It feels like every indie podcast I listen to has started a new paid membership program in the last two months, and while it’s understandable, it’s oddly dispiriting. I know it’s super controversial to say “actually sometimes free ad-supported things are good,” but, well.
@chipotle I think podcast advertising money has dried up quite a bit, so this development is understandable.
I noticed about three months ago that the quality of advertisers has decreased on a lot of the podcasts I listen to, as well. CBD oil and online ED medication sales might be legal, legitimate businesses these days but they remind me of spam email more than podcast advertising stalwarts like Stamps.com and Audible.
I have not decided to pay to subscribe to any of my favorite podcasts yet, mainly because the value per dollar isn't really there for me, and I don't feel flush enough to be a "patron" right now. If my favorite podcasts start fading away, though, I will change my mind on that.
@mjdescy I understand the development, I think, and I'm also usually in the "pay for things you like" camp, so I'm aware of a bit of hypocrisy on my part. :) And I can't really say it feels like an unfair cash grab, per se, either. But, I can't give an indefinite number of podcasts $5–10 a month. If the "standard price" was more in the $2–3 a month range, or $20–30 a year, it'd be easier to digest.
@chipotle I totally agree. Maybe it would be worth our while if we got access to a bunch of podcasts for that price, like all the TWIT shows or all the Relay.FM shows. Who knows, though? If I had to pay to listen to podcasts in 2008, I don't think I ever would have started listening to them.