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Spotify is trying to replace podcasts with the thing that isn't a podcast. You can decide not to listen to things that aren't podcasts, but if Spotify is succes

Spotify is trying to replace podcasts with the thing that isn't a podcast. You can decide not to listen to things that aren't podcasts, but if Spotify is successful, that may mean that podcasts you currently enjoy are no longer available in a medium you're willing to consume. That's the worry here. I've already seen this start happening with Parcast. Since being purchased by Spotify, they're using their existing podcasts to advertise other "podcasts" that are only available streaming on Spotify. I'm guessing the ones I listen to now will eventually go away into the Spotify walled garden.

scarface74 7y ago
The podcasts I enjoy the most I can 99% guarantee that they will not go to Spotify: The Talk Show - the most popular (and profitable AFAIK) Apple related podcast. The chance of Gruber going Spotify only are basically 0. Accidental Tech Podcast - seeing that one of the cohosts (Marco Arment) actually developed one of the most popular podcast apps for iOS, I don’t think he is going to make a podcast that can’t be listened to on his own app. Under The Radar - another podcast by Marco Arment. Exponent - Ben Thompson of Stratechery. He doesn’t directly monetize his podcast. He has a very successful paid newsletter. He wouldn’t want to put his podcast out of reach of the most people. Manager Tools/Career Tools - the only ads they do on their podcasts are for their own products. Some developer focused podcasts Various NPR podcasts. Etc. All the podcasts I listen to have a vested interests in reaching the broadest audience possible.
- ijpsud 7y ago
  > The podcasts I enjoy the most [...] All the podcasts I listen to Emphasis on "I". You are not everyone, and so you don't control all the demand, and so you don't control the direction that the market moves in. Though it's not self-evident that we're headed towards podcast centralization, I think it's a legitimate concern here. Social networks like Facebook ate a decent part of the open internet's cake in the 2000s because the centralized services were easier to set up and user for the end users (compared to the RSS and SMTP hacks). I think that's what is going to matter here: If Spotify does a significantly better job than plain RSS, then they're going to be "the" place to listen to podcasts, and can start building a closed ecosystem and then use their monopoly to rent seek. And like in the social networks case, I don't think it's going to be that hard to improve on plain RSS. Some podcasting apps already have comments, user ratings, etc. and I definitely find this sort of thing useful. Maybe the path of least resistance in these sorts of situations is always some degree of centralization, but I obviously hope the tide starts going back out at some point - preferably complete decentralization, rather than just federated protocols. I think it's a bit like how native apps can move faster (in terms of new APIs and stuff), and the web slowly follows along, waiting for certain things to be "proven" before standardizing them. I think the web wins in the long run, but native apps end up being the "exploratory" instrument in our search algorithm.
  - scarface74 7y ago
    Well, seeing that almost every stat shows that the majority of podcasts listeners are iOS users. (https://musicoomph.com/podcast-statistics/ https://musicoomph.com/podcast-statistics/) - 54% iOS users - what are the chances that Spotify can become overwhelming on Apple’s platforms? If you want to be a mass market success and reach the largest, most affluent audience, you can’t be a Spotify exclusive. How many of the top 50 podcast do you suppose would be willing to give up their broader market to be Spotify only?
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - curiousphil 7y ago
      iOS user here that is a longtime Spotify subscriber. By all other accounts I’m fully bought into the Apple ecosystem but After multiple free or cheap multi month trials on Apple Music I’m still not sold. Most podcasters that are made an offer that they can’t refuse, probably won’t refuse.
      - scarface74 7y ago
        Well, seeing that Apple Music doesn’t host podcasts and there is a separate podcast app with all your other podcast, how does Apple Music play into it? Would you take your website off the web and host your content exclusively as a Facebook page?
        jjuel 7y ago
        You go where consumers are. I mean there are plenty of businesses that don't have their own web page, but do have a facebook page. Not only is it free, but it is easier to set up. Plus you know that is where all your consumers spend all their time. So if I were a small podcast and knew I could reach the most audience on Spotify that is where I would be.
        7y ago
- earthboundkid 7y ago
  It doesn’t matter if the hosts can no longer book advertisers. Many of those hosts used to use The Deck ad network on their websites. It died because Facebook took all the ad revenue.
- acollins1331 7y ago
  You're really bad at understanding what the article is about. My guess is you didn't read it.
- zzplant 7y ago
  Do you have an actual argument? Because all you have been saying is basically "it won't affect me so it's not a problem."

scarface74 7y ago

The podcasts I enjoy the most I can 99% guarantee that they will not go to Spotify: The Talk Show - the most popular (and profitable AFAIK) Apple related podcast. The chance of Gruber going Spotify only are basically 0. Accidental Tech Podcast - seeing that one of the cohosts (Marco Arment) actually developed one of the most popular podcast apps for iOS, I don’t think he is going to make a podcast that can’t be listened to on his own app. Under The Radar - another podcast by Marco Arment. Exponent - Ben Thompson of Stratechery. He doesn’t directly monetize his podcast. He has a very successful paid newsletter. He wouldn’t want to put his podcast out of reach of the most people. Manager Tools/Career Tools - the only ads they do on their podcasts are for their own products. Some developer focused podcasts Various NPR podcasts. Etc. All the podcasts I listen to have a vested interests in reaching the broadest audience possible.

ijpsud 7y ago
> The podcasts I enjoy the most [...] All the podcasts I listen to Emphasis on "I". You are not everyone, and so you don't control all the demand, and so you don't control the direction that the market moves in. Though it's not self-evident that we're headed towards podcast centralization, I think it's a legitimate concern here. Social networks like Facebook ate a decent part of the open internet's cake in the 2000s because the centralized services were easier to set up and user for the end users (compared to the RSS and SMTP hacks). I think that's what is going to matter here: If Spotify does a significantly better job than plain RSS, then they're going to be "the" place to listen to podcasts, and can start building a closed ecosystem and then use their monopoly to rent seek. And like in the social networks case, I don't think it's going to be that hard to improve on plain RSS. Some podcasting apps already have comments, user ratings, etc. and I definitely find this sort of thing useful. Maybe the path of least resistance in these sorts of situations is always some degree of centralization, but I obviously hope the tide starts going back out at some point - preferably complete decentralization, rather than just federated protocols. I think it's a bit like how native apps can move faster (in terms of new APIs and stuff), and the web slowly follows along, waiting for certain things to be "proven" before standardizing them. I think the web wins in the long run, but native apps end up being the "exploratory" instrument in our search algorithm.
- scarface74 7y ago
  Well, seeing that almost every stat shows that the majority of podcasts listeners are iOS users. (https://musicoomph.com/podcast-statistics/ https://musicoomph.com/podcast-statistics/) - 54% iOS users - what are the chances that Spotify can become overwhelming on Apple’s platforms? If you want to be a mass market success and reach the largest, most affluent audience, you can’t be a Spotify exclusive. How many of the top 50 podcast do you suppose would be willing to give up their broader market to be Spotify only?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - curiousphil 7y ago
    iOS user here that is a longtime Spotify subscriber. By all other accounts I’m fully bought into the Apple ecosystem but After multiple free or cheap multi month trials on Apple Music I’m still not sold. Most podcasters that are made an offer that they can’t refuse, probably won’t refuse.
    - scarface74 7y ago
      Well, seeing that Apple Music doesn’t host podcasts and there is a separate podcast app with all your other podcast, how does Apple Music play into it? Would you take your website off the web and host your content exclusively as a Facebook page?
      - jjuel 7y ago
        You go where consumers are. I mean there are plenty of businesses that don't have their own web page, but do have a facebook page. Not only is it free, but it is easier to set up. Plus you know that is where all your consumers spend all their time. So if I were a small podcast and knew I could reach the most audience on Spotify that is where I would be.
        7y ago
earthboundkid 7y ago
It doesn’t matter if the hosts can no longer book advertisers. Many of those hosts used to use The Deck ad network on their websites. It died because Facebook took all the ad revenue.
acollins1331 7y ago
You're really bad at understanding what the article is about. My guess is you didn't read it.
zzplant 7y ago
Do you have an actual argument? Because all you have been saying is basically "it won't affect me so it's not a problem."