Podcast Listener Memberships?

[WildeGeek]

Thinking of the public radio model in the U.S.: Would you pay for a membership/subscription to support a podcast in exchange for access to additional "premium" content?

The conecpt is that a regular show would be posted for free, but would be edited down a little (or a lot) and include short ads -- what is called underwriting announcements in public broadcasting. If a listener pays a subscription to support the podcast, they would get a username and password giving them access to a feed containing a longer, higher bit rate version of the show with fewer, shorter, or perhaps no underwriting announcements.

As avid podcast listeners, what do you think of this concept?

[BSquared]

There are shows that already use this model. I happily pay the fee for the show I really like that does it.

I have donated to most of my favourite shows at some time or other so I wouldn't have a problem subscribing to them. I would rather pay a few dollars than have the shows i like stop producing due to the expenses they are incurring. 'Sides it feels good to be able to say "thanks" for all the hard work and wonderful entertainment. I buy most of the books I read and I pay for the movies I watch so why should podcasts be any different?

My only quibble is when people set up subscription services without thinking through how things are to be paid. For example, I pay an additional service fee every time I use my credit card for a foreign currency transaction - so if a subscription can only be paid for monthly - say $5US per month or something - I pay $6US per month 'cos I have to pay the service fee each time - I'd rather do a lump sum payment for a year and only pay one service fee.

[WildeGeek]

There are shows that already use this model. I happily pay the fee for the show I really like that does it.
Can you point me to your favorite examples?

My only quibble is when people set up subscription services without thinking through how things are to be paid.
So suppose I produce two versions of my weekly podcast. My own is 10 minutes so lets go with that. Let's say it's useful information about a niche area that you're interested in -- in my case it's outdoor recreation. The two versions are: Free version: 60 seconds of intro/outro, 2:30 minutes of targeted, on-topic, commercials that fit with the flow of the show somehow, and 6:30 minutes of on-topic content. Subscriber version: For some amount (perhaps $25 per year of weekly editions as a round number), you hear 1:15 minutes of intro/outro (with just a mention of sponsor's names), and 8:45 minutes of on-topic content.
Remember, assume this is on a topic you're interested in. Which version would you choose?

[BSquared]

I would definitely go with the second option for a topic I am really interested in.

For a topic I have a mild interest in I would choose option 1 or not bother to listen at all.

As for which shows exist that do the subscription thing...The show that I subscribe to is Free Talk Live - they don't call it a subscription but it acts like one - there's a separate feed for the podcast for subscribers which has no adds/prmotional material of any kind (the non-subscribers feed has a minimal amount of sponsorship material). I hate advertisements (one of the reasons I get almost all my audio from podcasts rather than commercial radio these days) and am willing to pay to not have advertisements thrust at me. I understand why podcasters need to turn to advertisements but if there's an option for me not to listen I will take that option.

I'm pretty sure that The Richard Vobes Radio Show (an English comedy podcast) also has some kind of subsriber option these days and Nobody Likes Onions has something like it...I don't know enough about those shows to know what extras the subscribers get for their money but I'm sure Patrick would fill in you in if you ask nicely.

I'm also positive there are dozens of other shows that have the same kind of thing.