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To combat your pessimism - I would point to podcasts. In general, these were distributed on free platforms. The content became profitable through sponsorships.

To combat your pessimism - I would point to podcasts. In general, these were distributed on free platforms. The content became profitable through sponsorships. That is, the content creator does a deal directly with a brand to include a spot within the content read out by the presenter. So, there is a clear and well-trodden path to monetization for content creators even on free distribution platforms. Of course, as anyone who watches enough YouTube knows content creators double-dip on commercial platforms by including sponsorships and getting a cut of AdSense - so there is still a major advantage to also publishing on YouTube. But for the sponsorship, the value of the deal is related to overall reach across all platforms. That might give incentive for creators to release on multiple platforms, as long as the main commercial platform doesn't enforce exclusivity.

tshaddox 3y ago
I don't have data about how common various podcast monetizing techniques are, but my impression is that it's quite common for the podcast hosting provider to inject ads into the audio file at download time, enabling them to target ads based on the downloader's IP address or whatever other information they have about the downloader.
- pipo234 3y ago
  I don't have stats either, but working for a company that offers the shuffles for that kind of monetization for streaming media (jitm packaging and remix, drm, personalized ads, live2vod) and enthusiastic Podcast listener I tend to believe quite the opposite. (Jit ad insertion is popular in video (ie FAST) but we barely ever sell this to audio shops) Dominant (tech) podcasts seem to favour focus on production, not distribution. Spotify went in guns ablaze and mostly failed. Personally targeting outside walled gardens often misses basic stuff like ads in a matching language. Content catalogue is billboard-irrelevant class. Nothing remotely near classic product placement or creator curated ads.
- stefandesu 3y ago
  > inject ads into the audio file at download time, enabling them to target ads based on the downloader's IP address I've only had this happen once. The experience was so irritating that I probably won't ever listen to a podcast that does this. It just cut off without notice and suddenly a German ad played during an English-speaking podcast. (I get why they do it, but I hate it. In that particular case, I actually signed up for their ad-free premium thing because I really want to listen to it and it's actually reasonably priced.)
repelsteeltje 3y ago
> Of course, as anyone who watches enough YouTube knows content creators double-dip on commercial platforms by including sponsorships and getting a cut of AdSense - so there is still a major advantage to also publishing on YouTube. Maybe add for the time being. I mean yes sure some creators double dip - they probably need the money. For the moment YouTube might allow that, but them being the platform, they might change the rules any time. It your viewers aren't yours, and the ads aren't either, you're not in a great position to profit from distribution ofyour content.

tshaddox 3y ago

I don't have data about how common various podcast monetizing techniques are, but my impression is that it's quite common for the podcast hosting provider to inject ads into the audio file at download time, enabling them to target ads based on the downloader's IP address or whatever other information they have about the downloader.

pipo234 3y ago
I don't have stats either, but working for a company that offers the shuffles for that kind of monetization for streaming media (jitm packaging and remix, drm, personalized ads, live2vod) and enthusiastic Podcast listener I tend to believe quite the opposite. (Jit ad insertion is popular in video (ie FAST) but we barely ever sell this to audio shops) Dominant (tech) podcasts seem to favour focus on production, not distribution. Spotify went in guns ablaze and mostly failed. Personally targeting outside walled gardens often misses basic stuff like ads in a matching language. Content catalogue is billboard-irrelevant class. Nothing remotely near classic product placement or creator curated ads.
stefandesu 3y ago
> inject ads into the audio file at download time, enabling them to target ads based on the downloader's IP address I've only had this happen once. The experience was so irritating that I probably won't ever listen to a podcast that does this. It just cut off without notice and suddenly a German ad played during an English-speaking podcast. (I get why they do it, but I hate it. In that particular case, I actually signed up for their ad-free premium thing because I really want to listen to it and it's actually reasonably priced.)

repelsteeltje 3y ago

> Of course, as anyone who watches enough YouTube knows content creators double-dip on commercial platforms by including sponsorships and getting a cut of AdSense - so there is still a major advantage to also publishing on YouTube. Maybe add for the time being. I mean yes sure some creators double dip - they probably need the money. For the moment YouTube might allow that, but them being the platform, they might change the rules any time. It your viewers aren't yours, and the ads aren't either, you're not in a great position to profit from distribution ofyour content.