[b]Free PodCasting and Bandwidth[/b]

[MediaBeast]

I make an assumption many users will treat Podcast in much the same way they treat news feeds in their newsreader. They add the feed. Read it a couple of times. Then often simply forget they have it without bothering to delete. (Users are really bad about maintenance).

If Podcast are treated in a similar fashion... will we not have tens of thousands of podcasts delivered, but with only a small percentage of the podcast actually consumed?

If so, what free business model supports all the wasted bandwidth?

[ethornber]

I don't think that's a valid assumption - audio files, unlike text files, take up enough disk space that even with the gargantuan size of today's hard drives, the consumer will take notice if there's an excessive number.

[jeffoest]

I don't think that's a good assumption. I have probably 10 Dawn and Drew's downloaded and countless others that I haven't listened to and probably won't. When I get back to them in my rotation I'll no doubt listen to the latest couple of shows or so only. I'm SURE I'm not the only on with this type of behaviour.

So - I agree. I think a lot of downloads will happen without the corresponding listens. Oh well, bandwidth is cheap these days and these things get downloaded when I'm sleeping.

What I wonder though is if everybody is simply getting podcasts using their podcast downloaders does that mean all future advertising must come from the audio stream itself (i.e. audio ads) and not web ads since current subscribers won't necessarily go to the website?

[camilian]

What I wonder though is if everybody is simply getting podcasts using their podcast downloaders does that mean all future advertising must come from the audio stream itself (i.e. audio ads) and not web ads since current subscribers won't necessarily go to the website?

Yep.

I am suprised that the folks making "podcatchers" are not placing advertising in them... I am sure it is coming.

[spaz]

Yep.

I am suprised that the folks making "podcatchers" are not placing advertising in them... I am sure it is coming.[/quote]

True...I'm not looking forward to it tho...one of the reasons I barely watch tv is the ads... :cry:

[Joris]

I make an assumption many users will treat Podcast in much the same way they treat news feeds in their newsreader. They add the feed. Read it a couple of times. Then often simply forget they have it without bothering to delete.

I think thats quite a good assumption. For folks listining to poadcasts on a pc it would make much more sense to play audio streaming (in my opinion). Within a few years from now broadband internet will be everywhere.