Comments on: Podcasts: Hot or Not http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/ Tracking the Internet Evolution Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:47:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Jake http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46807 Jake Sun, 09 Apr 2006 02:31:21 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46807 <p>Success or failure, the reality is it's WAY too early to be forecasting success OR failure.</p> Success or failure, the reality is it’s WAY too early to be forecasting success OR failure.

]]> By: Erik http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46806 Erik Sat, 08 Apr 2006 12:47:55 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46806 <p><i>Does Don also think TV shows and films should only be 5 minutes long? Should all authors restrict themselves to novels of three pages?</i></p> <p>Of course not, that's precisely the point. </p> <p>Different media, different rules.</p> Does Don also think TV shows and films should only be 5 minutes long? Should all authors restrict themselves to novels of three pages?

Of course not, that’s precisely the point.

Different media, different rules.

]]> By: Cameron Reilly http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46805 Cameron Reilly Sat, 08 Apr 2006 05:38:06 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46805 <p>With all due respect to the man, Don's comments on podcast length amuse me. It tickles me that people are still making those comments 18 months into this podcast journey. I've been trying to explain to people for the last year that podcasts are NOT blogs. Yes - blogs are ADD central. We're reading them while we're sitting at our PC with a million other things to read and do. Podcasts are often listened to while our audience is driving, commuting or exercising. These are exercises which can easily take 30 - 60 minutes or more each day and in which there is little else to concentrate on. Another great thing about podcasts is (sit down while I tell you this) - you can pause them. Stop them. Fast forward them. WOW. Amazing, I know. If you find yourself not digging any particular show, skip to the next show. This ain't radio folks. At any one time I have 100 podcasts on my ipod to listen to. One for every mood. :-) </p> <p>Does Don also think TV shows and films should only be 5 minutes long? Should all authors restrict themselves to novels of three pages? </p> <p>And I concur with Todd's comments. The Podcast Network has over 200,000 unique visitors a month and I'm pretty sure we don't have 30% of the entire podcast audience tuning in. </p> <p>Whether Charlene is right or not, anyone can see three things are true: - five years from now there will be more podcasts being produced than there are today, bringing unheard of variety to the content we have available to consume - five years from now every mobile phone will be a portable media player, which is easily one billion devices in the hands of the people - five years from now there will be more people listening to podcasts than there are today (18 months in)</p> With all due respect to the man, Don’s comments on podcast length amuse me. It tickles me that people are still making those comments 18 months into this podcast journey. I’ve been trying to explain to people for the last year that podcasts are NOT blogs. Yes - blogs are ADD central. We’re reading them while we’re sitting at our PC with a million other things to read and do. Podcasts are often listened to while our audience is driving, commuting or exercising. These are exercises which can easily take 30 - 60 minutes or more each day and in which there is little else to concentrate on. Another great thing about podcasts is (sit down while I tell you this) - you can pause them. Stop them. Fast forward them. WOW. Amazing, I know. If you find yourself not digging any particular show, skip to the next show. This ain’t radio folks. At any one time I have 100 podcasts on my ipod to listen to. One for every mood. :-)

Does Don also think TV shows and films should only be 5 minutes long? Should all authors restrict themselves to novels of three pages?

And I concur with Todd’s comments. The Podcast Network has over 200,000 unique visitors a month and I’m pretty sure we don’t have 30% of the entire podcast audience tuning in.

Whether Charlene is right or not, anyone can see three things are true:
- five years from now there will be more podcasts being produced than there are today, bringing unheard of variety to the content we have available to consume
- five years from now every mobile phone will be a portable media player, which is easily one billion devices in the hands of the people
- five years from now there will be more people listening to podcasts than there are today (18 months in)

]]> By: nate pagel http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46804 nate pagel Fri, 07 Apr 2006 20:47:30 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46804 <p>When we have verifiable numbers of 200,000 downloads per day for single podcasts, I'm sure that fact makes it clear that Ms. Li is way off in her estimate.</p> When we have verifiable numbers of 200,000 downloads per day for single podcasts, I’m sure that fact makes it clear that Ms. Li is way off in her estimate.

]]> By: pwb http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46803 pwb Fri, 07 Apr 2006 19:41:02 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46803 <p>Podcasting strikes me as quite lame. Making a popular radio show downloadable can hardly be called podcasting.</p> Podcasting strikes me as quite lame. Making a popular radio show downloadable can hardly be called podcasting.

]]> By: Rangachari Anand http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46802 Rangachari Anand Fri, 07 Apr 2006 19:15:40 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46802 <p>I have been listening to the Om and Nial podcasts since the first one. I love them! You guys always seem to come up with interesting new stuff every podcast.</p> I have been listening to the Om and Nial podcasts since the first one. I love them! You guys always seem to come up with interesting new stuff every podcast.

]]> By: Erik Lagerway http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46801 Erik Lagerway Fri, 07 Apr 2006 17:39:40 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46801 <p>Ahh yes, to podcast or not to podcast. Some think that podcasts are a great way to catch up on niche happenings that are not covered by traditional media or at least not covered well.</p> <p>Frequency has a major impact on listener acquisition but throwing a podcast up just to say that you did, with no real substance is even more damaging. I am guilty of both and concur with you Om that it's hard work.</p> <p>There should be an easier way to produce and publish acquire and listen. For my interviews I use an eclectic plethora of software and hardware including a decent softphone, flash tools, Mac editing software and a blog to put it on. Again, it's a lot of work.</p> <p>Between work and blogging/podcasting my wife sometimes wonders if she married a man or a peripheral mouse.</p> Ahh yes, to podcast or not to podcast. Some think that podcasts are a great way to catch up on niche happenings that are not covered by traditional media or at least not covered well.

Frequency has a major impact on listener acquisition but throwing a podcast up just to say that you did, with no real substance is even more damaging. I am guilty of both and concur with you Om that it’s hard work.

There should be an easier way to produce and publish acquire and listen. For my interviews I use an eclectic plethora of software and hardware including a decent softphone, flash tools, Mac editing software and a blog to put it on. Again, it’s a lot of work.

Between work and blogging/podcasting my wife sometimes wonders if she married a man or a peripheral mouse.

]]> By: Nuno Barreto http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46800 Nuno Barreto Fri, 07 Apr 2006 16:27:45 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46800 <p>Just like to add a few words to encourage you and Nial to continue doing the podcast.</p> <p>I spend most of my time out of the office in business. In those business trips or even on the daily commute I usually take the opportunity to catch up on the latest tech news or sector news and the only way to do this while driving is by listening to a podcast on my PocketPC PDA.</p> <p>I listen to yours on a weekly basis and I find them both entertaining and educational, so just keep up with the good work.</p> Just like to add a few words to encourage you and Nial to continue doing the podcast.

I spend most of my time out of the office in business. In those business trips or even on the daily commute I usually take the opportunity to catch up on the latest tech news or sector news and the only way to do this while driving is by listening to a podcast on my PocketPC PDA.

I listen to yours on a weekly basis and I find them both entertaining and educational, so just keep up with the good work.

]]> By: aye http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46799 aye Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:49:49 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46799 <p>I don't know a single person among my tech oriented friends (let's say 20 or so people) who listens to a single podcast. I'm amazed it's 1%.</p> I don’t know a single person among my tech oriented friends (let’s say 20 or so people) who listens to a single podcast. I’m amazed it’s 1%.

]]> By: Brian Breslin http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46798 Brian Breslin Fri, 07 Apr 2006 14:45:06 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46798 <p>as someone w/a vested interest in seeing how this whole thing pans out, i am curious as to how she came up w/that number? Previous reports had it at over a million by now, and projections into the tens of millions soon. Aren't there something like 40 million ipods out there? As far as a marketer is concerned, i think a 5-10 minute podcast would be ideal, any longer, and the user loses their attention, and the ads at the end would be lost in the midst.</p> as someone w/a vested interest in seeing how this whole thing pans out, i am curious as to how she came up w/that number? Previous reports had it at over a million by now, and projections into the tens of millions soon. Aren’t there something like 40 million ipods out there? As far as a marketer is concerned, i think a 5-10 minute podcast would be ideal, any longer, and the user loses their attention, and the ads at the end would be lost in the midst.

]]> By: Steve http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46797 Steve Fri, 07 Apr 2006 09:59:48 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46797 <p>Let's see what she has to say: http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2006/04/forrester<em>podca</em>1.html#comment-15919068</p> Let’s see what she has to say: (link) podca1.html#comment-15919068

]]> By: Steve http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46796 Steve Fri, 07 Apr 2006 09:45:08 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46796 <p>So Forrester says… Usually these Analysts do nothing if they are not payed for and if they get payed by a particluar party, those parties almost always end up hearing what they want to hear. There is not statistics that cannot be bent. </p> <p>If the market were just 700,000 listeners and below, why would on the other hand corporations like Apple change entire product ranges (like iTunes and GarageBand) to incorporate podcasts? Sorry, but this is not because Steve Jobbs think it is so cool. Apple won't do a thing without intensive market research these days and if there is some gold to be digged, they'll go for it. </p> <p>With a population of approx. 298,290,000 a mere 700,000 seems rather a stupid figure to start with, and then, how would this Miss Li (who, by the way is also a blogger: http://forrester.typepad.com/charleneli/ ) ever come up with this figure after all?! And: on which number of people questioned did she calculate that figure? And what about anybody outside the U.S.A.? English language podcasts are listened to world wide, and even the German podcasting scene is a rather active one. </p> <p>So, again with most of these "Forresters" and "Gartners" and "FUDs & Company" around this figure was ment to please a customer and I would not be astonished if the customer in this case was some obfuscated Microsoft affiliated company. Have Microsoft got hold of podcasting so far? No. No own software, no own gadgets. But Apple has them and propably all podcasters are Open Source fans anyway, so M$ will have a point in belittleing Podcasting. </p> <p>Wait till someone drops the "Web 2.0" or the "AJAX" buzzword with a higher Microsoft official and see what will happen once they realized they again over-slept a major technological or ideological move. There will be all the nice little analysts right at hand again to proclaim that it is no market at all and that those using it are a bunch of hippies anyway. </p> <p>Why is it that such estimations and analytics never seem to come from the real people in the know. Why is it that noone listens to, say M.I.T. or any University anywhere when it comes up to (tech) studies like these, but blindly believes in some analyst that surely might be highly educated but ARE financially and customer governed people.</p> So Forrester says… Usually these Analysts do nothing if they are not payed for and if they get payed by a particluar party, those parties almost always end up hearing what they want to hear. There is not statistics that cannot be bent.

If the market were just 700,000 listeners and below, why would on the other hand corporations like Apple change entire product ranges (like iTunes and GarageBand) to incorporate podcasts? Sorry, but this is not because Steve Jobbs think it is so cool. Apple won’t do a thing without intensive market research these days and if there is some gold to be digged, they’ll go for it.

With a population of approx. 298,290,000 a mere 700,000 seems rather a stupid figure to start with, and then, how would this Miss Li (who, by the way is also a blogger: (link) ) ever come up with this figure after all?! And: on which number of people questioned did she calculate that figure? And what about anybody outside the U.S.A.? English language podcasts are listened to world wide, and even the German podcasting scene is a rather active one.

So, again with most of these “Forresters” and “Gartners” and “FUDs & Company” around this figure was ment to please a customer and I would not be astonished if the customer in this case was some obfuscated Microsoft affiliated company. Have Microsoft got hold of podcasting so far? No. No own software, no own gadgets. But Apple has them and propably all podcasters are Open Source fans anyway, so M$ will have a point in belittleing Podcasting.

Wait till someone drops the “Web 2.0″ or the “AJAX” buzzword with a higher Microsoft official and see what will happen once they realized they again over-slept a major technological or ideological move. There will be all the nice little analysts right at hand again to proclaim that it is no market at all and that those using it are a bunch of hippies anyway.

Why is it that such estimations and analytics never seem to come from the real people in the know. Why is it that noone listens to, say M.I.T. or any University anywhere when it comes up to (tech) studies like these, but blindly believes in some analyst that surely might be highly educated but ARE financially and customer governed people.

]]> By: Chris Brogan... http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46795 Chris Brogan... Fri, 07 Apr 2006 09:16:47 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46795 <p>My audio consumption is 100% podcast at this point, and within that, the only time-shifted radio is NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. </p> <p>I'm a regular listener to the podcast you do with Niall, as well as a boatload of other technology and business podcasts. I get a kick out of when one of you is very excited about something, because almost always, the other of you is not. You go heavy on telco, Niall says "yeah" a lot. Niall goes heavy into coding or back-end stuff, you say, "But what does this do for ME?!" It's one of the best things about the cast.</p> <p>Anyhow, I'm a big fan of podcasts and I can't remember the last time I listened to a broadcast radio station.</p> <p>Chris of [chrisbrogan.com]</p> My audio consumption is 100% podcast at this point, and within that, the only time-shifted radio is NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.

I’m a regular listener to the podcast you do with Niall, as well as a boatload of other technology and business podcasts. I get a kick out of when one of you is very excited about something, because almost always, the other of you is not. You go heavy on telco, Niall says “yeah” a lot. Niall goes heavy into coding or back-end stuff, you say, “But what does this do for ME?!” It’s one of the best things about the cast.

Anyhow, I’m a big fan of podcasts and I can’t remember the last time I listened to a broadcast radio station.

Chris of [chrisbrogan.com]

]]> By: Om Malik http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46794 Om Malik Fri, 07 Apr 2006 07:55:50 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46794 <p>mark</p> <p>thanks for the feedback. well, i am to blame for that, and this is the "blackberry tingle" which shows up in the audio, even though i turn the device to mute. next time, shutting the damn thing down. it is addictive though.</p> mark

thanks for the feedback. well, i am to blame for that, and this is the “blackberry tingle” which shows up in the audio, even though i turn the device to mute. next time, shutting the damn thing down. it is addictive though.

]]> By: Mark Forman http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46793 Mark Forman Fri, 07 Apr 2006 07:53:42 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46793 <p>Om, I don't dispute the metrics one way or another. I am one of your "700 Club" I enjoy podcast but wish either you or Niall (perhaps both) would disable your treo or blackberry when you are recording because the radio frequency rumble bleeds through and sounds like "audio ass."Also, if you enable comments on the podcast blog I'll comment over there and not here.</p> <p>I have no negative comments about GigaOm(one of my favorites) and only that one quibble with podcast. Enjoy hearing your Asian flavored voice in my head as well.</p> Om,
I don’t dispute the metrics one way or another. I am one of your “700 Club” I enjoy podcast but wish either you or Niall (perhaps both) would disable your treo or blackberry when you are recording because the radio frequency rumble bleeds through and sounds like “audio ass.”Also, if you enable comments on the podcast blog I’ll comment over there and not here.

I have no negative comments about GigaOm(one of my favorites) and only that one quibble with podcast. Enjoy hearing your Asian flavored voice in my head as well.

]]> By: Om Malik http://gigaom.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46792 Om Malik Fri, 07 Apr 2006 07:53:28 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2006/04/06/podcasts-hot-or-not/#comment-46792 <p>guys, </p> <p>thanks for the excellent feedback. clearly we are the early stage of what could be happening, and we hope that in time, some really good stuff emerges. </p> <p>i am going to take your suggestions, and try and do a short podcast, occassional one on top of that, or give audio snippets of interviews. let me know what you think. </p> <p>five minutes - that's what i am going to shoot for. thanks again for the feedback.</p> guys,

thanks for the excellent feedback. clearly we are the early stage of what could be happening, and we hope that in time, some really good stuff emerges.

i am going to take your suggestions, and try and do a short podcast, occassional one on top of that, or give audio snippets of interviews. let me know what you think.

five minutes - that’s what i am going to shoot for. thanks again for the feedback.

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