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Startup idea for anyone so inclined: Create a podcast distribution service where podcasters pay the current cost of a postage stamp per listener to push podcast

by mcbits 8y ago

Startup idea for anyone so inclined: Create a podcast distribution service where podcasters pay the current cost of a postage stamp per listener to push podcasts onto devices. If the recipient listens to the podcast, the money is refunded to the podcaster. If they delete it or ignore it for 30 days, they keep the money. The podcasters are allowed to see anonymized metrics for who listens to what. Listeners can use their earnings to tip their favorite podcasters, or just cash out.

CPLX 8y ago
Couldn't we just skip the technology part and have podcasters send money directly to scammers in exchange for the scammers not listening to their podcasts?
- mcbits 8y ago
  "Scammer" here is someone who signs up and then never listens to anything? Don't send them anything. Scammer and spammer problems solved.
  - cwkoss 8y ago
    How do you verify if someone actually listened to a podcast vs. someone who has 100+ accounts, a wall of 100 mobile phones constantly 'listening' to 100 podcasts simultaneously to game the system?
    - mcbits 8y ago
      That would be a really counterproductive way to game the system. :)
PhasmaFelis 8y ago
So you're paying people to not listen to podcasts? That seems like the mother of all perverse incentives.
- mcbits 8y ago
  Sure, kind of like direct mail marketing except the victim gets the money (minus a bit) instead of the post office. It wouldn't be very profitable because non-activity would show up in the metrics and podcasters would not distribute to them--unless the podcaster is just indiscriminately spamming everyone, in which case, they're just paying people to ignore them until they go broke.
ryanwaggoner 8y ago
Sweet! I can now sign up to as many podcasts as I want, never listen to anything, and make money. And so can everyone else. And podcasters would love to use this distribution system that will net them $0 after risking capital, ONLY if they magically achieve a 100% listen rate in spite of the incredible incentives to have the listen rate be 0%. Otherwise it’ll cost them money. And for all that hassle and risk, they get a distribution system no better than the free and open one they enjoy now. Perhaps I’ve misunderstood something, otherwise I don’t think this idea is viable :)
- mcbits 8y ago
  You don't have to sign up for any podcasts. You just sign up and start receiving recommendations. At first, recommendations are free or virtually free for the podcaster, since there is no data about your interests. You start accepting the ones that interest you and rejecting the ones that don't. Podcasters get access to the entire data set for every listener and can run clustering and regression to their hearts' content. As you listen to podcasts and perhaps rate them, the cost to target you (i.e. your random ID) goes up because the podcasters have better data to work with and should know better than to send you politics podcasts when all you listen to is vampire erotica. If you become a listener, then they've acquired a listener and you've acquired a podcast that you like. If you're not interested, then they pay the cost of poor targeting, and you are compensated for the inconvenience. Proper incentives all around! The net cost to the podcaster doesn't have to be $0 for the service to be worthwhile. It only has to be more effective than AdWords and other venues where they pay to expose themselves.
  - ryanwaggoner 8y ago
    Sorry, this would never work. Maybe if Apple launched this so that you had already overcome chicken and the egg. But I’d never ever sign up for this as a podcaster (or any kind of audience builder) unless there was literally no other choice because that’s where ALL the listeners are. Even then, I’d probably just do something else rather than allow some sleazy middle-man to screw me over while trying to connect with my fans. You’re totally missing the point that podcasts are pull, not push. I listen to dozens of them, none of them have ever “spammed” me. That literally makes no sense. I subscribed to them. There’s no way for them to push their podcast on someone who doesn’t want it.

by mcbits 8y ago

CPLX 8y ago

Couldn't we just skip the technology part and have podcasters send money directly to scammers in exchange for the scammers not listening to their podcasts?

mcbits 8y ago
"Scammer" here is someone who signs up and then never listens to anything? Don't send them anything. Scammer and spammer problems solved.
- cwkoss 8y ago
  How do you verify if someone actually listened to a podcast vs. someone who has 100+ accounts, a wall of 100 mobile phones constantly 'listening' to 100 podcasts simultaneously to game the system?
  - mcbits 8y ago
    That would be a really counterproductive way to game the system. :)

PhasmaFelis 8y ago

So you're paying people to not listen to podcasts? That seems like the mother of all perverse incentives.

mcbits 8y ago
Sure, kind of like direct mail marketing except the victim gets the money (minus a bit) instead of the post office. It wouldn't be very profitable because non-activity would show up in the metrics and podcasters would not distribute to them--unless the podcaster is just indiscriminately spamming everyone, in which case, they're just paying people to ignore them until they go broke.

ryanwaggoner 8y ago

Sweet! I can now sign up to as many podcasts as I want, never listen to anything, and make money. And so can everyone else. And podcasters would love to use this distribution system that will net them $0 after risking capital, ONLY if they magically achieve a 100% listen rate in spite of the incredible incentives to have the listen rate be 0%. Otherwise it’ll cost them money. And for all that hassle and risk, they get a distribution system no better than the free and open one they enjoy now. Perhaps I’ve misunderstood something, otherwise I don’t think this idea is viable :)

mcbits 8y ago
You don't have to sign up for any podcasts. You just sign up and start receiving recommendations. At first, recommendations are free or virtually free for the podcaster, since there is no data about your interests. You start accepting the ones that interest you and rejecting the ones that don't. Podcasters get access to the entire data set for every listener and can run clustering and regression to their hearts' content. As you listen to podcasts and perhaps rate them, the cost to target you (i.e. your random ID) goes up because the podcasters have better data to work with and should know better than to send you politics podcasts when all you listen to is vampire erotica. If you become a listener, then they've acquired a listener and you've acquired a podcast that you like. If you're not interested, then they pay the cost of poor targeting, and you are compensated for the inconvenience. Proper incentives all around! The net cost to the podcaster doesn't have to be $0 for the service to be worthwhile. It only has to be more effective than AdWords and other venues where they pay to expose themselves.
- ryanwaggoner 8y ago
  Sorry, this would never work. Maybe if Apple launched this so that you had already overcome chicken and the egg. But I’d never ever sign up for this as a podcaster (or any kind of audience builder) unless there was literally no other choice because that’s where ALL the listeners are. Even then, I’d probably just do something else rather than allow some sleazy middle-man to screw me over while trying to connect with my fans. You’re totally missing the point that podcasts are pull, not push. I listen to dozens of them, none of them have ever “spammed” me. That literally makes no sense. I subscribed to them. There’s no way for them to push their podcast on someone who doesn’t want it.