

Ask HN: Whats missing from podcasting? Why hasn't the market grown larger? - MichaelApproved

iTunes makes subscribing to a podcast really simple. With so many iPhone/iPod users out there, why hasn't the market grown lager? What do you think is keeping podcasts from being more mainstream?
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hayroob
Podcasting for most is an analog for radio and until podcasts are as at hand
as radio is, it's market share will be capped. Most people want to be able to
press a button their dashboard and here a show, not go search it out, put it
on their iPod and then hook that up to their car.

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CyberFonic
Listening to podcasts takes too long. I can speed read articles and skip the
boring bits. Podcasts are too linear. I have even tried playing back at 150%
speed, but even that takes too long. Another problem with podcasts is that
they are produced by people who can't say things succinctly and in a very
interesting way. They seem to mostly like to hear their own voices. What we
need is really clever comedians write and produce the stuff. Then it might be
entertaining and informative enough to make me tune away from the radio jocks.

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olihb
I would listen to more podcasts if I could wake up with them(alarm clock),
listen to them in my car without burning a CD or loading an USB key. I think
that's the missing link.

I think people think the alternative(radio stations) suck but the convenience
of only having to turn the radio wins.

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noodle
the audience has hit its saturation point. if you're not podcasting, either
you don't understand it (i.e, you don't need an ipod to consume podcasts),
don't know about it, or don't want to do it.

i'd like to see a popular alternative podcasting application rise up.
something better than itunes, geared towards the users that don't have ipods.
i'd use it. does it exist already? i have no clue, and i consume tons of
podcasts. it would definitely help to break the association between podcasting
and ipods, which i think is holding some users back.

~~~
MichaelApproved
You can listen to the shows on the web through the flash players most of these
guys have on their pages. Is it the effort to listen to the show or the effort
to discover the show?

~~~
noodle
both.

a desktop application allows you a variety of options with respect to
obtaining and consuming content. you can listen to content on the provider's
webpage, sure, but it narrows your options greatly.

and sure, its not really that tough to discover new content online. something
that helps you discover new purely podcasting content just helps to reduce the
noise and makes proliferation of the medium easier for people who have a lower
tolerance of technology and/or inconvenience. i can find the podcasts i want
just fine. but i'm the current audience. you need to make it easier for soccer
moms or grandfathers to find podcasts in order to break out of the current
stagnation.

