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How can it be the undisputed champion of podcast delivery and only available on about ~5% of computers and ~40% of smartphones? The average smartphone user and

How can it be the undisputed champion of podcast delivery and only available on about ~5% of computers and ~40% of smartphones? The average smartphone user and desktop user can't even access Apple discovery features! I think you might be an Apple user who doesn't realize that the majority of all device users don't own Apple devices, so for Apple to be the champion of anything (except profit per user) is a bit of a mathematical impossibility.

icebraining 8y ago
You think incorrectly :) I've never owned an Apple device in my life. It's not a mathematical impossibility because, as far as I know, podcast listeners are still quite a small number. Plus, you forgot iPod owners (I know a few Android users who carry an iPod when exercising).
theresistor 8y ago
If podcasts are substantially more popular with Apple device users than they are in the broader population, it is entirely possible.
matt4077 8y ago
iTunes is probably central to the ecosystem in the same way that the NEw York Times drives the national political conversation although only about two in 100 Americans actually read it: it’s an authoritative source and the people who do read/use it tend to be more influential. I also wouldn’t underestimate the possibility that there is some correlation between enjoying the podcast format and Appple products. This American Life, as the prototypical podcast, is really what happens if you leave Jony Ive in a locked room with only a microphone and a dwindling supply of coffee.
badmelee 8y ago
I would imagine the parent comment is in regards to how people listen to podcasts. According to Anchor, Apple Podcasts boasts a 52% market share of how people listen to podcasts - https://medium.com/anchor/how-people-listen-to-podcasts-ba0c57a5f952 https://medium.com/anchor/how-people-listen-to-podcasts-ba0c.... The power and reach of the default install of Apple Podcasts is hard to ignore. (which I don't believe most Android phones have).
hibikir 8y ago
ITunes and Apple Music are also available in Windows and in Android. You could argue about whether those versions are good or bad, but if you want to use them, you can. The discovery features works just fine, as long as you install the apps.
jtbayly 8y ago
The real reason is because getting your podcast listed in the iTunes podcast directory takes care of making it available (via search, instead of copying and pasting an RSS feed url) in most podcast apps on most platforms.
matwood 8y ago
The iTunes podcast directory is the defacto listing many (most?) podcast apps use. For many people if a podcast ends up only on Spotify, they will never even know it exists.
graeme 8y ago
Iphone dominates the high end, and the high end dominates podcasts. I run a site for us university students and it's roughly a 90%/10% split for ios/android. Basically you're ignoring conditional probability.

icebraining 8y ago

You think incorrectly :) I've never owned an Apple device in my life. It's not a mathematical impossibility because, as far as I know, podcast listeners are still quite a small number. Plus, you forgot iPod owners (I know a few Android users who carry an iPod when exercising).

theresistor 8y ago

If podcasts are substantially more popular with Apple device users than they are in the broader population, it is entirely possible.

matt4077 8y ago

iTunes is probably central to the ecosystem in the same way that the NEw York Times drives the national political conversation although only about two in 100 Americans actually read it: it’s an authoritative source and the people who do read/use it tend to be more influential. I also wouldn’t underestimate the possibility that there is some correlation between enjoying the podcast format and Appple products. This American Life, as the prototypical podcast, is really what happens if you leave Jony Ive in a locked room with only a microphone and a dwindling supply of coffee.

badmelee 8y ago

I would imagine the parent comment is in regards to how people listen to podcasts. According to Anchor, Apple Podcasts boasts a 52% market share of how people listen to podcasts - https://medium.com/anchor/how-people-listen-to-podcasts-ba0c57a5f952 https://medium.com/anchor/how-people-listen-to-podcasts-ba0c.... The power and reach of the default install of Apple Podcasts is hard to ignore. (which I don't believe most Android phones have).

hibikir 8y ago

ITunes and Apple Music are also available in Windows and in Android. You could argue about whether those versions are good or bad, but if you want to use them, you can. The discovery features works just fine, as long as you install the apps.

jtbayly 8y ago

The real reason is because getting your podcast listed in the iTunes podcast directory takes care of making it available (via search, instead of copying and pasting an RSS feed url) in most podcast apps on most platforms.

matwood 8y ago

The iTunes podcast directory is the defacto listing many (most?) podcast apps use. For many people if a podcast ends up only on Spotify, they will never even know it exists.

graeme 8y ago

Iphone dominates the high end, and the high end dominates podcasts. I run a site for us university students and it's roughly a 90%/10% split for ios/android. Basically you're ignoring conditional probability.