OPINION: It was a good run. But all things must come to an end. Good podcasts, that are free-to-pod, will soon be a fond memory.
This week Spotify bought Gimlet Media, a leading podcast production company, for reportedly US$230 million (NZ$340m).
The Swedish audio company also bought Anchor, a platform that lets users create, distribute, host, and monetise podcasts, for an undisclosed fee.
![]()
Is this a bad thing? I'm not sure. Possibly not. But there is one thing I am sure of. It means the industry is in for a shakeup.
READ MORE:
* Spotify takes big jump into podcasting * Does any of the technology we used 10 years ago have a place in our lives today?
Why did Spotify buy Gimlet?
On the surface, it may look like a bit of a bad deal – US$230m for a company that gives its assets away for free and relies solely on advertising for revenue is risky.
Make error1 dev c++. Now That's What I Call Music – NZ, a user on Spotify. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. Listen to all your favourite artists on any device for free or try the Premium trial. Free, Category: Artist, Albums: Live, Hit The Ground Running (Live), Fire And Water, Chronicles, Free Live!, Singles: The Stealer (RocknRolla Soundsystem Remix), All Right Now, Top Tracks: All Right Now, All Right Now, All Right Now - Single Version, Wishing Well, Oh I Wept, Biography: Famed for their perennial 'All Right Now,' Free helped lay the foundations for the rise of hard rock. The Alexa support will be available for users in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Support for Spotify’s free music service will now stream on Alexa devices, plus Bose and Sonos smart. If you wish to cancel, you can do so at any time. You can find instructions on how to do so via Spotify’s website. Cancellation instructions. If you would like to continue receiving Spotify Premium, you can switch to an eligible Pay Monthly Rollover Plan or a $79.99/$99.99 Endless Mobile plan, which comes with Spotify Premium included.
But it's not as simple as that. A lot of podcasts don't make money. Not big money. Not from podcasting anyway.
Virtual dj 8 pro crack download mac. Which is why a lot of podcasters choose to take their shows on the road and perform live shows in local theatres to make extra money.
So why did Spotify pay such a vast sum for Gimlet? The answer is simple. Content. And as well all know. Content is king.
Gimlet Media is probably best known for its Homecoming podcast starring David Schwimmer and Catherine Keener. Which it later sold the television rights to Universal, who in-turn sold the show to Amazon Prime.
And that's just one example of what good content can do.
Podcasting is still in its infancy. It's an industry that's a mixture of professional journalists and indy broadcasters. And largely, there aren't any rules. Or paywalls.
Once a new episode is ready, podcast producers upload their podcasts to their hosting platforms – and providing they've submitted their RSS feed correctly – iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify and Google Play will automatically crawl and display new episodes. Ready for listeners to consume. For free.
And that's exactly what Spotify is hoping to change. And then make money from.
Free Spotify Combos
Right now, there's nothing to encourage a listener to consume a podcast via the Spotify app rather than Apple or Android's native Podcast app.
Best free 3d architecture software for mac. This is all about to change.
Spotify's founder and chief executive Daniel Ek is hoping this acquisition will help his company get a leg up in the podcasting industry. Teamviewer mac streaming game.
In a blog post, Ek said: 'Based on radio industry data, we believe it is a safe assumption that, over time, more than 20 per cent of all Spotify listening will be non-music content'.
'This means the potential to grow much faster with more original programming – and to differentiate Spotify by playing to what makes us unique – all with the goal of becoming the world's number one audio platform,' Ek said.
'Our core business is performing very well. But as we expand deeper into audio, especially with original content, we will scale our entire business.'
The purchase of Gimlet comes directly after Spotify reported its first-ever quarterly profit. Banking US$106 million for the last three months of 2018.
As I see it, Spotify is in a very similar place to Netflix several years ago. Back then, Netflix was a popular video-streaming platform with zero original content.
As a business model, this is a weak position. It's reliant on television and film production companies licensing content for less money than it charges its subscribers.
Today, thanks to shows like House of Cards, Stranger Things and Making a Murderer, Netflix draws in customers with its own quality content.
This move from Spotify is equally savvy. However, it also probably marks the start of the podcast wars.
A subscription to Spotify costs $22.50 in New Zealand. It's a safe bet that exclusive podcasts will soon be another reason to attract customers to its platform. And away from its competition including Apple Music, Google Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Tidal.
Is this a bad thing for podcasts? I honestly don't know. It means they won't be as easily accessible as they are currently. Download vmware fusion for mac trial. But it also probably means that money will be invested in production and professionalism.
Spotify Free Google Mini Nz
There is one thing I do know. I would happily pay for a podcast subscription if it brings me more quality content. It's a media that I love and can't get enough of.
I'm not alone in my love of podcast. Recent research suggests that over a third of people from developed nations consume podcasts at least once a month.
Free Spotify Mobile
Watch this space.
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |