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Nobody Actually Listens To Podcasts

arstechnica.com — The Forrester study revealed that about 25 percent of online users had an interest in podcasts, yet in North America, only about one percent of online households actually download and listen to them.

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  • _skin_, on 10/12/2007, -13/+50What? What the hell is the point of downloading it then. I listen to all of the ones I download. Am I one percent?
    • koshak, on 10/12/2007, -79/+49You are part of that one percent, yes.

      But anyone who thinks that it is a wide-spread thing is delusional. Perhaps you don't want to accept how much of an outsider you are. OR perhaps you truly don't understand that the vast majority of people do not get their news, current events or entertainment in audio form via the internet. And when they do use the internet for these things, it is done while they are sitting at the computer. Time away from the computer is meant for social interaction

      And seriously...podcasts are basically audio blogs. So they are audio diaries. People talking about crap and for some reason they think people want to hear it. Yawnnnn.
    • Drood, on 10/12/2007, -77/+40Koshak: Thank god. I was starting to think I was the only one who thought that way!

      I'm sick of the whole podcast phenomena. There are very few that even worth checking out. Luckily the fad seems to be dying out. I'm seeing podcasts a lot less around the net now. In months past a day wouldn't go by without reading something containing the word. Now it's quite nice to not have to see every downloadable MP3 referred to as a bloody podcast.

      Blogs suck. Podcasts suck. Remember when people used to have websites, not blogs?

      Of course, if something doesn't have a buzzword attached, it's not cool. I'm gonna record myself taking a dump and release it online and call it a *****. It'll be the latest trend, because it has the word "cast" in it...
    • klept, on 10/12/2007, -7/+27I wouldn't worry about what Forrester said, if I was you. I cant recall them ever being right. It used to be run by some unintelligent person named George Colony, I think. Maybe even still is.

      From my impression, I think all that firm does is send out a lot of press releases for publicity to get some suckers to pay them for advice.
    • thegreypilgrim, on 10/12/2007, -3/+23Have to agree with klept here.

      "A study", that is not public with no reference to any details about how/where it was conducted. Hmmm. How can anyone take this seriously or as anything close to factual? How big was the sample? How was the study undertaken? Who was targetted? Geographical extent? Without these and loads more answers it means nothing.
    • RickySan65, on 10/12/2007, -7/+16"And seriously...podcasts are basically audio blogs. So they are audio diaries. People talking about crap and for some reason they think people want to hear it. Yawnnnn."

      BS.. there's lots of good podcasts around, the Ricky Gervais show for example, CBC's quirks and quarks.. etc. as for the name PodCast, people need buzzwords these days, as sad as it sounds it's how things are. Somehow people are more inclined to go for "download our PodCast" then "Download our portable radio show"
    • madjo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16I listen to podcast books (www.podiobooks.com).. does that count too?

      Also, NPR's "Wait wait don't tell me", Leo Laporte's "This Week in Tech", "The Daily GizWiz", "Inside the net" are regulars on my mp3-player.
      So I'd probably also account for that 1 percent.
    • transfire, on 10/12/2007, -23/+11I don't have an iPod so how can I listen to podcasts? Now I find out they're nothing but MP3s? If that's true.... Oh brother! Someone might what to tell The Rest Of Us.
    • ForbesBingley, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17I think it boils down to how you 'consume' Podcasts.

      Because they're topical, they require you to pay attention in much the same way as when you watching the telly. So, unlike music, you can't just have a Podcast play away while you work, or something.

      So what do you do? Set aside an hour each day to listen to them? I don't commute or travel that much at all. And if I did, I'd much prefer to listen to music than listen to someone talk, no matter how edifying they might be...
    • Marshy, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3@koshak
      "The Daily Download" is a fine ass podcast, dont knock it and its kind
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Even when people are reading the article, it doesn't sound like they're reading the WFA. According to Forrester's research sample that they didn't disclose (roll eyes), the current number of podcast "users" from those online is 1% or 700,000 households. Those interested, but not actively downloading comprise 25%. I've marked this Digg submisssion as "inaccurate", as the last time I'd heard of "700,000" as "nobody"... well, I just don't know. The article is also titled "Podcast study shows current and future trends". While I'd still like to see what their sample was composed of, the article notes that: "That's not to suggest that there is little value in producing original content. Forrester is projecting that the number of households using podcasts will grow from 700,000 to 12.3 million over the next four years in the US alone. Even if time-shifted content retains the greatest percentage of use, the massive growth rate alone should account for a huge increase in users seeking stuff they haven't yet heard of--"

      Personally, I rarely have my podcasts go to my iPod. When I do, I'm impressed that Apple will keep my "place" in the podcast moving from iTunes to my iPod, and I keep listening where I left off. This is a useful report, but it's a shame when it gets submitted with a biased title that doesn't match the article content. Again, marked "inaccurate".
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Also, worth noting... link to Forrest Research excerpt and comment:
      Comment:
      http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2006/04/forrester_podca_1.html
      Excerpt:
      http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,38761,00.html
      "Podcasts have hit the mainstream consciousness but have not yet seen widespread use. One-quarter of online consumers express interest in podcasts, with most interested in time-shifting existing radio and Internet radio channels. Companies that are interested in using podcasts for their audio should focus not only on downloads but also on streaming audio as a means to get their content and ads to consumers."
      Charlene Li also notes that there's lots of demographic and technical data in the report, so my bad on complaining. This is definitely some important information for people doing online branding. Seems GoDaddy's multi-prong approach is "doing it right".
      http://www.radiogodaddy.com/ INTERNET | IPOD | XM/SIRIUS
      As small as the relative podcast audience is, I'd bet money that an unreasonable majority are iPod owners.
    • dodge666666, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I listen to podcasts on my psp, it's far easier than listeing to the by downloading because you can wirelessly stream them straight from an rss feed!
    • redivider, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"I think it boils down to how you 'consume' Podcasts.

      Because they're topical, they require you to pay attention in much the same way as when you watching the telly. So, unlike music, you can't just have a Podcast play away while you work, or something."

      I guess it depends what you do for work. I listen to podcasts while I work all the time.
    • toekneebullard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Perhaps it's not so much how many people listen, but how MUCH they listen. Maybe only 1% listen to podcast, but they listen to a lot of podcasts...I myself subscribe to at least 10. Some short (the onion, ask a ninja) some long (lost cast, xxxchurch.com) I listen while I commute, and sometimes, when I have some tedious repetitive task at work, I'll listen then too.
  • wiccidnu, on 10/12/2007, -38/+1I listen to podcasts, and here is my favorite:

    http://www.freedomainradio.com/index_files/listen_in.htm
    • kylebrothert, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I listen to about a dozen podcasts. I think they'll eventually be important.

      But, honestly, I don't know a single relative or friend who's ever listened to one.
  • thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -29/+25I listen to very long mp3's, I refuse to refer to them as podcasts.
    • Dragular, on 10/12/2007, -13/+10While I do agree that the "pod" part is a bit misleading (I usually listen on burned mp3-CDs) I refuse to say "I listen to the Nobody Likes Onions Really Big Mp3 Format Sound File" on a regular basis.
    • PacoDG, on 10/12/2007, -10/+12I completely agree with thenativeraver. "Downloadable Talk Radio" is a better term. Or just call the "podcasts" by their name *gasp* (ie tell someone to "Download diggnation!" instead of "Download that diggnation podcast" .. by golly it just might work)
    • vuzman, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5Podcasts is a name for the intended use, regardless of its actual use.
      Radio is still called Radio, regardless if its broadcast traditionally as electromagnetic radiation, or on the internet, etc. TV is called TV even though it technically is just pictures broadcast via radio.
    • Ensnared, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6"Podcasts is a name for the intended use, regardless of its actual use. Radio is still called Radio, regardless if its broadcast traditionally as electromagnetic radiation, or on the internet, etc. TV is called TV even though it technically is just pictures broadcast via radio."

      That's stupid. Tecnically, food is just ***** that hasn't been digested too, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea to call it "food" and not "*****".

      Podcasts have existed for longer than the term, and it had different names before. So by your own reasoning, podcast is a poor name for it.
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4I think people have their perogative. Doesn't change the fact that they're called podcasts, whether you refuse to call them that or not. I refuse to call "eggs" by the name "ojos", but that's because I'm not latino. Were I in a spanish speaking area however... it'd probably be a good thing to know the term, if I wanted to be quickly understood without gesticulating with my hands to the amusement of many. If you were to mark "downloadable broadcasts" by one term, it wouldn't be "mp3"... that's an audio format type, not a content type. If you say something is a "podcast", you know what to expect. It'd be nice if you could call it an "icast" or "netcast", but good luck with changing the course of a mighty river. I don't even think Superman could help you... you know, when he returns and all.
    • lukes, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Sir, if you don't think it's a bad idea to call it "food" and not "*****" then I'd like to politely decline all future invitations to dinner parties at your house, thanks.
    • navster15, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I believe that 'ojos' means eyes. I think you meant huevos.
    • Ensnared, on 10/12/2007, -6/+0Sir, if you don't think it's a bad idea to call it "food" and not "*****" then I'd like to politely decline all future invitations to dinner parties at your house, thanks.
      -----------------------------

      Not much danger of that ever being an issue - I don't usually invite people to dinner who are so obivously incapable of comprehending the language I communicate in.
    • Wolfghost, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The term "Podcast" is now part of a culture.

      PvPonline has a good strip on a related subject...
      http://www.pvponline.com/archive.php3?archive=20060329
    • cleverboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"I believe that 'ojos' means eyes. I think you meant huevos."

      Sigh. Dopeslap applied. Gracias.
    • miaow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't mind the catchy name, but as implied it probably makes a lot of people without an ipod think they can't download them. The media don't help enough imho.

      Its the biggest advert apple could have for teir ipod, although it was nothing to do with them. like a 'hoover', except people could work out what a hoover was.
  • stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -9/+13They are like the blogs which spawn them; 95% of podcasts are made by people who don’t really have much, if anything to say. Too time consuming to sift through them for any real content, though I’m sure the situation will improve when the fad passes.

    Right now it’s like panning for gold: Sure, you can find gold that way, but one finds so little that it’s not worth the effort.
    • geminitojanus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Ehh, just go to your local podcast network (This Week In Tech, Revision 3), and subscribe to the ones you like.

      I listen to all of the podcasts and watch all of the video podcasts I subscribe to.
    • lukes, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10"95% of podcasts are made by people who don't really have much, if anything to say. Too time consuming to sift through them for any real content, though I'm sure the situation will improve when the fad passes."

      Same thing could be said about the Internet. Luckily no one waited for the fad to pass.

      I've found a number of podcasts that are exactly what I want to hear, syndicated in weekly shows. Each are about 1 hour long and I've learnt a lot from listening to them. I think being a techy-niche thing to a certain degree means if you're a programmer, developer or tech-enthusiast you'll find it easy to find a lot of shows.

      How hard have you looked? Do a few digg searches on top 10 podcasts, top 50, whatever. You'll find good quality soon enough.
    • Bogtha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11> 95% of podcasts are made by people who don’t really have much, if anything to say.

      95% of *everything* is crap. Podcasts are no different to anything else in this respect.

    • Boondoggle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5iTunes lists the most popular ones. They tend to be pretty good. It is as easy to find good podcasts as it is to find good music.
    • JoJoDilio, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ Lukes
      "Same thing could be said about the Internet. Luckily no one waited for the fad to pass."
      Well said. You just need to find the right podcast. And yes, you can listen to podcasts while you do other things. I'm subscribed to enough podcasts to provide me with about 4-6 hours of podcasts every day. How do I get through it all? I multi-task. Some are great to listen to while grinding in WOW, others good for listening to while I surf the internet. There are those which require attention to be devoted entirely to them, mainly the video podcasts, or vidcasts, so I try to limit the number of those that I subscribe to.
      In the end, if you give podcasts a chance, you'll find that you get FREE entertainment and that there is SOMETHING out there that you'll find interesting. I can't even count how many friends I've turned on to diggnation, twit, otakugeneration, tikibar tv, geekdrome, podtacular, etc. (And that's not because of my inability to perform simple arithmetic).
      Simply put, podcasts as of right now, still serve a niche market. Personally, I'd like it to stay that way, but the mainstream media will corrupt this, just watch.
  • harmlessinc, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13The biggest problem in my opinion is this, I can read information a lot faster than the people in podcasts can verbally deliver it. Because of that I have very little reason to sit and listen/watch a podcast for 20 minutes when I can go to some other site and read the same information and be done with it. And better yet, while reading the information I can listen to music that I enjoy.

    Time and effort, podcasts aren't up to either measurement for me.
    • mojito, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9I agree with you completely. That is why I listen to (and watch) podcasts for there entertainment value rather than there informational value. For example, Diggnation can be really funny.
    • 5blocksfree, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10A lot of what you're getting with the podcast is the personalities. What I like about them is that they are real people, talking about real issues (at least the ones I listen to), and unlike other media, the internet allows the caster to be very closely connected to their listening audience. So, if you're the "let me skim the summary and move on" type, then podcasts probably won't do much for you. But if you like listening to people articulate their views, then perhaps it would be more to your liking.
    • moitio, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5I have only found one bareable podcast in all my time surfing the net, and that is LUGRadio. It doesn't play out like a blog, because basicly they have a few topics to talk on, then they go off on their own little debates between themselves, and eventually record the intro at the end of the night. Their show is hilarious, and at the same time informative, and you get to hear quite a lot of opinions of the world of Linux. This makes for a really interesting show, and you don't get the sense you're listening to a blog, more of a sense you are at a LUG meeting.
    • DukeofSpades, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Can't read when you're driving, man.
    • rhsjr7, on 10/12/2007, -12/+1-harmlessinc-

      Pompous Ass!
    • boredzo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7dukeofspades: I live in California. Sure you can.
    • Boondoggle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1How is that reading working out for you in the car?
    • automagically, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2If they are too lazy to put it in writing, I question the quality of what they have to say.
    • Wolfboy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2re:
      "I can read information a lot faster than the people in podcasts can verbally deliver it."

      Reading is verbal. Delivering something "verbally" means to deliver it using words, no matter whether the words are written or spoken.
    • drsnacks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3You guys don't work out? Podcasting has made me sexier than ever. It's so much easier to workout, especially with tedious aroebic excercise, when you're distracted by interesting podcasts. And it's cheaper and more satisfying have free talk radio shows tailor-made to your niche delivered to you automatically than to keep a music library updated often enough to not get bored with it.
    • masonreloaded, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"If they are too lazy to put it in writing, I question the quality of what they have to say."
      Most ridiculous comment ever? How is creating an audio podcast, making it available via RSS, promoting it and making sure you have the bandwidth to cope "being lazy"... Some of these podcasts take MUCH more effort to make than simply typing a one-page article would...
  • Manzabar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I too listen to the podcasts I download. And while I can read faster than the podcasts can speak; I cannot read the same material while I'm doing other things. Podcasts help me get through the workday by providing a VERY needed distraction from my co-workers.
    • Dragular, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13Definately. My last job was data entry--sit on your arse, type numbers from bounced checks. Don't talk to anybody, don't answer a phone, just sit at your desk, headphones on, and type for 8-12 hours per day. Yeah, you can listen to music, but after a certain point, every song that you've EVER heard of starts to just annoy you.

      So then you listen to podcasts until you realize that most of the ones out there suck! :)
  • mclaymon, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1I have been listening to several podcasts for over a year. There are also three very good audio books that I am a fan of, each post a new chapter every week. While doing prep for our soon to be active debt consolidation podcast, I have found that there are very few really good podcasts for the general public. Most of the podcasts are highly targeted and have almost a religious following. A fishing podcast centered around fishing the Midwest has some of the most focused listeners I have come across yet.

    Until the mainstream starts listening in, it will be a slow growth for the small guys.
    http://www.debtconsolidationpodcast.com
  • Bishoco, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13I've really gotten into podcasts lately. I listen to talk radio a lot, and podcasts are like creating your own talk radio station.

    Some of my favorites:
    diggNation
    Penn Jillette's (of Penn & Teller) radio show
    The official Lost podcast
    The Ricky Gervais show is great, but you have to pay for the new ones
    And various NPR podcasts
    • mushoo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Thx for the heads up on Penn Jillette. Gotta add him to my long queue. Revolution Report, Marc Maron, Mike Malloy, Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, Majority Report, Ring of Fire, Skepticality, Real Time, and Twit.
    • DukeofSpades, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Penn Jillette is my hero.

      I usually listen to the show live: www.penn.freefm.com
  • jbno, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1News from Neptune www.newsfromneptune.com for analysis of world news.
    Mediageek radio.mediageek.net for analysis of media news.

    I don't know why digg is screwing up the links. I tried to make them genuine links by prepending "http://" but it made the links an offset of something on digg.com instead.
    • cphuntington97, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4this is only during the editing stage - once your post "goes live" they will work
    • jbno, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0So the preview function is broken.
  • crizpiz, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4I just want to say your retarded. 1 % is honestly a large amount of market penetration for such an new technology, even though I highly doubt your sources statistics are correct...
    • BobbyOnions, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0"your retarded"? Pot, kettle, black.
    • RickySan65, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4He's not retarded.. he's special ;)
  • af22man, on 10/12/2007, -10/+7so your saying that i am a an idiot who downloads very large files just for ***** and giggles? this is the stupidest article i have ever read... please, for the good of us all. please go back to /.

    the best podcasts are
    Diggnation,
    Sploitcast
    tWiT
    Security now!!!!
    OpenAlpha
    HaK.5
    • mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4diggnation woot woot.

      that and twit are the only podcasts i listen to/watch

      oh. and the new MacBreak podcast..
    • Corsix, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4Right podcasts, wrong order ;)
    • thegreypilgrim, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4yup, some of my favs there too...

      dl.tv, diggnation, TWiT, Security Now!, Ricky Gervais, What's New Now
    • darthsnoopy, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2I think 'vidcast' is a better term for those that are of video format. Some of what you listed is..yes..available in podcast form, but I believe this article is speaking of the audio style podcasts.

      Which makes it that much harder for those of us with vidcasts..if 1% are listening, then the shows are competing for that 1%...a fraction of that I believe to be watching vidcasts...and yet purepwnage is at 3 million viewers...

      http://www.downstairstheater.com - my plug for my vidcast.
    • stalinvlad, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2diggnation is two or more guys getting drunk
      The Twit with Woz in it made my arse ache
    • madjo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Was that episode of TWiT kicking ass or what! :)
  • sert, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1the only podcast I really like is diggnation, but with all the time I spend on digg anyway I see most of the big stories (heck I see most of the stories period) so a lot of the time its just hearing the same stuff over again. in fact, on days that I spend a lot of time on digg most "news" is redundant. for example, on ABC's Primetime Live tonight I had already seen every single piece they did previously on digg.

    and then comedy podcasts with just two people talking about random stuff are mostly just lame and full of pointless banter. I would rather listen to a stand up comedy routine.

    I guess podcasts will get better eventually though.
    • mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5i like diggnation, and the myth that it is fully comprised of ex-TechTV viewers is not true.. when i started watching diggnation (and when i started using digg), i had never heard of techtv/screensavers/g4. i only heard about kevin's previous job afterwards..
    • plkrtn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are many viewers of Diggnation worldwide. Its not just former TechTV/G4 watchers.
      Here in the UK for example, we never got any footage from any of the shows that TechTV and G4 showed.

      TWiT and DiggNation are excellent shows, well except when Alex Albrecht starts talking a pile of crap about things he knows absolutely nothing about and makes himself look completely stupid.
  • domokunt, on 10/12/2007, -16/+3html>podcast
    • briansalo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10What?
    • mrASSMAN, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11jpeg>css

      i win. (..what are we playing?)
    • lukes, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4maybe he was in the beginnings of writing a full html-formatted page for us when his comment time expired?
  • Lacero, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1For every one good podcast, there are 1000 crappy ones. This whole podcast phenomenon is going to eventually fade away like amateur ham radio.
    • Goblin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Yes, just like all those crappy websites have gone away. People are doing this for themselves, not because they want others to listen. Listeners/readers are just a bonus for a lot of podcasts/websites.
  • Bobafettjm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I only download one audio show, which is This Week in Tech. Otherwise I get all video podcasts, mainly revision 3 ones, plus ask a ninja. I enjoy them because it takes me back to the good times of Tech TV, I miss good tech shows, so I watch the podcats now that there is no good tv content.
  • Laughingman234, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5the reason that only 1% of U.S. households do it is because probably 10% of all households know what the hell it is. Not a suprising statistic but I would have guessed the online user intrest would have been higher...just another indicator of the non-geeks taking over the internet...dam you myspace
  • UGM2099, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Just go here:

    http://www.podcastalley.com/top_podcasts.php?num=50

    Pretend you don't see mugglecast at #2 and check out these top rated ones.


    by the way, if you don't like talk radio, audiobooks, or NPR you won't like podcasts either. They're not for you. Read a blog and look at porn.
    • ravenmuffin, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2> "by the way, if you don't like talk radio, audiobooks, or NPR you won't like podcasts either. They're not for you. Read a blog and look at porn."

      LOL.
    • rdoger6424, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3THAT's what video podcasts are for! How could I be so blind?
  • yongfook, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1askaninja.com
  • timmarhy, on 10/12/2007, -10/+5personally i hate the term podcast as well, it's just stupid. it's a pre recorded message in mp3 format. nothing new or revolutionary about it.
    • yongfook, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7it's not really that simple though, is it.

      It's more like the syndication of pre-recorded mp3 files - I think that warrants a term unto itself as it's not something people were doing before, or even when RSS came into everyday use. Whether "podcast" should be that term is down to preferences, I don't really care what it's called, but I don't want to have to refer to it as "the syndication of pre-recorded mp3 files" every time.

      It's still early days for podcasts though, the crap ones will come and go but I think there is a lot of potential for high-quality free content, especially in terms of marketing.

      I wonder when we are going to see our first network-produced podcast mini-series? And I mean something bespoke, not something that has been spliced / watered-down from existing shows.
    • ravenmuffin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5The "new or revolutionary" part is the syndication component.

      A podcatcher can transparently collect a subscribed recording when it is ready, place it in iTunes, and have it copied it to an iPod during the next sync. Completely unattended after your initial subscribe. No futzing around right-clicking .mp3 links and shuffling them around.

      So you might be walking through a park wondering what's new about X, scroll through your podcasts and see a few new ones, and start listening.

      That's the new part.
    • sagedude, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4I completely agree. The ipod wasn't the first mp3 player (or the best). It was just the most well marketed.
      Something like "audiocast" and "videocast" would be much better.
    • timmarhy, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4jesus you can see all the useless bloggers moding me down like crazy because i hate blogs and podcasts.

      i was syncing mp3's onto my pda years ago my friend. so podcasts are nothing revolutionary and i stand by my point.

      besides, the use of "cast" in it implies some kind of link to broadcasting media like radio or tv, which it clearly is not since it's async in nature.

      oo wow they discovered the internet for downloading mp3 content, really original...
    • lukes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"i was syncing mp3's onto my pda years ago my friend. so podcasts are nothing revolutionary and i stand by my point."

      - So was I. I used an iPaq 3700 series for 4 years to listen to mp3s on and now I have an iPod. So I'm fairly certain that I know that you don't know what you're talking about. If you're vaguely using the word 'syncing' to refer to using MS ActiveSync to make sure a folder in your desktop mirrors a folder on your PDA then you've missed the point of what syndicated (not synchronised) content is.

      "besides, the use of "cast" in it implies some kind of link to broadcasting media like radio or tv, which it clearly is not since it's async in nature."

      - It's meant to imply that, because podcasting is comparing itself to other forms of media that send itself out to the consumer. You're quite right that the file doesn't get sent in live, real-time. But does that mean that a recorded show on the radio is not broadcast? Or is the "cast" merely referring to the fact it is being send outwards from the station, which is how my podcasts arrive on my iPod.
  • eadnams, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8we are likely the 1%... we're all early-adapter techno-savy, etc. The other 99%'s loss really.
    • Squill, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Yeah I think we are most likely the 1%. But oh well ***** it. I love podcasts and if the rest of the country doesnt then that does not bother me.
    • ochito, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that's "early adopter".. you adopt (take in, start using) a new tech before everyone else, you don't adapt (become used to it)
  • natemc, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I find podcasts are best for finding new music, you can listen to someone else's selections with the option to fast forward if you don't like it. The only non-music podcast I subscribe to is Cory Doctorow's podcast so I can listen to his stories read aloud, but he too falls into the next problem... technical ability.

    Many lack even beginner recording skills most of the time which makes them really quiet and noisy all at the time or they are really loud and over modulated. Sometimes jumping between the two, even if they would just run an RMS Normailization at -16dB it would help with the volume somewhat, but thats too confusing for some it seems that I wouldn't even dare tell them about audio compression filters.

    It's easy enough stuff to learn but some just don't take the time to make it sound good enough to want to listen to all the time.
  • pebble170, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Must be different in the UK then, because I know a load of guys who download and listen to podcasts - personally, I only see the use of them in extremely long car journeys when you don't like the driver's radio station, but hey, that's my opinion.
    • BrynoMite, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Is Ricky Gervais as popular over there as he is here? I haven't ponied up the money for the new series here, but the first one was amazing. I'm in the U.S.

      Actually, maybe that's the problem. Most podcasts just rehash, on a weekly basis, what the people who listen to the podcasts read during a normal week. The Ricky Gervais Show doesn't do that. It's just completely random funny stuff that you haven't heard about. Karl Pilkington is a genius.
    • stalinvlad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Im in the UK Ricky Jervais bores me rigid
      Plus Im the only one in my little group who does podcasts
      If Bill Bailey did one I would buy a big Nano to save it on....
    • BrynoMite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@ stalinvlad

      I went to Bill Bailey's website and it was frickin' hilarious. Thanks for the heads up! I still think Karl Pilkington is amazing though!
  • ghostaliaz, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Look podcast are great & yes I download them mostly tech podvast, but my favorate is videocast(vidcast). I think podcast are better then the regular prehistoric radio pathetic shows that have been infecting our airwaves for years. I do not know about you all , but podcast & vidcast are the future as far as I am concerned atleast in the computer geek area. I am sick of the radio & for you that want to read the old way , then do that, but for me I actually believe in the future & new things & tv at the moment sucks and radio sucks, so these podcast & vidcast shows are atleast my only hope as far as entertainment with more of a teaching element or a real people vibe about them, that atleast keeps me coming back for more, plus I learn alot, so I will continue to listen & look. Diggnation forever!
  • HellSpawn, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1i could have told them that without the study...
  • arnorhs, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2I'm very interested in podcasts, but most of the ones I've listened to are a bit slow, badly coordinated, they sound really really really bad (low volume, noisy) and usually the people talking sound like they don't really know what to say. Podcasters need to be more professional.
  • ravenmuffin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8The great thing about podcasts is that with over 25,000 of them out there, every niche is taken care of.

    There's no way radio, even if amateurs had low-cost access to it, could offer nearly the same diversity.
    • drsnacks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Exactly. I got into talk programs through Opie & Anthony. They're funny, once in a while, but it was a huge chore to sit through all the racism, misogyny, and homophobia just for a few cheap giggles. Unfortunately, they were the only talk duo worth listening to in legitimate broadcasting. With podcasts, I don't have to have to worry about such a narrow marketplace. I get to be the dominant demo for every show I listen to.
  • briansalo, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I just don't think there is enough great content out there for people to catch onto. The option is placed there (in iTunes and whatever), but there needs to be a spark, like a podcast getting a load of attention to open the doors for other podcasts.
  • UGM2099, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8"it's a pre recorded message in mp3 format. nothing new or revolutionary about it. "

    I'll give you one reason that it is in fact revolutionary: We are talking about it right now!


    Never has there been such an interest in spoken audio on the internet. Just search for podcast on Digg, it's a big freaking deal whether you understand it or not.

    It's not mp3, its not rss, it's not iPods, it's a collective act of humans transmitting signals to one another and pooled knowledge and energy pushing on the same thing. It's a revolutionary form of communication.

  • mightymouse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+51 percent isn't "nobody".
  • serra, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2I don't doubt it! I swear that I want to listen to some, but I don't even get to as far as downloading them!
  • koshak, on 10/12/2007, -8/+0You guys don't understand! To MOSt peopel the internet is a VERY SMALL part of their lives. Even many who work with computers and tech. They WORK with the internet. And then they go home and talk to HUMANS. And they hear voices that are NOT coming from their speakers.
    • aplusplus, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7What are these "humans" you speak of?
    • lukes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2whatever these 'humans' are, they sound scary
  • funkytaco, on 10/12/2007, -11/+2I'm hoping to change that.

    http://www.avidbeauty.com is in the works.
  • goettel, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2As with other non-text media, the big problem for me is the lack of true search functionality to find the podcasts which might interest me. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been waiting for searchable audio, video and other binary content. And I'm not talking about adding some keywords to binaries, I'm talking about processes to find and relate data in non-text content and presenting it in a searchable text database.

    And yes, I realize the towering math and CS which is required to accomplish this.

    Surely Google and others are working on this?

    As an aside: I hate the term "podcast" because it's meaningless and trend-linked. Still, it's only a word.
  • ericdfields, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Three things I love about podcasts: N P R
  • myskja, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"Nobody"...? I don't like the personal spin you did in the headline. You basically derailed the content of the article. Just take a look at this quote (from the same article):

    "Forrester is projecting that the number of households using podcasts will grow from 700,000 to 12.3 million over the next four years in the US alone. Even if time-shifted content retains the greatest percentage of use, the massive growth rate alone should account for a huge increase in users seeking stuff they haven't yet heard of, meaning that podcast you were planning to celebrate the musical contributions of Wayne Newton may yet find an audience."

    Podcasting is a new fresh...thing (The way it's distributed, not the content per se), with a huge growing potential.

    Reported as innacurate.
  • lavawalker, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2http://www.odeo.com/
  • UGM2099, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3The only thing that makes a subway commute enjoyable is podcasts. Music is great but I like to laugh or learn something, and listening to shows takes me completely out of the otherwise annoying place I'm in. I don't hear the crazy guy yelling or the obnoxious conversation going on next to me or the ex-thug selling snickers.

  • snooo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I use podcasts for one thing and one thing only... Ok, well maybe two.

    On the Media (http://www.onthemedia.org) is not broadcast in the UK. Its probably the easiest way to keep up with events in the US (and sometimes UK) media scene. LUG Radio is also a killer product for podcasts - at least for Linux users - and a great source of angry men comparing closed source programming to child murder. Ace.
  • ghostaliaz, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1Well (koshak) if you want to live your slow life talking to none digital people, then you do that, but it is some of us that know that computers, tech & the internet are the future & will run almost every industry of the future, so you prehistoric slow adapting flintstones will be left in the dust like you are being left behind today in this age. There are many of us that make money from the net & I am so sorry if you still have to goto a 9 to 5 and work for your slave wages of a plain and regular sucker worker, but me and other computer geeks don't, we work from our homes & on the road, but it is our choice, so you can ( talk to your HUMANS) like you said, but podcast are talking to humans, but just by another way of communication & I highly believe in technolgy & all that it has to offer & we can't help it if us computer geeks are really the real coolest people on this earth and we are taking this said living in the past existense on this earth by storm & whether you know it or not we talk to real humans more then you so called real people that talk to so called real people we just talk by different means & they tend to be on the web. The future to me will be soaked in tech whether you will like it or not fred flintstone, so get ready to bow down to us computer geeks because we will run the world, so get ready and join us or get left behind like the rest of the junk at the dump.(haha) (Futurist Forever).
    • CaptainSpeaking, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Bwahahahaha!!!

      Talk about over-reaction...
  • DukeofSpades, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1My favorites include:
    Common Sense with Dan Carlin ("An alternative to the partisan voices you normally hear")
    Open Road
    Penn Jillette
    Radio Askew
    The Infidelguy Show
    The Video Games Show
    Twit
    Democrats Are Lost
  • jimbo92107, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Thank god! I was worried "We 3 Geeks" was getting popular. Jeepers, I really don't need that kind of pressure...I like swearing and making fun of new technologies and corporate ***** without worrying about some growing fanbase of technical malcontents. This way, I don't have to shave, wash, or care about a bunch of strangers listening to me and my buds rag on nerdly ***** for an hour each week.

    Go away and leave us alone, crazy people! Stop downloading our podcast, or I swear, I'll call the police!
  • Sonic84, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2is this article correct? just 1%? I subscribe to several, and listen to every episode, makes those hours between classes bearable. To say nothing about the commute to/from work/school.
    I listen to:
    Dreamstation.cc
    TWiT
    Podtacular
    Maccast
    Presidents weekly radio address
    • Pentarix, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I agree and voted the article inaccurate.
  • JustinGN, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I gotta be honest, I don't listen to podcasts that often. In fact, it was only this March that I downloaded my first podcast /ever/, TWiT with Leo and John. But I have found a use for them, now! It makes my two hour round trip commute much more entertaining than FM Radio or my iPod playlists.
  • xelloss, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I havent listen to TWIT in a long time, I only watch DL.TV
  • brandonking, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3See thegreypilgrim's comment. Usually we think of 'studies' as peer reviewed, authenticated publishings by an objective body, who disclose their data, techniques and funding. THIS 'study' is a hot steamy load of crap. How do I know? Why I just did a 'study'. Really. What, do I need to put it on a website? Maybe if I change my name to something like 'Future Technology Consortium' or something important sounding you'll believe me.

    Marketing studies generally serve one purpose: make someone money. Podcasts threaten nearly every monopolistic money grubbing media outlet on the planet. They're free, produced on a mass scale, and generally more up to the minute (look ma! No NDAs!) Sure the quality isn't as good (in the amateur ones) as a news cast, but then again, there aren't 150 people working behind the scenes on just the technical aspects, like sound engineering.

    I have one (no, not gonna link it), and I subscribe to about 15-20. Of those I listen to at least 10 shows every week when I'm not doing anything hat requires alot of concentration. They're great for commutes (radio without commercials), and I like that they sound kinda amateur - except for those ones with dismal audio quality. Try making one. It's actually kinda fun, and alot tougher than you realize, especially if you're ultra-critical of other podcasters. If they suck, and this is such a huge sensation right now, then you should blow them out of the water. Right?
  • Emerica, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I fully agree with this figure being fairly true.
    But guess what, that's allot of people! :)

    Anyways, I personally listen to very few podcasts. Your average person listens to the radio and their favor tie tape, cd or *maybe* a flash device. Anyone who wants to listen to a podcast that is not sitting at a computer is well.. sol. The person has to actively make an effort to get this content, by finding it and burning it or sending it over to their device, if they have that.

    Many people have also been 'trained' to the formal ways of commercial radio, the podcasts which do well, either have money, radio experience, celebs, or just good content.

    Off the top of my head, I know of 3 podcasts I listen to regularly, they don't have a big money funder but they do have they other 3. Twit, Inside the net and security now. generally has some good debates, some highly active people that many of us know, and they have experience in many of the fields that make their stuff happen. All in all it makes for a quality podcast about tech news which you don't really find on the radio here.
    I have strong interests in web development, thus Inside the net strikes an interest, yet i believe its another combination of the people and the content.
    Security now is the same, while allot of it it can be repetitive to , there's always new tools and software mentioned and there are always things left unanswered, always a reason to bring people coming back.


    Video on the other hand is a whole different story IMO. Audio doesn't hold people's attention the way video does, I'll watch any video podcast I can get my hands on.

    Maybe it's being brought up in front of the TV?
  • generalleoff, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0I personally got kinda bored of podcasts some time ago. Most podcasts tend to be tech only related and I can only listen to that for so long before it's old. I still like to catch TWiT, SN, and diggnation every so often but I prefer to listen to Infected cuz that shows more diverse in it's content and it's entertaining.

    I would like to see a little more verity in the medium. A Howard Stern style show would be cool. Or a revival of old time radio drama or something. I'm sure there's a lot more out there already that I don't know about though.
    • UGM2099, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Nobody Likes Onions... Keith and the Girl.. Distorted View... PK and J show...

      those are all influenced by Howard Stern.

      Also, most podcasts aren't tech related, according to podcast directories.
  • Anthraxx, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1I listen, I truly do!!!
  • mirrorkills, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0ive only just gotten into them.. well one anyway.. and its LOST.. so :shrug:
  • ckohler, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I'm a podcaster and here are my current "podcasting goods and bads":

    GOOD
    * A staggering amount of FREE multimedia content
    * Many compelling original shows and emerging formats
    * From a technical standpoint, amateurs get equal footing with professionals
    * Subscription model helps to automatically retain viewers
    * New software has made subscribing very painless verses a year ago

    BAD
    * Huge number of amateurs results in little quality control, thus...
    * An over-saturation of low-quality content makes finding quality content difficult
    * Name recognition from TV/Radio/Movies is already starting to overshadow great original/amature content
    * The format is not near mainstream yet

    All in all, I think there's more good than bad. The really hard stuff like bandwidth costs and promition are (at least for the moment) no big deal thanks to services like libsyn.com and iTunes.

    Shamelss plug: http://actioncorp.libsyn.com/
    • wizzzard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0an extra GOOD:

      - gives me the opportunity to learn other languages by listening to them, be able to listen to mean stream Radiogram's in my native language on demand and gives me an update of what's going on in the country I'm from. All on demand in an audio format! I LOVE podcasting...
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