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I'm really just not a fan of where podcasting is going in general. Particularly, I find platform exclusivity and dynamic ad insertion to be the most egregious v

by Shank 6y ago

I'm really just not a fan of where podcasting is going in general. Particularly, I find platform exclusivity and dynamic ad insertion to be the most egregious violations of the concept. I listen to my podcasts in podcatchers that I want to use. I've switched pocatchers many times too. But platform lockin stops people from using what they want. Spotify is the biggest risk here. DAI lets podcast networks deliver extremely weird ads. It's hard to describe, and I think it's kind of hilarious. One of the reasons why sponsorships on podcasts have been so lucrative in the past has been "impersonal personalization." If a podcast host runs a sponsor read, they often at least vet the sponsor and understand the product. They usually have personally used it, and on many podcasts, the sponsors are just products that the podcasters already use or actually support. Sponsors that sponsor tech podcasts target tech, which makes sense, and they're read by the hosts, usually. In contrast, DAI just brings back "commercials" with the added benefit of being privacy intrusive. I find it really creepy to listen to a podcast from the UK and get an ad for a car dealership a mile away. Yet, that's what DAI does. It's enough of a turn off that I wish I had an adblocker for podcasts, which says something. The podcast medium has always been a niche, and I'm happy to see it growing. But it seems like the companies who want to grow it are going about it in some of the worst ways possible. Apple re-entering the fray is good competition wise, but it's scary to think that they might lockdown their podcast directory or pitch podcasts without RSS feeds. I'm sure they won't tolerate privacy invading analytics, but it's such a delicate balance that I'm fearful for the future. Edit: Looks like Apple's premium features (like subscriber only content) are indeed behind DRM and only accessible in the Apple Podcasts app: https://podcasters.apple.com/support/899-set-up-your-show-for-a-subscription https://podcasters.apple.com/support/899-set-up-your-show-fo....

Nextgrid 6y ago
> If a podcast host runs a sponsor read, they often at least vet the sponsor and understand the product. This is also why conventional advertising (print and billboards) has remained sane compared to the race-to-the-bottom that online advertising has become. The barrier to entry (in both price, vetting by the owner of the advertising spot, regulation and exposure to fact-checkers) usually meant that the advertised product isn't a total scam or overly malicious. It was a win-win both for the advertisers and potential customers.
teeray 6y ago
Yeah. I actually listen to ads on shows like TWiT, since it’s a live read and they vet their advertisers. Occasionally it ends up being part of the discussion a little which adds to it being natural-feeling. If it’s pre-recorded (even if read by the hosts), I tend to skip it more often, since I’ve usually heard it before. I don’t think I’m interested in listening to any show with DAI at all. True live reading of ads is hard, it doesn’t scale, and you don’t get micro-precise audience tracking, but it makes me pay more attention. That’s what should really matter.
pilsetnieks 6y ago
It's not clear from what I've seen so far but does the Apple podcast premium features require the podcast to be exclusive to Apple (like Rogan on Spotify?) It doesn't seem so. I don't see very much of a problem if the podcasters aren't forced to use Apple exclusively or provide premium features exclusively on their platform. As it is now, many podcasts already do the same but their premium offering is buried somewhere on Patreon, which is a kludge. If they aren't barred from continuing premium features on other platforms (like the App Store where developers cannot even mention other payment options) I don't see too much of a problem, maybe that the other platforms might get neglected.
- tootie 6y ago
  No. Does not require exclusivity.
mijustin 6y ago
Yes, the increasing amount of DRM and exclusives is concerning. However, there's been lots of misinformation about Apple "killing RSS feeds." As far as I can tell, the majority of podcasts on Apple Podcasts will still be driven by RSS (hosted on 3rd-party platforms). This video explains how it works now: https://youtu.be/g9ZVucX0J80 https://youtu.be/g9ZVucX0J80

by Shank 6y ago

Nextgrid 6y ago

> If a podcast host runs a sponsor read, they often at least vet the sponsor and understand the product. This is also why conventional advertising (print and billboards) has remained sane compared to the race-to-the-bottom that online advertising has become. The barrier to entry (in both price, vetting by the owner of the advertising spot, regulation and exposure to fact-checkers) usually meant that the advertised product isn't a total scam or overly malicious. It was a win-win both for the advertisers and potential customers.

teeray 6y ago

Yeah. I actually listen to ads on shows like TWiT, since it’s a live read and they vet their advertisers. Occasionally it ends up being part of the discussion a little which adds to it being natural-feeling. If it’s pre-recorded (even if read by the hosts), I tend to skip it more often, since I’ve usually heard it before. I don’t think I’m interested in listening to any show with DAI at all. True live reading of ads is hard, it doesn’t scale, and you don’t get micro-precise audience tracking, but it makes me pay more attention. That’s what should really matter.

pilsetnieks 6y ago

It's not clear from what I've seen so far but does the Apple podcast premium features require the podcast to be exclusive to Apple (like Rogan on Spotify?) It doesn't seem so. I don't see very much of a problem if the podcasters aren't forced to use Apple exclusively or provide premium features exclusively on their platform. As it is now, many podcasts already do the same but their premium offering is buried somewhere on Patreon, which is a kludge. If they aren't barred from continuing premium features on other platforms (like the App Store where developers cannot even mention other payment options) I don't see too much of a problem, maybe that the other platforms might get neglected.

tootie 6y ago
No. Does not require exclusivity.

mijustin 6y ago

Yes, the increasing amount of DRM and exclusives is concerning. However, there's been lots of misinformation about Apple "killing RSS feeds." As far as I can tell, the majority of podcasts on Apple Podcasts will still be driven by RSS (hosted on 3rd-party platforms). This video explains how it works now: https://youtu.be/g9ZVucX0J80 https://youtu.be/g9ZVucX0J80