Free content

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Permalink Reply by ChasCreek on March 13, 2008 at 20:14

I would expect that there will be people out there who will always provide free content (maybe not the same people but people will always come along). The Podcasting arena is another format available for communication and expression and my guess is that people will always want to communicate in whatever way is available and the 'whizziest' way possible - podcasts and videocasts are the whizziest internet accessible ways of doing that at the moment - the next step up if you want from the big buzz of blogging and subsequently the audio blogging services a few years back. Where people could write about interests / music etc, now they can talk about the subject and play the music.
Not everyone wants to make money out of it or even have it as a full time pastime. There will always be plenty of people who just enjoy doing it for the pleasure of communicating.

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Permalink Reply by Tim from Radio Clash on March 13, 2008 at 20:19

But won't they frequently podfade? So it'll be wave upon wave of people coming and going, as I've seen in the bootleg scene...hmm. It's not sustainable over say 1 year for most, and most fall at the 12th/13th or 20th show mark.

I know about the money thing, but certain I think audiences need to reassess their approach to media on that basis - because traditional broadcasting audiences expect their shows to be regular, frequent and passive. That doesn't fit this model?

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Permalink Reply by ChasCreek on March 13, 2008 at 20:26

I agree, yes there will be podfade with the situation I have described although there will probably also be a 'die-hard' group as well who will last the test of time.

I wonder if half of the attraction of listening to podcasts sometimes is that they are independant and do not have to bow to the money cow... if podcasts went paid for and it was a living then wouldn't that somehow change them? Would they just become poormans copies of traditional media having to bow to all the pressures that traditional media bows to? I.E not doing a show because you really want to but because you have an obligation to produce 'x' amount of content because of sponsorship, advertsing contracts, etc etc.

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Permalink Reply by Tim from Radio Clash on March 13, 2008 at 20:54

I'm definitely in the die hard group (pop quiz - how many shows from 2004 are still going? Radio Clash, DSC, DnD (are they still going?), Yeast, GD, maybe Not Your Usual Bollocks- he seems sporadic - err, at least one of the Pauls although dunno if it's the same show, umm.....not exactly a massive group is it?) and I've not found that at all - surely if that was the case my audience would be massive, since I'm one of the longest UK podcasters bar Martin GD and NYUB ?

Not so*, and it's stayed at the plateau levels from about 2 years ago - at least it hasn't gone down. Maybe Zune will make a difference...

*partly iTunes rejecting my show/feed back in Feb 2005 so I missed the 'gold rush', teh bastards. On there now though...not really much going on though.

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Permalink Reply by paul nicholls on March 13, 2008 at 22:18

Tim and I were discussing this on another thread. I hate the fact that some people will only podcast IF they get reward and whinge endlessly if they don't.

For the lucky few who do this passionately and get paid, and maintain their independence, brilliant!

My numbers have shot up from the early days.... and yes Tim, it is me that's been going since December 2004 - there are VERY few of us who are still going from then, and no, I couldn't name any other podcasts - apart from Darkcompass.com - Rowley is still going strong.

Without wishing to sound corny, I love Tim's enthusiasm (you couldn't help but notice this at Podcamp in his mashup session) - I hope his enthusiasm mirrors mine. I've given thousands of hours .. and probably pounds for free.

Do I think that free content will be around for consumers for the forseeable future? Yes, Why would an audience pay for content that is free in spades, unless the content is exceptional and demands it?

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Permalink Reply by Tim from Radio Clash on March 15, 2008 at 17:55

Thank you Paul! I have enthusiam for all types of music, mashups is the one genre I know best, but as it's a mishmash of other genres it crosses into all, it's just a good place to start...

Yes I don't want to whinge; I just wonder how sustainable it is. Shame it's either stay as you are or join the big boys and probably get ripped off or lose control. I wish there was another way.

I hope things change...because free content isn't always free, so to speak.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Hutchinson on March 17, 2008 at 10:42

Having just witnessed Dan Klass move from all free to free plus premium, I think free is always going to be around.
Free is how you get people hooked, just ask a crack dealer. :)
Free samples of food in stores, free samples of products in the mail... yes, free will always be available.
If you want something more you're probably going to have to pay for it ultimately.
Free content is how people can get started too, building a following.
I don't believe we have rules in podcasting (or online content in general).
Free, paid, combination, whatever... it's up to us to decide for ourselves what we want or need.

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