JamieG Analysis

You like a podcast.  You want to sponsor it.  Imagine if you can arrange to pay 10cents per episode when you download it……  All automatic.

I am a big fan of the twit.tv network.  I listen to 2-3 hours of it per week.  When I initially started listening, I even bpayed $10 as a donation to Leo Laporte the Chief TWIT.  I am a big fan of sending money to those podcasts that I value.  But at the same time I like to pay for what I use.  Here is a pay as you go solution…

Last TWIT podcast, Leo spoke about issues regarding the economics of producing the podcasts he makes.  It was interesting to hear how under 2% of listeners donate any money.  He stated that if he was able to get $10 per year from 4% of users, he wouldn’t even need to have sponsors on the show.  (on average, listening to 1 show per week  $10/52 = 20cents per episode.)

I found this very interesting and it made me consider that recently I was going to donate more money as it had been ruffly a year since the first time.  But at that time I was very busy and was not able to listen as much as I usually do so I decided to forgo sending him any money for now.  It been 6 month now. (I feel a little guilty).

At the same time I have been following a new company called OTN (Open Television Network).  This is a new business solution/model for content producers to sell content via RSS feeds.

This is a revolutionary company as it allows content providers to sell content via any RSS feed using a microtransaction back end. This includes Itunes without going thorugh the Itunes store.  Goto the the OTN website for some examples videos on how it all works.

I have spoken to Philip Hodgetts, CEO of OTN, at length about his model.  It has huge potential.  Philip is very busy developing the business model, obtaining content producers plus looking for investment to expand it.  The main focus of OTN is an alternative for current content owners to sell there content.  Looking at its current RSS feeds available, you see niche content at premium prices. ($2-$3 per episode)

Personally I see other great posabilites and here is where TWIT.tv comes in.

I would be extremely happy to join a RSS feed of TWIT content that cost me 10 cents per episode.   (I listen to 3 different shows on average) And I expect 4% or more would probably also be happy to do this.  An easy decision.  I am only up for10-cents at the start, and if I like it, I pay as I go.  I will always feel like I am getting my monies worth.  This model has a warm and fuzzy feeling in which I feel like I have control.

I understand Philip at OTN does have this on the cards, but I would like to see it sooner then later.  Mainly because I want to start planting the idea in the general podcasting consumer community that podcasts just don’t make themselves.  And at the same time leverage the fact that Twit.tv and friends, have developed amazing costs saving producition techneque.  If a TV series that costs many millions to make costs $4 to purchase, 10 cents for an audio podcast is a good starting point.