Why do podcasts need to be monetized through advertising like the rest of the web? It seems like a perfect model for old fashioned paid subscriptions. There mig

Why do podcasts need to be monetized through advertising like the rest of the web? It seems like a perfect model for old fashioned paid subscriptions. There might be other models. I know some podcasts release all episodes for free and charge for older episodes. Or perhaps releasing every third episode behind a paywall, and make rest are free to get people hooked. Some podcasts upload to youtube, and then get monetization through youtube's ads. That has a lot of downsides obviously, but it somehow seems better than some proprietary app. And whatever model works, I think that there will still be many free podcasts run on donations, audible ads, or just for the love of it. I don't think anyone starts podcasting to make money. And if they do they must be crazy. Although I do appreciate some unusually good podcasts that are made by professionals and absolutely need funding to keep producing content. The biggest problem above everything else is discovery. As a user I don't often hear of new good podcasts. I don't see unusually good podcast episodes promoted on reddit or HN, or normal channels where I find content. I'm (perhaps irrationally) cautious of investing time in new podcasts. Maybe that's just me, but it does seem like the most popular podcasts are by established celebrities or radio shows - not random joes.