4 ms·

As a user, personally it's because I have relatively little loyalty to podcasts, and because these platform are generally a value negative not a value add to th

As a user, personally it's because I have relatively little loyalty to podcasts, and because these platform are generally a value negative not a value add to the end user. Spotify's podcast UI is horrendous, I don't know how it's possible for Spotify to reverse my sort order and lose my place in where I was in a podcast series so many times. Something happening like a podcast going exclusively on Spotify is likely to make me just stop listening to it even if I'm actively a Spotify premium subscriber because Spotify's UI is actually that bad and having to use one specific service instead of any to listen to a podcast is terrible user experience. Spotify's PAID experience is a negative. Another huge thing is that podcasts being freemium is the norm, for a lot of other content types the inconvenience of logging into some portal isn't as noticeable since you had to do that to pay the content producer anyways, but for podcasts you can't help but notice how you're being made to jump through hoops and for what? I'm not sure there's a terrible amount of value here to extract because I think we really underestimate how much value things like the App Store really provide in terms of security or payments and customer service and all that. I don't know, call me nuts, but I think Spotify would have better invested their money into making their podcasts experience good instead of signing exclusivity deals, I would happily use Spotify if it was simply the best podcast player. I can't help but be happy that Spotify's bet is doomed to fail.

soiler 4y ago
Another thing I hated about podcasts when I used spotify: they still have ads. I find it pretty much intolerable to get ads on a paid service. But podcasts weren't near the top of the list of reasons I cut ties with spotify anyway. (Oh wait, actually their endorsement of Joe Rogan was very close to the top.)
- moneywoes 4y ago
  Spotify injects ads into the podcast?
  - FinnKuhn 4y ago
    no, the podcasts (or to be precise their distribution software) does. https://community.spotify.com/t5/Subscriptions/Ads-on-podcasts-despite-premium/td-p/4753448 https://community.spotify.com/t5/Subscriptions/Ads-on-podcas...
- fphhotchips 4y ago
  The first platform to solve this problem by offering a paid product that revenue shares back to the creator will get my $$$ as soon as I find it. I hoped this was what Spotify was up to, but clearly not. Youtube Premium could make an easy play in that space if they cared for it. Dynamic ads ruin podcasts for me. Its the same 3 ads (often for other podcasts), and the technical execution leaves a lot to be desired. I'll often be listening to a podcast, only for it to repeat the last two minutes. That would be annoying by itself, but then the podcast cuts off 2 minutes before the actual end.
  - soiler 4y ago
    Doesn't YouTube Premium do that? I remember some creators saying they got a lot more money out of Premium views than ad views, but I don't know anything specific.
    - fphhotchips 4y ago
      (late reply) - yes, but not for podcasts.
jjeaff 4y ago
There is a lot of stiff (and free) competition when it comes to podcast players. I'm pretty happy with the now open source Pocket Casts. Previously I used the paid Dogg Catcher. I can't imagine what features would need to exist for me to be willing to pay a recurring fee.
brutusborn 4y ago
This is exactly my experience: Rogan moved to Spotify, podcasts became more difficult to track because of bad UI and ads were a constant irritation (I pay good money to not get ads). Nowadays I spend my time listening to different podcasts and tune into Rogan if he has a particularly good guest on.
thrashh 4y ago
I think it’s a loyalty thing too, but it’s not so much about the platform but more about the podcast With TV shows, if my friends talk about it, I want to watch it too With podcasts, I don’t seem to really care. If I can’t listen to a podcast because it’s not available, I won’t miss it

soiler 4y ago

Another thing I hated about podcasts when I used spotify: they still have ads. I find it pretty much intolerable to get ads on a paid service. But podcasts weren't near the top of the list of reasons I cut ties with spotify anyway. (Oh wait, actually their endorsement of Joe Rogan was very close to the top.)

moneywoes 4y ago
Spotify injects ads into the podcast?
- FinnKuhn 4y ago
  no, the podcasts (or to be precise their distribution software) does. https://community.spotify.com/t5/Subscriptions/Ads-on-podcasts-despite-premium/td-p/4753448 https://community.spotify.com/t5/Subscriptions/Ads-on-podcas...
fphhotchips 4y ago
The first platform to solve this problem by offering a paid product that revenue shares back to the creator will get my $$$ as soon as I find it. I hoped this was what Spotify was up to, but clearly not. Youtube Premium could make an easy play in that space if they cared for it. Dynamic ads ruin podcasts for me. Its the same 3 ads (often for other podcasts), and the technical execution leaves a lot to be desired. I'll often be listening to a podcast, only for it to repeat the last two minutes. That would be annoying by itself, but then the podcast cuts off 2 minutes before the actual end.
- soiler 4y ago
  Doesn't YouTube Premium do that? I remember some creators saying they got a lot more money out of Premium views than ad views, but I don't know anything specific.
  - fphhotchips 4y ago
    (late reply) - yes, but not for podcasts.

jjeaff 4y ago

There is a lot of stiff (and free) competition when it comes to podcast players. I'm pretty happy with the now open source Pocket Casts. Previously I used the paid Dogg Catcher. I can't imagine what features would need to exist for me to be willing to pay a recurring fee.

brutusborn 4y ago

This is exactly my experience: Rogan moved to Spotify, podcasts became more difficult to track because of bad UI and ads were a constant irritation (I pay good money to not get ads). Nowadays I spend my time listening to different podcasts and tune into Rogan if he has a particularly good guest on.

thrashh 4y ago

I think it’s a loyalty thing too, but it’s not so much about the platform but more about the podcast With TV shows, if my friends talk about it, I want to watch it too With podcasts, I don’t seem to really care. If I can’t listen to a podcast because it’s not available, I won’t miss it