Podcast NYC - Blog

Moving This Blog To Awakened Voice

2008-01-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

The time comes when you realize that you've got too many blogs. That time has come for me! So I've moved all my podcastnyc blog posts over to my Awakened Voice Blog. That's the place where I blog about a wider range of tech topics. And that will always include podcasting.

Thanks to the WordPress importer I was able to bring all the content from the time I started this blog over to the Awakened Voice site. I even got the comments too. Whoopee! So come join me there why don't you?

Scoble Should've Gone To Podcamp

2007-12-13T13:16:00.000-05:00

A little over a year ago I started a firestorm of controversy by blogging about a conversation taking place in the public forum for the PodCamp NYC organizer group over on Google Groups. Group organizer John Haven's wanted opinions on whether or not they should dedicate funds to paying for Robert Scoble's travel expenses in return for an appearance and a few kind words from the great one.

Who asked for reimbursement or offered to pay is subject to debate. Havens claimed that Scoble asked. Scoble claimed that the money was offered. Who knows. At this point I really don't care. In then end Robert Scoble didn't show up at Podcamp NYC. I'm sure I'm the one personally blamed for that. Oh the humanity. Perhaps Robert Scoble should have showed up to represent his employer PodTech in spite of my nefarious efforts to keep him away from the event.

Many times I have heard people judge the future of podcasting by the trajectory of venture capital funded outfits like Odeo, PodTech and PodShow. I've always said that was a mistake. In fact I've stated that independent podcasters would be better off without venture capital money in podcasting. My reason for this belief is not the principle of accepting VC money. Its about the fact that all these companies make the same moves once they cash their checks.

It seems to me that the world of tech startups is a lot like the elementary school yard. The kids who are funded (or whose shows are owned by the funded) don't want to consort with the riff raff from the other side of the tracks. So what happens is that these companies disengage from the real conversation. They remove their ears from the ground. They don't have to be a part of the community anymore. They have millions and they are about the community. Which brings me to the dilemma of PodTech.

Robert Scoble is well known as a grass roots evangelist from his days at Microsoft. He is also known as a video podcaster. And one would've hoped (for the sake of the investors in Podtech at least) that he could bring the mojo from Microsoft to PodTech. It didn't work out though. And I believe that it didn't work out because Mr. Scoble moved away from his core skill of evangelizing and moved into the cushy leather (probably aeron actually) chair of a Vice President of Media Development.

PodTech needed to build a brand, attract an audience and create a community. The VP of Media Development should be the person responsible for developing the content and building that audience. Robert brought his own audience and sponsors but that isn't good enough for a company that has millions in financing, a big office and a few dozen mouths to feed.

"There are more than 30 people working at PodTech and I only bring in a small percentage of revenues (and my show is highly profitable)."

The best place to start finding content and building an audience for a tech network is among the faithful. And many of the faithful can be found at these grass roots Podcamp events around the world. Why wasn't Robert more active at these events? Yes, he attended Podcamp San Francisco in November of 2006. But I don't remember him speaking or teaching. I don't know that Robert has attended any grassroots events outside of the bubble during his tenure with Podtech.

Instead of reaching out, teaching and building community Podtech spent large sums of money on a handful of shows like 1938 Media, Geek Entertainment TV and Lo-Fi St. Louis. Two of the three mentioned here aren't even tech shows. What's up with that? Was there even a strategy?

It seems to me that Robert Scoble never practiced what he preached while at PodTech. The Podtech blog was hardly a place to get the latest real updates on the company. In fact, as of today the last post over there was three and a half months ago. The evangelism in the podcasting community wasn't there either. Scoble's show was profitable and I guess that's all that mattered.

I have no idea whether the choice on strategy with respect to the podcast community was driven by Robert, the investors or their now ousted CEO John Furrier. Either way, Robert should have fought to embed Podtech within the podcasting community. Had Robert done so then his company could have gained the benefits that one can find in the community. People would have respected Podtech more and probably pointed their audiences to something besides the Scoble Show.

No matter. PodTech was never about podcasting. That's obvious. And they are moving in a new direction so there will be no doubt that its a waste of time to look at PodTech as a bellwether of the health of podcasting.

"...PodTech has moved away from an editorial focus and toward an corporate media development one,..."

Thank heavens.

The final takeaway is this. Podcasting is about building things. Building audiences, Building brands, building communities and building relationships. All individuals and companies who want to make a difference in the space should consider that whether they are funded by venture capital or not.

XM Radio Podcasting

2007-12-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

I twittered about this earlier today. I think it's a big deal that XM Radio has launched podcast channels. So far there are nine podcasts on the iTunes store from XM. This move into podcasting indicates two things.

XM is moving away from thinking of themselves as a satellite radio company and moving toward thinking of themselves as an audio based entertainment company.
XM is waving the white flag and realizing that they have to expand their audience. The only way they can expand is to go all the way into people's pockets without those people having to pay a ridiculous price for a receiver and a monthly fee.

The good thing about this move is that XM is giving those of us who aren't subscribers more content choices. Unfortunately this occurs at the expense of independent podcasters who will find that there is strong growth in mainstream competition in the space.

There are still areas where independent podcasters can distinguish themselves. Mainstream entertainment outfits who produce podcasts are mostly focused on the technology of getting the content out there. Independent podcasters have the chance to build real communities and have a two-way conversation with their audiences. Even today there are still many gaps between the type of content that mainstream sources will offer and what independent podcasters can deliver.

So I'm not bummed out that media companies like the Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, XM and many others are in this space. The more the merrier. The challenge, which I find quite fun, lies in building brands and communities one audience member at a time.

PodShow Decline Continues

2007-12-03T19:13:00.000-05:00

By all accounts PodShow has always been the one to watch in the podcasting space. They started out by leveraging the audiences of some of the biggest stars in podcasting with Adam Curry and Dawn & Drew. They've even broken bigger shows like GeekBriefTV. Top it off with $24 million in funding, some good sized brand advertisers and you've got a can't miss venture. Well, not so fast.

PodShow has had a wee bit of trouble solidifying their space as the be all, end all of podcasting driven companies. They have been struggling to find a big hit since they brought Cali (not her real name I believe) Lewis and the GeekBriefTV squad on board. In fact, many of the top shows on the Podshow owned Podcast Alley are not produced in association with PodShow. So if you believe that success in podcasting is based on killer content then it can't be good to have so few of the top shelf content channels in the podosphere.

Today another stake was driven into the San Francisco based company when it was announced that the host of a PodShow produced show called Textra was quitting to work for CNET.

The young lady sings the sweet mantra that so many people who leave web2.0 startups belt out upon announcing their departure when she states, "...I want to make it clear that my departure from Podshow is not an indication of the state of things at Podshow. This is just the next logical step for me and I owe a lot of it to Podshow." Oh what a great way to repay Adam and the PodShow team for their hard work and investment. That's the working world though. I have no problem with someone leaving for greener pastures. But lets face it. If things were rocking at PodShow there would be no reason to move to a cold, hard town like New York City.

It is a sign of bad times coming when you see relatively new (less than a year in Natalie's case) employees leaving startups for old media companies. This is a trend we will see more of in the coming months. Remember when the highly touted Jeremiah Owyang left PodTech for Forrester Research after less than a year? Hey, good for Jeremiah but bad for PodTech, despite Jeremiah's claim that, "I’ve had the most amazing experience..." Smart people like that just don't up and leave young companies on the rise. They do depart companies that are stagnant or declining.

So are you going to shoot the messenger? We need a dose of reality here. Podcasting is not about getting funded and getting advertisers. Its about using the web to build relationships that create opportunities and value that may not be initially quantifiable. Dave knows what he's talking about when he states, "I see podcasting, for bloggers, as just another way to communicate with a few people who are interested in what they know and think. I also see it as a way for professional news organizations, esp non-profits, to flow reports to people in a very convenient and powerful way."

The fact is that what podcasters really need is education and support on how to create a great user experience and build communities on the web. We don't need free web hosting with annoying pre-roll advertisements. And podcasting certainly doesn't need venture capital funded networks or even the myriad of associations and pseudo-unions that want you to pay them dues. These are all distractions from the real meaning and power of this technology.

Consider this a weather report. It is what it is.

Kudos To Wizzard Media

2007-11-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

Finally! Someone offers a new kind of podcasting service that makes sense. Because we need another podcast ad network like we need holes in our heads.

Podcasters desperately need tools that extend their reach. They need tools that allow them to smooth the integration between their feeds and the various destinations where people find and consume content.

Do you really think that podcasters love having to take the time to post to Facebook and Twitter and MySpace, etc? Um, No! Time is money folks.

Likewise podcasters want to make sure that their shows present well on mobile devices. What's the hottest mobile device of 2007? The iPhone/iPod Touch wins by a mile.

So the team over their at Wizzard used some common sense and put together a web based app for browsing a well formatted directory that allows you to find, manage, subscribe to and play podcast content right from your iPhone/iPod Touch.

I tried it today and the service works pretty darn well. Head over to http://iphone.wizzard.tv on your computer or iPod to check it out.

You can also check this video to see for yourself.

Remove Your Yahoo Podcast Links

2007-10-31T20:16:00.001-04:00

If you have links on your podcast website to the now defunct Yahoo Podcast Directory then take 'em off your sites like yesterday. The directory has been taken down and your link now goes to a Yahoo Audio Search page.

The Energy Was Different

2007-10-31T19:51:00.000-04:00

‘Professor’ Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with ‘sketch’) noticed something about the 2007 Podcast and New Media Expo. According to The Podcast Professor, "...the Expo itself just didn't seem to have the same energy as last year."

I spoke to a number of people when I was there and those who had been to the Expo in prior years felt the same way. Many hardcore podcasters that I know who came in years 1 and 2 skipped this years event. And while there were lots of people who were new to podcasting the buzz just wasn't the same.

One of the reasons for the lighter turnout may have to do with economic issues related to coming out to the event. Airfare, plus hotel, rental car and per diem costs push it to about a $1000 budget for those of us coming from the East Coast. We're in a time when lots of people around the U.S. are dealing with mortgage and debt problems. So it makes a heckuva lot of sense to me that this could affect attendance.

There's no doubt that local meetups and PodCamp events are a more economical option for those looking to connect in the independent podcasting community.

You can hear the rest of Sallie's comments about her experience at the 2007 Podcast & New Media Expo on Episode #288 (around the 45:00 mark) of For Immediate Release. Sallie also made some salient points about the general obsession with advertising and revenue generation as opposed to user experience.

Frankly I was going to let my previous post be the final word on my major impressions of this year's Expo. But when I heard Sallie's points I thought it would be good for those who follow podcasting to know that there are others who had a different experience this year.

A little birdie also told me that certain people were none too pleased with my posting a blog that questioned the excellence of this year's event and the decision to drop the word 'podcast' from the name for 2008. Supposedly others were urged to take punitive action against me. Nice try.

I'm not employed as the P.R. person for podcasting and related events. Thus I'll tell people my opinions whenever I feel like it. End of story.

Light Traffic At 2007 Podcast Expo

2007-10-13T08:37:00.000-04:00

I was at the 2007 Podcast and New Media Expo two weeks ago and I was pretty shocked at how light the traffic was on the exhibition floor. I have been to the previous two expos and there was much more foot traffic on the floor at each of the first two events. I don't know what the attendance levels were at the individual learning sessions as I didn't attend any of those.

The gentlemen who organize the event, Tim and Emil Bourquin, are calling the 2007 expo a success for all on their latest Podcast Brothers episode. I can't say that I agree. If you paid for a booth on the exhibition floor in 2007 you didn't get very strong traffic.

Tim and Emil are making changes to the name and location of the Expo for 2008. In 2008 the gathering will simply be called the New Media Expo. The venue will also be changed to Las Vegas, NV from Ontario, California. I don't know that these changes will necessarily help attendance. More people will certainly be attracted to Vegas but once there they may find the many distractions more interesting.

It is very likely that traffic to the Expo from podcasters will be very light next year. First off, with the word podcast excised from the name I think that many podcasters are going to get the feeling that they're not as welcome. My perception as a longtime podcaster is that there is a distinct difference in the vibe of podcasters as opposed the many generic new media types out there. The shift in traffic will be better for the Expo but not necessarily good for the podcasting community.

I think you'll see more mainstream press, public relations and corporate marketing folks at the 2008 expo. These are the people that live at Las Vegas conferences. And with Vegas being more expensive than Ontario those types of people will be the ones who can actually afford the trip.

None of this news is bad for podcasting. I think that 2007 is the year when the community came together on their own terms. That's because PodCamp has come of age. What Chris Brogan and Christopher Penn started in 2006 has exploded.

I count sixteen completed PodCamp events worldwide in 2007. There are six more PodCamps planned this year including Perth, Australia and Cape Town, South Africa. The local nature of these events makes it eminently more convenient for people to go to a local event to get their podcast community fix rather than heading across the country or the world to go to a gathering.

You will ultimately make your own decisions about going to these types of events. For 2008 I think I'm turning over a new leaf and committing to going local on these events as much as I can.

Podcasting Will Thrive

2007-09-01T10:52:00.000-04:00

Once again the discussion of whether or not podcasting will survive has been place on the table via a recent blog post. I'll dispense with the drama and tell you that podcasting will survive. I guarantee it.

At its core podcasting is not a very complex thing. It involves the combination of online media and RSS. Is online media going away? No. Is RSS going away? No. So if those two things aren't going away then podcasting isn't going away.

The author's lament is the fact that, "We certainly no longer hear about it as much as we did in the past." He goes on to say that, "We certainly no longer hear about it as much as we did in the past." The inspiration for the author's post is the fact that John Furrier has left his position at PodTech.net.

Let's get something straight here right off the bat. John Furrier is not and has never been a person who can make or break podcasting. I don't believe that Mr. Furrier has ever staked that claim but for some reason he is elevated to that level in the blog post. There are many more important figures in the movement. Names like Dave Winer, Adam Curry and Leo Laporte come to mind. When those people get bearish on podcasting then you can call me on this post.

All the trends that mean anything point to the growth of the medium. The number of independently produced podcast shows is up significantly from a year ago. The number of new podcast networks is up from a year ago. The number of industry related events is way up from a year ago. I counted four PodCamp events in 2006. In 2007 there will be about twenty such events. The Podcast & New Media Expo has expanded from two to three days and in a larger hall at that.

I'm also seeing much more interest in the medium from businesses and advertisers. These people recognize that podcasting is a great way to connect with people.

Let's take a look at the technology for a moment. The Blogger platform that I am using to write this post has recently added enclosure links and increased video podcasting support. I guess somebody forget to tell Google that podcasting wouldn't survive. We also now have the iPhone which for the first time connects a mobile phone with the world's largest podcast directory in iTunes.

I could go on (you know I'd love to!) but what's the point? All of the meaningful signs point to growth. Some of the lazy metrics look weak. Sure there hasn't been a big mainstream cover story on podcasting in a while. That proves nothing. The larger, deeper discussions are happening online and at events around the world. The communities that are being built around media don't require mainstream media support to survive or thrive.

Google Is Officially A Podcasting Player

2007-08-24T17:29:00.000-04:00

Google has had a hand in podcasting in one way or another since the very beginning. My very first podcast had a site on Blogger, a FeedBurner feed and my own media hosting.

With the acquisition of FeedBurner Google has been able to get the second piece of the puzzle in line by integrating the ability to redirect your feed over to FeebBurner.

Now Google has announced integrated video podcast support. So you can upload a file from withing a blogger post and it will automatically become embedded in a post and linked as an enclosure.

I gave it a shot with the video you see below. My first attempt at uploading a QuickTime movie failed with an error. So I gave it a second shot with a video in the iPod format.

As you can see the second try worked. It looks like Google is using their Google Video engine to power the flash conversion and player. Since the Google Video platform leaves something to be desired on flash encoding I don't think any hardcore video bloggers or podcasters will be too excited. And you can also see the nice Blogger logo which will definitely put off this interested in maintaining complete branding control.

The upside is that this makes it easier for the average user to get started in video podcasting. And the people who are learning and experimenting won't be deterred by the things I've pointed out.

Where this can get interesting is when Blogger starts integrating those new advertising options that they have on YouTube.

What's Positive In Podcasting?

2007-08-21T00:52:00.000-04:00

After getting raked over the coals in the most recent episode of P Dilly's Today In Podcasting I thought it was time to give the other side of the new media story.

Some see it as unfair to compare one company to another. Some look down on me for pointing out that some companies are no longer operating. Heck, the company I am involved with just might be in that same situation one day.

I'll tell you what though. I always reserve the right to have an opinion. You can disagree. But lets make sure we get facts straight when we do. I've always been in this on the side of growing podcasting as a medium. I've spent a lot of time helping others get involved and get the most out of the medium. I will continue to help those who come to me. I've organized charity events so that we can use this technology to help people. And I'm gonna let people know the deal as I see it.

I believe that teaching openly and doing good things should be the price of entry to the medium. Others will disagree. So be it.

So who should we be watching? Who's doing good?

Libsyn has been there since the beginning offering podcast hosting at a very fair price. Thankfully they keep on trucking along. I've used their hosting for over two years.

Podcast Alley continues to be a place that podcasters use to promote their shows while the forums are very active. I still here plenty of shows pimping for those votes at the start of each month.

Podcasting News features a steady stream of all news related to podcasting.

PodCamp keeps getting bigger in spite of my blatant attempts ;) to blindside the movement. They've even got a cruise coming up. Woe to the cruise operator who fails to have plentiful internet access and power plugs.

Podcast producers have created a shift in the media patterns of the mainstream media. Mainstream media and entertainment outlets are embracing the medium. Yes, You are the person of the year!

Podcast Pickle has long been a place where you can get into a good discussion in the forum. Heck I even added them to a Beginning Podcaster Guide I wrote recently. No hard feelings Gary.

I think PodShow is doing some very good things for podcasting. I disagree with parts of their approach but at the end of the day they are helping some podcasters to get paid. And they are bringing new advertisers into the medium. And those achievements parallel some of the things we do over at my house.

Blip.tv continues to impress me with what they're doing to put video podcast publishing within reach of the average person.

Look, I don't care if you know who my name is. I didn't get into this to be somebody. I'm already somebody to my family and friends. I got into this to teach and help others via my podcasts, my knowledge of business and my love of technology. I know that I've been successful. People tell me so when they contact me. And my definition of success is more about those who are close to me than those who can't pronounce my name.

If you're doing good things with podcasting then by all means let people know in the comments here. Do your part by helping others to separate the signal from the noise. And don't be ashamed when you do.

What A Murky Landscape

2007-08-11T21:07:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot with podcasting over the past year even though I've been generally quiet here. I keep my tongue because my association with RawVoice could lead people to accuse me of bias.

Well the fact is that I am biased. I got involved with Todd and Co. because I not only believed in what they were doing I liked how they were doing it. I still like the way they are doing it.

I get frustrated though. I get emails every week from some snake oil selling punk pitching us on the power of podcasting, telling us how its going to tip in 2007. This is inevitably followed by a request for a partnership or some other thing that involves me promoting what they are doing.

So I always do research and every time what I come up with is someone who has just entered the game looking to make a quick hit. I mean, I've been working at this for two and a half years as a content producer and advocate of the medium. How about spending half an hour to do a few Google searches to find out about who we are? It may be too much to ask.

So you've got a marketplace that is starting to include a decent number of multi-level marketing types who are selling good ole podcast secrets. And you've got old media types who think the secret involves higher production quality plus a babe or two. Look, if there was a time tested formula then everyone would do that. But there isn't a formula for creating successful shows, which is really what podcasts are. They are audio or video shows.

The thing that is scary to people with an old media attitude is the fact that a home produced show by a passionate amateur is just as likely to gain an audience as a slickly produced professional video. That's just the way it is.

The VC funded kids are doing okay I suppose. PodShow has been dead quiet, at least from my perspective, in recent months but I hear they are bringing in some steady revenue. PodTech has been drama central for weeks now with recent rumors circulating that the great Robert Scoble will be checking out soon. Not true though, but something hot is happening there. Maybe the brouhaha is player hating by their enemies. But one does have to ask how you could spend $500K on a video blog in a single year.

How is good ole Odeo doing? Who knows and really who cares. They got some buzz when acquired but the skill sets of the buyers along with the reputation of the buyers financiers doesn't breed confidence in their future as a player. You never know though.

Awhile back I dropped a line about Fruitcast dropping off the face and got a terse, "We're not done," comment from one of the founders. Its been quite a while and I've seen nothing but the same landing page for months. No blog, nothing. I guess you can never say never but this patient hasn't had a pulse for ten months now.

Those folks also created the PodBasket service which now is in the hands of an interesting looking outfit called Splashpress Media. I've gotten reports from PodBasket users recently that they have been having server problems related to the transfer of ownership so beware. There's no blog on the PodBasket service either. I think its a best practice for a web based service to have a blog as a method of providing information and updates on what is happening with the service. Is there anyone who thinks that's not a good idea?

In that same post back in 2006 I mentioned Castfire. They have come back strong and are creating some really nice tools being used by Ask A Ninja among others.

LibSyn buyers Wizzard have launched Wizzard Media and they are going to make a run at PodShow with exclusive ad contracts and the like. I've commented on this approach before. I don't know how viable it is since there is such a huge pool of content out there but PodShow seems to be doing okay so why not.

What do I see in a nutshell? A lot is happening. In fact a lot more is happening than I could summarize in this post. Some of what is happening is good for podcasting. Some is not so good. I think the best thing that could happen is for there to be a shakeout that reduces the numbers of players in the game. And when I say that I mean commercial service providers and top down funded networks. Those who are really dedicated and understand will be more likely to do the right thing. But not all players are necessarily dedicated (or even understand) what podcasting is all about. They just see dollar signs.

The content pool, on the other hand, is always going to grow and I believe that's a good thing. Interesting times we live in folks.

Taking Advantage Of Artists

2007-07-22T09:02:00.000-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me how much people continue to attempt to exploit artists, especially musicians, even in these days of Creative Commons, Magnatune, CD Baby, IODA and podcasting.

You have these people operating on the web that claim to be doing something different. They claim to be doing things in a new way. But its just the old way with a little bit of new wrapping. When I say 'old' I mean a way that is very unfriendly to the artists who are creating content. I also mean 'old' in the sense that the technology, while touted as the latest, is frequently a few years behind the times.

You can't expect artists to know what they're getting. Most are focused on creating and not the ins and outs of web2.0. As podcasters, we should take it upon ourselves to do the right thing when we use music from independent artists. We can spend a little time to create relationships and educate them on what's what.

If we take this approach maybe we can slowly bleed out the hucksters who are in it mostly for themselves and fail to embrace the reality (and technology) of these times.

The Same Things Keep Happening

2007-06-19T09:24:00.000-04:00

I won't bother going into a soliloquy about the reasons why taking someone's feed over without their knowledge is wrong.

Have a look at the following blog post from Rob Walch at Podcast411. It details the odyssey of a podcaster who decided to submit her feed to Podango.

http://podcast411.com/blog/?p=32

Wordcast Exits With A Whimper

2007-05-25T19:05:00.000-04:00

Back at the 2005 Podcast Expo Audible had themselves the prime position right at the entrance to the exhibit hall. They were the bells of the ball.

The tag line for Audible's marketing pitch at the 2005 Expo was something to the effect of, "Podcasts are like hot air. Very powerful when harnessed." Unfortunately the harness that Audible spoke of was a DRM wrapper that called home when you played a media file. Not good.

Their Audible Wordcast service did score an early coup, signing up the wildly popular Ricky Gervais podcast. Walls were erected, service fees were charged and on the podcast went. No one is really sure how many listeners stuck around to pay up to $1.95 per episode. You can now get Season 3 (what chutzpah to call six audio files a season) for the bargain price of $6.95.

It's not about the money. A couple of bucks a week isn't going to break anybody. Its about the fact that you pay for a file that sits in a locked box on your computer (or portable device) and its only playable under certain conditions. Didn't I just buy the thing? And then it phones home like E.T. or something.

Don't believe my words. Check the quote from the original Audible press release about WordCast.

"The business of advertising requires measurement that will stand up to a third-party audit, and AudibleWordcast will be the first "audit-ready" podcasting platform capable of measuring actual subscribers, not just file downloads. Audible's TrueListener audience measurement system reports the metrics required by advertisers, which are determined audit ready through third-party media auditor, ImServices Group (http://www.imservicesgroup.com)."

You see the mistake here was that the execs at Audible only thought about one of the three parties involved in the transaction. I'm sure the advertisers loved this stuff. But what about podcast producers and their audiences?

It seems to me now (and I thought even then) that DRM and proprietary file formats are dealbreakers when it comes to podcasting. People will go for free with ads much more than they will go for pay with an invisible leash. At least they will when it comes to podcasts.

So how come the iTunes music store does so well? Ya know where I can find a non-DRM digital version of Billy Joel's greatest hits? No, because you can't buy one without DRM unless you get the CD. And even then you never know. People have an overwhelming choice in podcasting and 95% of the content is free and open. Makes competing tough if your selling a podcast in a box with a leash.

As a podcaster and an entrepreneur in the space it is in my best interest for things like Audible Wordcast to work. I'm sorry it didn't. But it was messed up from the start. And someone who really knows the podcasting market could've told the good folks at Audible that before they went through all the trouble.

[via MWG Blog]

PodShow Sirius Deal Ends

2007-04-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

I remember it being big news in 2005 that PodShow would be syndicating their best and brightest to Sirius Satellite Radio. PaidContent is now reporting that the deal has ended in a very abrupt manner.

According to the PaidContent blog post, "the block was pulled from the air without notice from PodShow to more than two dozen contributing podcasters."

I'm really not sure if there is a winner or loser in this case. It couldn't have costed Sirius much money to pump the podcast content through their system. At the same time it probably didn't bring Sirius any subscribers. Why would you pay for something that you can download for free from the internet?

It was great PR for PodShow to be able to say that they could get certain podcasters on satellite radio. But what does that really mean? Satellite radio has a much narrower reach than podcasting. And you still have to be listening at the time a show is aired to hear the content.

So I'd venture to guess that podcasters were not gaining many listeners from the Sirius-PodShow connection. If anything, this indicates that podcasters are better off focusing on the common network medium known as the internet.

I have no doubt that Sirius will be evaluating their content offerings and eliminating more low value shows as their deal with XM nears closing.

Apple On Video Podcasts

2007-04-12T07:15:00.000-04:00

Apple sent out some new guidance on encoding video podcasts to help with Apple TV compatibility yesterday. They also had some advice about multiple RSS feeds as well.

Apple on video podcasts - "If you're encoding your video podcast at 320x240, please increase the resolution to either 640x480 or 640x360 (depending on the aspect ratio of your source files). Why? Because video podcasts at this resolution look great on Apple TV and still port to video iPods. Lower resolution podcasts might also work on both platforms, but they don't look nearly as good on a widescreen TV. As always, make sure to test any encoding changes you make to ensure device compatibility. QuickTime 7.1's "Export to iPod" function will ensure that a video file is encoded at a width of 640 and is iPod-compatible."
Apple on multiple video feeds - "It's best not to create two different podcast feeds for different resolutions. By doing so, you dilute the popularity of your podcast and reduce exposure in our charts. It's better to have one feed high in the charts than two that are lower."

Alright then. Go forth and produce some hi res video podcasts.

Goodbye-deo

2007-02-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Odeo is for sale.

The folks at Obvious Corp. are selling, "...odeo.com and studio.odeo.com, including all code, the domain, brand, database of three million MP3s, etc. Not a company, but a site and platform that could be ramped up to something much bigger."

They built something good looking and functional. And they still get quite a bit of traffic. So where did they go wrong?

It sounds like they just lost passion for the project. Their newer project Twitter appears to be on the rise. I wouldn't be surprised if someone picked up the project in order to leverage the infrastructure and tools rather than the Odeo brand and domain.

It's Official. I'm A New Media Visionary!

2007-02-20T19:52:00.000-05:00

Two years ago today I made a very bold statement about podcasting and how it would affect satellite radio.

Yesterday the news came across that XM and Sirius satellite radio announced plans for a merger.

So what's the deal here? It's the same deal that I said it would be.

"Both players in the game, Sirius and XM, are losing cash by the bucketful."

"At this point the name of the game for both these players is survival."

"They've spent way too much money to establish a space based version of regular radio, while podcasters have pooled together to create a land based worldwide network with almost no central investment."

Read the original post to get the entire diatribe. There's not much left to say except that if the merger doesn't go through there will be a few useless satellites orbiting the earth two years from now.

Two Crazy Years

2007-02-14T22:10:00.000-05:00

Has it been that long? Damn!

I started podcasting in February 2005. I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of great folks via podcasting.

I've connected with lots of musicians who wanted their songs played and were glad to get a new chance for exposure. Tons of people have expressed their love (or extreme hate) for my various rants and opinions. I still get gushing emails from folks grateful for the New York City travel advice. I've met (in person and otherwise) too many people to mention who wanted to learn about and discuss what podcasting means in the grand scheme of things.

To me it meant (and still does mean) that individuals and organizations have a chance to express themselves and connect with audiences like never before. Podcasting makes getting a message out or enjoying content easier than ever. Podcasts are on 24/7, whether you're in your car or on a train or on a plane or standing in line waiting for a bus in NYC.

Very cool stuff. Lots more to come. Who will get upset at me this year? I have to say that I love adventure!

Makin Some Pod Money

2007-01-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Chris Penn (no not Sean's brother) of the Financial Aid Podcast has put together a video that shows musicians, "how to get the most out of the music they’re already selling in iTunes." Check it out here.

Will The iPhone Change Podcasting?

2007-01-12T10:06:00.000-05:00

The recently announced iPhone from Apple is very promising indeed for podcasting.

Think about it. Millions of people with a direct connection to the iTunes podcast directory in their pocket. Plenty of storage (4GB or 8GB). Audio and video playback capability. It could be a podcast consumption juggernaut. Wait a minute though.

This isn't an iPod, it's a cell phone. And that means people will have to make a big decision before picking up this sweet piece of hardware. Do they really want to switch to Cingular (soon to be AT&T again) wireless?

It's a fact that people can be pretty darn loyal to their cellular providers. Especially since departing mid-contract can mean a financial hit of up to $200. I just recently extended my contract for two years, upgrading to the pretty darn good Samsung Blackjack. I like the look of the iPhone but there are some concerns that will prevent me from switching.

No 3G support. Yeah, I know it has WiFi but 3G coverage is more widespread. Sure you can connect at Starbucks and lots of other places. But you also need a separate paid account for many hotspots. Why pay the $$$ for a cellular data plan and pay for various WiFi plans?
Potential battery life issues. This device has all the great power suckers including a big screen, wifi and bluetooth. And the battery is not replaceable. The one big difference between an iPod and a phone is the fact that you need your cell phone to be with you almost all the time. The iPod is carried typically by preference but no necessity. Powering up on the go would be easier if the battery lasted longer and was replaceable.
Lack of support for 3rd Party apps. The Windows Mobile and Series 60 platforms both have a robust suite of independently developed applications. There are questions about what will be available for the iPhone since it will run OS X. There's no doubt that OS X is great for the computer. But will it work for the cell phone?

In my mind this device would be ten times more killer if it were not a cell phone. Heck, Id put an order in tomorrow if you took away the cellular requirement and made the battery replaceable.

I think this phone will be good for podcasting because a lot of non-iPod users will switch over, thereby adding to the number of people who will seek to leverage iTunes for their entertainment. I don't think it will be the blockbuster success that is being predicted by the hype. Initially I'm willing to bet that there will be hardware and software issues that will make the overall experience less than stellar.

Apple will make adjustments though. And with future releases the experience will improve greatly. So put me on the waiting list for an iPhone for June...June 2008 that is.

Digg Rounds Out Snoozeworthy 2006

2007-01-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

Not much happened with podcasting in 2006. Oh, stuff happened but if you look at the Google Trend line then you can see that overall interest was flat in 2006. Don't panic. I'm not saying that the medium of podcasting is stagnant or that interest is declining. I'm just saying that 2006 didn't see the major spikes in interest compared with 2005.

If you take a look at the trend line you'll see that interest in podcasting spiked big time in 2005 when Apple introduced podcasts to the iTunes music store. They followed up in 2006 with a lame shuffling of the categories, in effect making it more difficult for people to find certain types of podcasts. Other than that, nothing major from Apple. It was still 2005 when Apple caused the video podcast world to open up by introducing their Video iPod. In 2006 Apple added more storage space, made the screen brighter and tightened up the feature set. Still, the big splash was made in 2005.

Yahoo! is the other major player who helped make 2005 a banner year for podcasting with their Yahoo! Podcasts directory. Nothing new from them in 2006. It looks to me like they've put this baby on auto pilot.

Audible took their shot at podcasting in 2005 with their WordCast offering. Audible scored a coup by landing the highly Rick Gervais podcast. But the mass podcast audience wasn't ready for paid subscriptions and DRM. Gervais retired the podcast then Audible retreated, turning WordCast into mostly a directory.

Odeo went un-VC after failing to develop a coherent strategy while developing a seemingly more popular service with Twitter. Remind me to get a Twitter account in '07.

Media format standards remained the same in 2006. MP3 rules audio. QuickTime formats (either MP4 of M4V) rule video, although some people are starting to publish WMV and 3GP (for cell phones).

Microsoft did not jump into podcasting as expected in 2006. Sure, they released the over hyped, under featured Zune in November. But they included no software for quick podcast subscription and transfer to the device. Maybe that's a good thing. If you don't create your own podcast directory then at least you can't screw things up for podcast producers.

Most of the big podcasting news in 2006 was of interest to the current community and of little interest to the masses. Robert Scoble joined PodTech. Amanda Congdon fought it out with Andrew Baron over RocketBoom. iTunes choked under the holiday crush.

Anyone hear a peep out of Google in relation to podcasting? Me thinks they've got something up their sleeve.

The community podcast directory idea, spurred by Dave Winer, popped then fizzled. Maybe this year!

Much of the growth in podcasting in 2006 happened behind the scenes, without much fanfare in the popular media. The Podcast Expo expanded and will expand even more in 2007. The PodCamp phenomenon is going strong. The number of podcasts being regularly produced has at least doubled since the beginning of 2006.

Several new directories, networks and communities got rolling in 2006 including PodShow+, Blubrry, WildVoice, Podango, Pluggd, Podcast Dot Com and Podcast Ready. Podcast Ready introduced a meaningful piece of pod-catching software called MyPodder.

I could go on. So a lot of stuff happened in 2006. But there was no huge podcast story that pushed the idea into the imagination of the masses. The masses are getting it. But they're getting it slowly, from the people who are most passionate about the medium. I think that's a good thing. The light that shines twice as bright shines half as long.

Oh, the Digg part of the story. Digg recently introduced their own version of a podcast directory. This is news, but not huge news. That's because 99% of people don't know or care about Digg. One percent is a big market though and this should mean something to podcasters. Still, Digg has stared out making some of the same mistakes as all the other big tech or VC funded outfits.

For now, Digg is hiding the directory behind a subscription wall. I thing they'll change this once the feature is out of Beta. There are presenting ads next to the content even though they don't have the right to commercialize most of it. Many feeds seemed to have been automatically added instead of having producers opt-in. There's no way for a podcast producer to control their shows. None of these things are mortal sins. But it would help if the folks at Digg and other directories took them into consideration.

So we roll on in 2007. This year podcasting will be bigger than ever.

Baron Challenges PodTech and PodShow

2006-12-26T11:52:00.000-05:00

Andrew Baron, he of Rocketboom fame, has revealed his core strategy for a new videoblogging/video podcast venture called Abbey Corps.

In a post earlier this week, Baron took a slap at the vertically integrated network models being practiced by PodTech and PodShow. In that post Baron comments on his model stating, "...I will go on to explain why I believe it's a much better business than Podshow or PodTech."

PodTech CEO John Furrier weighs in on that post with a comment and offers, "I see us as possible partners not competitors. PodShow and PodTech have been pushing out alot of great content and continue to aggregate more producers." Sounds like he's not up for a little scrap with Baron, who definitely pulls more weight than Furrier in the world of video podcasting.

The comment about the "great content" being pushed out by the famously funded vertical podcast networks of Silicon Valley amuses me. PodTech has the ScobleShow which I wouldn't call great. Neither would new PodTech hire Loren Feldman of 1938 Media who recently called the show "horribly boring." Quick, name another show on PodTech!

Then there's PodShow, who are great at producing nothing new. Their core stable of shows (like Rock n' Roll Geek, Daily Source Code, Dawn and Drew) still remain the most interesting on the network. What's new? Not much in my opinion.

So fast forward to Christmas day when Baron reveals more details on Abbey Corps. They will not be vertically integrated, which I think is a good move. My definition of a vertically integrated network is one that owns the media, owns the servers, sells all the ads, engages in exclusive contracts for content.

I think that the vertically integrated model is a poor one in a world where anyone can start a channel and siphon your audience. Baron disagrees with that opinion stating, "So whats wrong with these new networks? Nothing is wrong with them! They seem to be working. I'm very thankful they exist because my friends have jobs doing what they love to do and the audiences are happy." Very conciliatory Andrew. Your competitors are funded after all.

Baron gets it right when he points out the ridiculous expenses of the vertical networks, "...such as bandwidth, design, production, talent management (drama), IT, PR, legal, to name but a few." Yep, and a kid with a microphone or a video camera can come along and start a channel for next to nothing and start siphoning audience.

Baron's new network will focus on developing talent, while allowing them to own their brands. In his own words, "Abby (sic) Corps is about enabling content creators by building community." Okay, now how do you make money?

You Are A Person Of The Year

2006-12-25T03:19:00.000-05:00

First I want to say Merry Christmas to everyone. I'm busy early on Christmas morning keeping tabs on what's happening online. And just when I'm feeling good about what's happening I end up getting angry and frustrated.

I know, it's not really worth it but I'm a passionate person. I listen to songs like "My Way" and wake up at night thinking about the Rangers who scaled the cliffs at Normandy on D-day or soldiers manning checkpoints in Baghdad. There are sacrifices happening that we rarely think of and for that reason I stand on the soap box and am willing to take fire.

One of the reasons many people are disenchanted with mainstream media is the fact that they position themselves as elite in a world of simpletons. They talk at us as if we're children who need to be schooled. They deliver stories that are so ridiculous and rehashed that it's a stretch to call a lot of it news. Case in point. Every year the national news throws out some argument on what foods are good for you. Chocolate, Coffee, Pasta, Wine, etc. The answers are always the same but rather than go in depth and attempt to produce something meaningful they go the easy route and rehash. After all, most people are just plain stupid, right?

People like me have turned away from mainstream media because I'm fed up with it. I want news and opinion delivered from the gut in a non-elitist way. A way that speaks to people plainly and recognizes the individual. I'm not really sure what that means myself. It's kind of like the old saying about porn. I know it when I see it.

Well the first videoblog on Amanda Congdon's new channel ain't it. I didn't expect much here. I'm not a fan of Rocketboom and I never watch it. I used to watch it, but I got entangled in some nasty rhetoric over comments related to unsubstantiated allegations of police brutality. Wonder if they ever followed up to try to clear the names of the police that were accused on that episode? No matter, I stopped watching after that since I tend to avoid any entertainment with secret political agendas that go to the left or the right. Makes my head hurt when I'm trying to relax.

In any case, I thought I'd give Starring Amanda Congdon a try. Big mistake. The approach and the content in the first episode is condescending to the average individual. Amanda's smart in that she speaks to her fans and makes them feel good about themselves. Like any good politician she panders to her base. I'm definitely not that base.

Amanda's querying of people on the streets of New York amounts to nothing more than an exercise in proving what she already believed beforehand. The average person is clueless and unworthy of Time magazine's award of Person of the Year as it relates to independently generated media. No, if you don't know about what she's talking about you're not a Person Of The Year. As she says in her narration, "Not everyone participated in the media revolution." In order to qualify you evidently need to publish a blog, podcast or video blog. That's one way to look at it. That's the elitist way.

Another way to look at it is that many people who never blogged, podcasted, video blogged or utilized YouTube, MySpace and a thousand other social networks that pop up like puppies in a kennel during breeding season are included in the ones who Time magazine was talking about.

They're the cops who make sure you get to work safely and get home from nights of partying. They're the firefighters who run into burning buildings and save people and computers from harm. They're the bus and train drivers who get you to and from work so that the roads have less congestion and the environment improves. They're the immigrants who come here to build something and don't have time or money enough to spend on a high speed internet connection. They're the soldiers who raise their right hand so that you don't get a draft letter in the mail one day telling you to pack your bags for sunny Baghdad.

These and many more are the people that are invisible to elites. They're worker bees buzzing in the background. And to some, they're not a part of progress. It's a shame they're not a 'smart' or 'useful' as the talking heads.

In my book, the people of the year are not just the podcasters, bloggers, video bloggers, youtubers, whatever. They're also the ones that make sure you have the time, the right and the safety to do what you do. They are the people who grease the wheels of society in return for meager pay and shifts on Christmas Day.

I know what it's like to be invisible like that. I loaded trucks with immigrants in Brooklyn to pay my way through college. I was a construction laborer with guys from Africa, Italy, Poland and Irleand for two summers in high school and college. I served four plus years in the Army (signed up after college) with people from small towns and big cities, spanning just about every race and religion we know. These types of people and those who respect them are my types of people. Because they're the ones making all this happen.

If Katie Couric or Amanda Congdon or some blogger who loves to call himself an A-lister (or me for that matter) go away and do something else tomorrow what does the world really lose? How about a beat cop in Bed Stuy? Or a firefighter in the Bronx? Or the train conductors? What happens if the garbage collectors or truck loaders decide to spend all their time on MySpace and YouTube? I guess they then join a higher order of being.

Anyone who decides to start evaluating this person of the year thing in their own terms should think twice before arbitrarily reducing the cut. After all, I'm not telling anyone to go away or stop doing what they're doing. What I am asking for, as my gift on this Christmas Day, is recognition for and respect of those who might not have what you have or know what you know.

People will likely call me 'jealous' for posting my opinion. Lord know Amanda is popular in the echo chamber. If you do say that then make sure you know what I'm jealous of. And don't say anything related to money if you haven't seen my tax returns for the last five years. I work hard and do well for myself. But I do the best I can to stick to my roots and remember where I've been.

So I'm here to say that more likely than not you (and many others who will never read this blog or listen to my podcasts) are a Person Of The Year. I just know you've done something to help this revolution along. There are some in this medium who want to hand it back to the mainstream press with their tendency to elitism. After all, they can read from a teleprompter and memorize short snippets from scripts.

My final thought is this. The real new media is about attitude and approach, not format. Because you can't put wings on a cat and call it a bird.