago
You are implying that the current ad model, with a small number of high-value crafted announcements, doesn't work. I suspect it does. Gimlet has been pretty open about how their revenue exceeds their expectations and put them under pressure to grow their offering faster than planned.
- hcal 10y ago
  It probably works for the listners, the direct advertisers and the podcasters. It doesn't work for the advertising industry as a whole because the middle men are cut out. They want a cut and will work really hard to take it. L
  - cmdrfred 10y ago
    I agree, I mostly hear ad's with promo codes on podcasts. The companies paying for the exposure know exactly what they are getting. It works out quite well as is.
choward 10y ago
Yes
eric_cc 10y ago
Absolutely
vitd 10y ago
Yes, and I do donate to some of the podcasts that allow me to.
jquast 10y ago
yes, paying $6.95/mo for about a year now for just such a podcast, http://www.artiequitter.com http://www.artiequitter.com

ryanSrich 10y ago

I'm willing to pay $1-$2 per month per podcast. What I'm not willing todo is listen to ads. I appreciate podcasts that put their ads either at the beginning or end, that way I can fast forward through them.

jcurbo 10y ago

If I can't get a podcast into Overcast (because there's no RSS feed or whatever) there's a pretty good chance I'm not going to bother. I have limited time to listen to stuff, plenty of things on my plate, and unless it's something really exceptional or central to my interests, no RSS means it goes at the bottom of the pile.