Tyme’s Thoughts: Mark Cuban’s Podcasting posts
Mark Cuban made a couple of posts about podcasting. To a certain degree I agree with what he says.
Podcasting is exploding right now. Many do it because they enjoy doing it (like me). Others are doing it with the idea of earning a living off of it (it would be nice - who wouldn’t want to make money doing something they enjoy?). Depending on the business model only few will reach their goal compared to the number of people attempting to do it. I think The Podcast Nework (TPN) will make it because they are delivering a wide variety of podcasts and content via blogs. But there is something I think is more important…the podcasters are not in competition with each other.
For example, there is The MS Dev Show, The Media Center Show, my show The Microsoft Show and hopefully one day The Gaming Show. There will be some overlapping with these podcasts because it can’t be helped but the content will not be the same. If something significant happens with Media Center of course The Media Center Show and the Microsoft Show will cover it…but how we cover it will be different and there will be other content surrounded by the coverage. See, if I see The Media Center Show doing something big about it I might only make a blog post about it…it depends but I have the option to do that. Most podcasting networks don’t give that option. The podcast is in one place and the content is someplace else.
Then there are podcast networks all about one thing. I wrote about the Sports Network. What stands out to me is that all the podcasters are in competition with each other. Yes, there are large amounts of people listening to podcasts but there are also a large number of people starting their own podcasts. Maybe it’s just my twisted logic but why would I want to be on a network where there are several other people doing the same thing, the same way? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticising these types of networks but I am saying I see a problem with their business model. The individual podcasters (in my opinion) are getting a raw deal because it’s difficult to stand out when there are so many people doing the same thing. Look at TechPodcasts - there are so many and I’d actually have to download the podcast to see if I like it. There are at least five Apple/Mac podcasts on that list. Am I really going to go through five of them in an attempt to find one good one?
Nope, I’ll just go to TPN and listen to The Mac User Show. Or go completely away from networks and listen to Wizards of Technology, which is supposed to be about all technology but ends up being about Apple/Mac…go figure.
Another point - advertising. I wouldn’t have a problem running The Media Show or the MS Dev Show on my podcast because the shows are completely different from what mine will be, even though we might criss-cross content wise occasionally. Of course all the other shows are so different content wise I really don’t see a conflict of interest cross-promoting. The ability to cross promote is huge and that only strengthens the network. Niche networks don’t have the same flexibility without ticking off their listeners. If I subscribe to a Microsoft podcast I better not hear and Apple ad. And would a Microsoft podcaster really want to promote another podcaster whose doing almost the same thing they are? Highly unlikely.
Anyway, I agree with Marc Cuban’s perspective. Some people (in my opinion) are just going about it the wrong way to make money. With any technology that is cheap and easy to use it becomes diluted quickly (many people use it). With the number of podcasters growing along with the number of listeners it’s obvious all podcasters attempting to run a business off of it will not be able to do so. Think wisely, do something different, make your podcast stand out if you want to make money off of it.
Related posts:
You know I thought the EXACT same thing! I get it that these networks are attempting to have a constant stream of content for niche users but dag, how does a podcaster stand out from the rest?
Just now hearing about the podcast network. I subscribed to some podcasts. I’m going to recommend it to some friends. My wife would love the women shows.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am
I got turned on the PodcastNetwork from you too. I saw they added the Gay Parents podcast. I like the diversity. I listened to the Linux Show but the banter got on my nerves. I like the Rock Show and my husband listens to a couple. We’ll both be subscribing to yours when it comes out.
When will that be?
I was hoping you’d do one on gaming and relationships. There aren’t many women gamers and I’d like to get into that. I read your personal blog and you seem to get it about relationships. You speak the truth…even if it’s brutal.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am
Have you considered doing a gaming podcast? I think that would be cool.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am
Tommy - I’m getting a lot of requests about the gaming podcast. I’ll have to see.
Rachel - I’m not sure when the site will be up but when it is, I’ll post about it!
Cortez - a podcaster on a niche network read my post and emailed me saying they were experiencing the same thing. Their subscription numbers went down while another’s on the network went up. Can’t help but wonder:
One thing is DOES do is keep the competition high…which is not always a good thing. I wish them all the best of luck but I prefer to be on a network that has diverse topics.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am
The techpodcast network seems to have members that don’t really announce they are members. Like cNet - don’t see the techpodcast network on their page.
It’s a shame they allow professionally produced podcasts on their network. It’s like comparing apple to oranges.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am
I’m responding to the comments on MySportsRadio.com (Sports Podcast Network) that our shows are in competition with each other.
We have about 20 sports shows now, and most of them are in fact distinct topic areas. The “competition” or “overlap” factor does not exist between the Washington Redskins podcast and the Pittsburgh Steelers podcast; nor does it exist between the Boxing Podcast and the Sports Wagering Podcast. Conversely, they are very synergistic for a number of reasons (will leave the details for another time).
We do have three “Sports Variety” podcasts that existed prior to our launch, which let the hosts roam free on any sports topics. In fact, this offers a special value to the listener that a niche podcast does not.
Now, for someone who isn’t a sports fan, it’s easy to look at the shows and say “They’re all sports, so they’re all doing the same content”. However, Sports Fans want that niche content, and that’s a piece of the power of podcasting that we are leveraging.
We produce quality niche sports shows with distinct content (not overlapping nor competitive) to give the listener the ultimate flexibility in building their subscription lists.
The other obvious piece is that the network provides that “quality” filter and “standards” consistency that one will not find on iTunes or even Podcast Alley.
I do seriously appreciate the analysis–very helpful to hear how folks perceive us.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am
With podcasting growing, I think some networks try to capitalize to much on content for contents sake. Some put on ANYTHING, while others act more like a directory than a network.
after a while I get tired of hearing about a show begging for “votes” or “vote for me here” so they get better rankings at a certain site. I just want to listen to good shows, period.
The one that I tune in to regularly is http://www.tpsradio.net. Good mix of shows (sports and comedy). And it seems like they’re adding good quality shows all the time. I’d love to hear of other good networks out there.
Posted on July 15th, 2005 at 10:07 am