When did paid podcasts become a thing?

Technology@lemmy.world – 119 points – 12 months ago

Half the podcasts in my queue have suddenly become paid subscriptions. Meanwhile the overall industry is losing listeners. Seems like a lousy business model to not offer a free with ads feed. What a bizarre trend.

https://www.deseret.com/entertainment/2023/2/9/23592684/decline-of-podcasts#:~:text=Monthly%20listenership%20to%20podcasts%20seems,podcasts%20has%20fallen%20as%20well.

https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2022/03/28/monthly-podcast-listening-is-down-for-the-first-time-in-almost-a-decade-according-to-study

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I guess on the general topic of monetizing podcasts... How Did This Get Made was in town last night for a live show. Thought I might bring my son who's a movie buff.

The cheapest seats (ass-end back of the balcony) were $55. Priciest seats I saw were $125. Before fees. That was a REAL fast nope for me.

I absolutely want people to get paid for what they do. I'll sub to Patreons, I'll buy (also overpriced) merch, I'll deal with ad and sponsor breaks... But I will be fucked if I'm going to spend $70+ per person to see a live recording of a podcast.

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