- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- technology@lemmy.ml
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I’ve been saying for ages that podcasts are the last mainstream bastion of what the Internet is supposed to be. Imagine if it was the same for film and tv?
It seems they are about to have their bubble burst. It’s probably the next wave of enshittification.
Somehow I think Podcasts will survive enshittification. The basis is just RSS and file hosting, so at its core, it’s possible to create and distribute podcasts without huge capital investment. There’s always gonna be some people trying to get their voices out and Podcasts still seems to be the easiest way to do that so until some better method comes out, podcasts will live on.
If you’re talking about Podcast networks, streaming services, ad networks, then yeah, those might face some kind of enshittification and destruction, but no matter what, I’m pretty confident some good podcasts, and some good ways to listen to them, will stick around.
Despite Spotify’s best efforts 🥲
Truth. I was genuinely angry seeing how Spotify kept trying to buy up everything podcast related. Felt like I was screaming into the void about how platform exclusive podcasts are antithetical to the free and open nature of podcasts. I hope their billions of dollars invested into podcasts continue to bite them in the butts.
Thankfully Spotify’s podcast platform still supplies RSS for most podcasts. The only exclusive podcast I listen to got so much backlash they had to make it non exclusive again
Are you me? <3
You took the words right out of my mouth.
I just launched a podcast a couple days ago. On a website, on a tiny server that lives on my dresser. Then I added it to Apple and Spotify and all the usual suspects. Such a wonderful system. Feels like I’m living in the past, in a good way.
@helenslunch which podcast is it, if you don’t mind? 😁
Ehhhhh check back next week 🙂
@helenslunch well, you said it now, so looking forward to it 🙂
I don’t get podcasts. Like, I’ve tried, several times over the years, but I’d really rather read something in five minutes than hear it dragged out for an hour.
So “where” I get my podcasts is already question-begging. I was pointed to one last week where the intro was all about things “everyone” experiences … getting the kids to school, what fast-food place to go to, arguing with the spouse about decor, usw. None of these applies to me, so I saw no reason to listen to the meat of the thing.
Don’t assume your audience is like you. Sure, some people may get warm fuzzies that others have experienced the hell of deciding to pop out a kid, but distilling the human experience to having kids and all that comes with that is going to turn off a lot of people. We know it’s hell. That’s why some of us noped the fuck out.
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
Podcasts are a background activity. You don’t just sit down and listen to them. You listen when driving, cooking, cleaning, etc.
I find the opposite to be true for me, but I’m the type that will sit down and read a textbook for entertainment as well. Purely informative podcasts, not entertainment etc. I’ve learned a lot of philosophy and ancient history via Spotify actually, it’s a very useful medium for information access, for those so inclined.
oddly specific objection aside, where podcasting really shines is fiction. it’s the modern version of the radio drama. fiction podcasts like Welcome to Night Vale and Find Us Alive have narratives that are tailor-made for episodic audio and would not work in any other medium. a good fiction podcast is truly wonderful to listen to
Not exactly what you’re talking about, but LeVar Burton Reads is amazing, too. It’s like Reading Rainbow for grownups.
I’d toss The Magnus Archives on that list too, especially since it had a full 5 season arc with satisfying conclusion.
A “sequel” series just started, too! It was good from what I listened to
And I’ll just add the Lovecraft Investigations to the list. Absolutely brilliant series.
So all Podcasts are bad because this one particular example was stupid? Why did you feel the need to bring that up? What you described you can find plenty in books, magazines or everywhere else.
There are all kinds of podcasts for all kinds of interests. And the best thing is that people like you and me can make and publish them. I dislike many podcasts because they are superficial, loud, hectic or whatever but there are many others that just work for me.
I usually listen to them while on a run, in the car or to fall asleep to.
Unfortunately I don’t have recommendations for you because most of my subscribed podcasts are German* and the others are in the „fall asleep to“ category of men talking about tech. But if you’re interested in the latter, start at atp.fm or something on the relay.fm network.
*if you are German speaking, I’ll gladly give recommendations
I think they just gave an example for how podcasts often feel to them. And I can relate, most podcasts feel like the podcaster assumes a certain norm and presenting topics as absolute truths. Someone here mentioned darknet diaries for example and I tried listening to this podcast but was deterred by his assumptions of how everyone wants to accumulate money and how he is obviously very oblivious of his political bias (i.e. trying to be apolitical but thus supporting a government’s military and political decisions). I guess this problem of thinking one is apolitical while actually talking about highly political stuff is more prevalent in cis male dominated spaces like tech (imo because of the combination of less empathy, a more self-centered viewpoint and a confidence in one’s own correctness). But as given per example by the other commenter, societal norms at large give people the feeling that they are correct in their views and that things just are a certain way (e.g. sex differences, certain experiences etc). Well, just wanted to give my mustard to it ;)
and here I am listening to hardcore history at slow speed for what was uploaded as an 4 hour episode but then again I do the same thing for audio books
Have you tried S-Town? Sure, you could probably read the transcript, but it’d be a lesser experience
@Powderhorn I didn’t get podcasts either at first. But they’re basically just an equivalent to radio shows, only that you’re listening to them recorded already and you can pick which one(s) to hear and in what order.
I only really listen to them while driving 3+ hours.
My mind needs some engagement or I’ll fall asleep.
I listen to Dark Net Diaries because I’m interested in Cyber security, this American life because of the varied stories, wait wait don’t tell me because it’s light hearted, and car talk because of the nostalgia. I’m planning on grabbing a prairie home companion because my father listened to it, makes me think of him.
That being said. Dark Net is becoming a little more dramatic than I’d like, but it’s still good content.
This is arse-over-tits
Imagine I said “get it wherever you get your images” or “wherever you get your blogs”
It’s oligopolistic
Are you sure? This sounds like the exact opposite
The blog assumes that people need megaplatforms to use the web, and celebrates that it’s an oligopoly not a monopoly
I read it as a celebration that anyone can distribute podcasts. Distribution is via RSS so as long as you have the feed URL you can use whatever podcast player you want to subscribe to whatever podcasts you want.
Not just that but the feeds are indexed in many directories (if the hosts decide to, but most do) so you can just find it in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or „wherever you get your podcasts from“ and instantly start listening. If you would need to go to a website, copy the feed URL and paste it into your client, that would already be fine for nerds but not very convenient. Which is why regular website RSS feeds are not as popular (and also because they are often shitty, on purpose).
You can listen to most podcasts through any platform you choose, I’m not sure how you came to that conclusion
