premium podcast market

I have been a podcast fan since the ipod classic and itunes back when Twit only had one show so I have been a big fan for along time. But lately with all the exclusives and subscription based podcasts are getting little messy. You can no longer use a podcast app of your choice if you want to listen to exclusives. Both Spotify and Amazon have exclusives that you need there app to listen to and then you need Apple podcasts if there are any podcasts you want to listen to there. I heard iheart radio doing some exclusives it just seems messy to need all these apps I know its business thing to bring you to the platform but its not making it easy for the podcast app developers or the consumer.

Conversation 10 comments

  • christianwilson

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 3:56 pm

    <p>Ah, yes. This is a sore subject for me, also. </p><p><br></p><p>Like you, I have been listening to podcasts since the beginning of TWiT and it is sad to see how podcasting is getting locked behind apps. I am happy to see the idea of the audio show thriving, but part of the charm was the openness of it all.</p><p><br></p><p>I don’t have a problem with podcasts asking for an optional subscription to remove ads, or even to provide subscribers with early access to shows (some drama/fiction podcasts do this with their seasons). I do not like seeing shows completely disappear outside the walls of a subscription service, but unfortunately, it is happening. </p><p><br></p><p>Part of the reason this is happening is that advertisers can’t get reliable data about who, exactly, are listening to shows. What sucks is that it never mattered in media until recently. It was always possible to get an idea of the demographic that watched a television show. Podcasters can gather that information today through listener engagement, surveys, etc., and provide that to advertisers. That isn’t what the ad companies want anymore. They want to know who HELIX2301 and christianwilson are, and they want to know how often we listen, for how long, and what other shows we listen to. That mentality is (IMO) creepy, unnecessary, and ruining independent podcasting as a business model. </p>

  • phil_adcock

    30 August, 2021 - 4:09 pm

    <p>As long as people are subscribing to these subscription models to get that I can’t miss it show. Then they will continue to be more and more exclusive. Only if the market says enough is enough, I have subscription fatigue will things start be more broadly available. I subscribe to TWIT’s premium because of all the networks I listen to I’ve been there the longest and they offer the most bang for my buck. Once I get back to a decent pay job. (Thanks COVID) I’ll subscribe to Thurrott again. Until then I’m feeling the subscription fatigue and probably won’t be adding anymore on besides Thurrott.</p>

  • will

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 5:27 pm

    <p>This is very much the same type of situation in that if you want to watch a certain show or series you have to subscribe to the video service that has it. I agree it is messy, and I think it is only going to get worse. </p>

  • lvthunder

    Premium Member
    30 August, 2021 - 6:06 pm

    <p>Just stop thinking of them as podcasts. They are just shows. Think of the app as a channel. So it’s just like radio and TV. Some you get on this channel and some you get on this other channel. And some you just won’t consume to because you either don’t subscribe or like that channel.</p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    31 August, 2021 - 12:27 am

    <p>I joined Club TWiT, it has a dedicated streams for subscribers, which can be added to the podcast app of choice. The same with Thurrott.com, there is an RSS feed for the podcast, although I watch it in my browser.</p><p><br></p><p>I do have Spotify, 1 month trial at the moment, but I find the app a mess and the podcasts and audio books (the main reason I tried it) are a real mess, like an afterthought. I won’t be extending the trial. I haven’t found any podcasts there that I’d be willing to pay for. I’ll stick to supporting the podcasts I like at TWiT and here.</p>

    • helix2301

      Premium Member
      31 August, 2021 - 8:41 am

      <p>You can listen to spotify podcasts for free without a spotify subscription</p>

  • Lauren Glenn

    31 August, 2021 - 10:44 am

    <p>I’d do it instead of using Patreon and whatever changes they’d make to billing at will.</p><p><br></p><p>But then some part of me also doesn’t want Apple taking 30% of my payment. Not sure how much Patreon used to take, but not Apple and their 30% for doing nothing…. probably not even hosting the content.</p>

  • winner

    31 August, 2021 - 5:55 pm

    <p>This is a great post.</p><p>I am sad to think of the open podcast world going the corporatification way as the web.</p><p>My inclinations is to not listen to exclusives, only open podcasts. So far I’ve quit a couple that have gone exclusive to an app.</p>

    • Truffles

      31 August, 2021 - 10:08 pm

      <p>Me too. I’m curious as to what happens when a formerly open podcast goes subscriber-only. On the face of it, I imagine that they immediately leave behind a significant percentage of audience, and from then on they’re destined to suffer a slow decline because it becomes a lot easier to slowly lose listeners than gain new listeners. </p><p><br></p><p>That said, the barrier to entry into podcasting is very low, so from a listeners perspective there’ll always be new open podcasts that are easily discoverable.</p>

      • helix2301

        Premium Member
        01 September, 2021 - 7:44 am

        <p>so some exclusives are free you just have to use a certain app some give half hour away for free then the rest you have to subscribe some are all paid every platform or show is different</p>

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