"Our word for the day is 'penultimate', because this is our penultimate podcast."
"Penultimate" of course means "second to last" (thanks Lemony Snicket), so that's not quite how New York Times Front Page podcaster James Barron went out - but it's close. This happened a while ago - after the New York Times had already cut out most of its wide stable of podcasts. Now, they just have one, their Book Review, and who knows how long that will last. Is the New York Times simply one institution misreading the tides, or is it a microcosm of the state of podcasting in general?
As Kyle Ryan writes, podcasting is difficult to monetise and attracts a smallish audience, and they aren't exactly easy to make. The best podcasts I listen to list a producer in the credits - these people aren't just talking into a webcam mic.
Podcasts exists in a weird niche. They kind of feel like a new media product because you get them from the internet and whatnot - but they are essentially a radio show with a new distribution method. My parents adore them, but I don't know anyone my age who does. I don't want to sound disparaging of new media entertainment, but a whole lot of it comes in under-five-minute chunks. I know that I automatically reconsider watching a YouTube video when it's longer than five minutes. Most podcasts are at least 40 minutes long, in my experience. It's quite a commitment to listen to something that long every week. There are probably a significant number of people who are just listening to the radio shows they would normally listen to in the podcasting format - think This American Life or Nine to Noon.
The audio-only thing is actually quite an advantage, in my opinion. You can do something else while you listen to podcasts: cook, clean, work, whatever. I don't think a move to videocasting is going to keep podcasts relevant in the future.
The mechanism for actually getting a podcast to a user is awkward right now. Apple enjoys a kind of monopoly on distribution, people listen to podcasts in the browser and through apps such as Stitchr, but the podcast web pages usually link straight to iTunes - that way they can tell how many people are listening and guarantee a subscription. With numbers like those they can sell sponsorships and so on. iTunes don't seem to have updated their podcasting interface for years though - it's obviously not a priority for them, and it's wrapped up in iTunes, which is becoming more of a nightmare to use with every release.
Where do you sit on podcasts? I feel like some people swear by them and some people listen to a few a year; it's hard to be in between. Is there a way to reinvigorate the podcast mechanism for 2012 to the future, are we fine where we are, or should we let podcasts die out?
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Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant/Karl Pilkington podcast. That is all.
I'm 24 and I adore podcasts! They are a great way to learn about topics you are interested in. It can be hard to find the time to sit down to read, so it is great that I can listen to my podcasts (and audiobooks) on the go. Essential stuff given the brain rot on TV (no more 7!).
I agree thou, it is a real pain downloading through itunes. Although I have not investigated a better way I don't like itunes - there is a reason why I don't buy apple!
If you really like a podcast, how is spending 40 minutes to listen to a good one any different than spending 42 minutes watching a TV show you like? I think the problem with podcasts is that a) they need to be an offshoot of something else (like ESPN, which has a heap of good ones), and b) the potential audience is still small, but its growing.
I subscribe to several podcasts at the moment and they are a great way to pass the time while doing something else (dishes, commuting to/from work). I find they can often can go into more depth than a radio show because they are not constrained by radio timeslots. There are also a lot of podcasts on topics which will never get a TV or radio slot.
I will say that managing podcasts via iTunes is old-school. Get a decent podcast app (Instacast, Downcast etc) and you never have to go near iTunes.
I find podcasts to be quite a useful way of catching interesting segments I missed during the day on Radio New Zealand.
I listen to a range of podcasts on a weekly basis, everything from MotoPod which is a weekly review of MotoGP, BSB, WSBK and AMA racing to fitness & motovation classes to learning Italian. I love them. Have a 3.5 km walk to and from work everyday and they are perfect listening material.
I would say it's the opposite. Take SmodCast for example, it was started solely from podcasting, now it has growing to over thirty podcasts, an internet radio network and reality TV show
I'm 22 and I subscribe to many podcasts - the 45 minute mark is fine by me and is usually a good time for travel between work. Generally get the first half in the morning and 2nd in evening.
I listen to BBC podcasts, which are downloaded from the BBC to Rhythmbox on my laptop. They're great for the walk to uni or doing chores.
Also, some of my lectures at uni are recorded and put online as podcasts, so I can listen back to lectures that were tricky to get a handle on the first time. I understand that the extramural students love them.
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Podcasts are fantastic! I'm 20 and love WTF and the Nerdist podcasts, they are very entertaining and a great distracton while at the gym.