XM Radio vs. Podcasts

[nheels]

I'm not sure if this has been discusses at all or even if it is applicable. I think that as XM radio grows and if they were to tap into portable devices, podcasting will dwindle. Any thoughts?

[SPThom]

No.

Foremost, an advantage of podcasting that satellite radio lacks (as of yet, I believe) is on-demand programming. XM is still very much like traditional radio in that shows are broadcast at a certain time, and you must be listening at that time, correct? So there is the time restraint.

Even if XM devices were to "pre-cache" or record shows so that you could listen at a later time, there is a "space" restraint as well. There are only so many stations to listen to, so you could never broadcast all the podcasts in the world. This is just like the bookstore scenario, where because of limited shelf space, bookstores are unable to tap into the so-called "long tail".

Podcasting lives in that long tail. Even if XM or Sirius were to pick up on podcasts and feature them on their networks, still more shows would continue to exist entirely as podcasts.

[WildeGeek]

I'm not sure if this has been discusses at all or even if it is applicable. I think that as XM radio grows and if they were to tap into portable devices, podcasting will dwindle. Any thoughts?
Scheduled media is a dinosaur -- an 8-track tape player in the grand scheme of things. The only exception might be live, breaking headline news, and fast changing things like traffic and weather (which are all inherently local).

By according to every indicator I've seen, non-real-time delivery of content more targeted to specific interests is the future. It's where media technology and the audience's demand are heading. People will want more and more to listen to (or watch) what they want, when they want. They don't want to be spoon-fed some program-director's schedule, having to make an appointment to listen to something when the channel schedules it.

Some of the technology delivering podcasts, namely the existing Internet kludge of RSS readers, syncing iPods, and the like, could be replaced by distribution channels like satellite and cell-phone service.

It also is likely that big, well-funded media will try to control the distribution channels to lock the small, indie producers out of the most convenient distribution networks. They may succeed for the large percentage of the audience -- look at how many people only know about podcasts through iTunes, and think that's the only place to get them.

If a future version of satellite receivers include significant on-board storage, smart playlists, and meta-data-driven recording of content, they have a chance to eclipse the podcasting model we know now for the majority of the future audiences. But the diversity of content that podcasting has made available is perhaps as great a draw as the convenience to listeners. And there's no way any single commercial outlet can compete on that front.

So I definitely think we're nearer to the end than the beginning of the predominance of scheduled, real-time-streamed media.

At least, that's the future IMHO.

[docsnavely]

do people think of questions like this just to use the polling feature?

"i must find a reason to start a poll" thought the random poster while at his computer....

sorry, i've just been noticing alot of questions like this lately.....

[alexkillby]

I don't think that XM (like traditional radio) is the future, but merely an aid to Podcasting. It's giving Podcasting a leg up and getting the message out that this type of material is available without much technical knowledge at all.
The whole point of podcasting is lost with XM, but as I said it offers excellent exposure to the non-tech community.

[womengrow]

do people think of questions like this just to use the polling feature?
That's about the same as asking "Is the future of blogging being published in Time magazine" or "Is the future of podcasting being picked up by Clearchannel".
I agree with Josh here (great Podcast, by the way).

[thefinalinsult]

Scheduled media is a dinosaur -- an 8-track tape player in the grand scheme of things. The only exception might be live, breaking headline news, and fast changing things like traffic and weather (which are all inherently local).

I wouldn't say that scheduled media is dead in the water. Traditional radio will always have it's place. Podcasting actually works extremely well as a support to traditional radio... ie. making shows available after they go to air. The delivery methods go hand in hand and even expand the listenership of a traditional radio station.

[tabulator32]

Satellite radio is definitely going to boom in the next year, however, podcasts will boom separately. Podcasts are (IMHO) going to be the opposite of Satellite radio.

As mentioned previously...

1. No scheduling required.

also...

2. No paid subscription required, at least not for most and not yet.

I really think Podcasts will be financially supported through (in order of greatest to least) advertising (including podcast network advertising), sponsorship, trusts/grants/donations and possibly a few opting to charge individual subscription fees for their content.

I don't think there is any effort out there to have a subscription fee-based network of podcasting programming, is there?