iTunes Podcast subscriptions top one million

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple today announced that in just two days iTunes customers have subscribed to more than one million Podcasts from the new iTunes Podcast Directory.



?Podcasting is like cappuccino,? said August Trometer, developer of iPodderX. ?Gourmet coffee was around for a long time, but it took Starbucks to put it on the map. Apple is like the Starbucks of Podcasting and advertisers will take us more seriously now.?



iTunes 4.9 enables anyone to quickly and easily find and subscribe to their favorite Podcasts so that every time there?s a new episode, it?s automatically downloaded to their Mac or PC and Auto-Synced to their iPod.



iTunes also makes it easy to manage multiple Podcast subscriptions with simple organization and display by episode and date. Additionally, iPods now offer an easy to use Podcast menu, including bookmarking within a Podcast and the ability to display color Podcast artwork.



In a press release, Apple also said that its iTunes Music Store now features more than 1.5 million songs from the major music companies and over 1,000 independent record labels, and 10,000 audiobooks.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    I subscribed to a few podcasts using iTunes and even listened to them on my iPod while riding BART to work the past few days.



    Anyone else use the new Podcasting features? And if so, how many podcasts have you subscribed to so far?
  • Reply 2 of 15
    tacojohntacojohn Posts: 980member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Xool

    I subscribed to a few podcasts using iTunes and even listened to them on my iPod while riding BART to work the past few days.



    Anyone else use the new Podcasting features? And if so, how many podcasts have you subscribed to so far?




    I've subscribed to 3 so far, but I had to go out of town the morning it was released for the week.



    Dawn and Drew

    Engadget

    New Music Tuesdays



    So far, but I love podcasting and I'll be subscribing to more once I get back home.



    Peace

    -taco
  • Reply 3 of 15
    chris cuillachris cuilla Posts: 4,825member
    About a half-dozen or so for me. Testing the waters (so to speak)...finding out what is good and what doesn't tickle my fancy so much.



    So far I am liking it a LOT. Can't wait for even more content to get "Podcast-ified". I can certainly imagine a time when "premium" content works too.
  • Reply 4 of 15
    ishawnishawn Posts: 364member
    I like being able to drag stuff to my library if it's something good. There's a Canadian broadcast of jazz for like an hour that's really great. Cut and splice that up and bam! I have song with track info.
  • Reply 5 of 15
    macgregormacgregor Posts: 1,434member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iShawn

    I like being able to drag stuff to my library if it's something good. There's a Canadian broadcast of jazz for like an hour that's really great. Cut and splice that up and bam! I have song with track info.



    How do you cut and splice and bam that?



    I have 6 subscriptions: ESPN, Mac media and a bunch of NPR stuff! It is nice to listen to while fixing dinner!
  • Reply 6 of 15
    amac4meamac4me Posts: 282member
    Wow, this is big news.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    g4zillag4zilla Posts: 1member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AppleInsider

    Apple today announced that in just two days iTunes customers have subscribed to more than one million Podcasts from the new iTunes Podcast Directory.



    Well, yeah. An equal number just also unsubscribed. Most podcasts suck.



    There. I said it. And I'm not ashamed.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    I think podcast are awesome. It really shows that pdcast are going to really take off, but is this going to last?
  • Reply 9 of 15
    Quote:

    An equal number just also unsubscribed. Most podcasts suck. There. I said it. And I'm not ashamed.



    No need to be. I mentioned this on another thread, but at this point in the evolution of podcasting, the overwhelming majority of them fall into two categories:



    1. Professionally-produced podcasts from major content providers that are entertaining and informative, like much of the KCRW, NPR and ESPN stuff.



    2. Non-professional podcasts from individuals and/or hobbyists, most of which are badly-produced or just plain bad.



    However, in the non-professional category, I've discovered a few podcasts worth listening to:



    --Fly With Me - A quite well-produced look at the airline industry from the viewpoint of a commercial airline pilot who brings his recorder with him on his flights. The episode where he interviews flight attendants about the worst passengers they ever dealt with is downright hysterical.



    --My Bald Thoughts - One Canadian guy's take on that country's political scene. He's funny, informative, and doesn't overstay his welcome at around 15 minutes a podcast.



    --Gay Sexcapades - Oh boy. If you aren't interested in hearing about a 20-something gay man's sexual exploits, don't bother. But I've found the podcast strangely fascinating, even if the ultimate impression one gets is that the sex life of the average single gay man, even if he is hung like a horse, is just as banal as that of the average single straight guy.



    But beyond all that...



    Here are my takes on the current state of podcasting and what the future holds:



    1. There are WAY too many geek- and tech-oriented podcasts, and a shakeout will occur much faster now that iTunes is podcast-enabled. What is likely to happen is that the commercial tech podcasts will cannibalize the best talent from the non-professional side.



    2. The more slick and professional a podcast is, the more likely it is to keep an audience. Presentation is just as important as content, and those that don't take that to heart will lose listeners immediately and die quickly.



    3. There are numerous niche markets for podcasts that still exist, and those who take advantage of them now will gain listeners and thereby get a leg up on the best advertisers. Right now, there is no decent travel-oriented podcast out there, which is quite shocking, really. Local and regional political podcasts are few and far between. So are health-oriented podcasts. Even alternative/underground entertainment podcasts that are actually interesting enough to listen to are difficult to find.



    4. Major talk radio personalities will podcast their shows daily... for a healthy fee. Trust me, Apple will contract with some, if not all, of the biggies like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Howard Stern, Laura Schlessinger and Dean Edell and will offer their complete shows for a per-episode charge, or a per-hour download. (This will ultimately affect how those hosts program their shows, as they keep their eye on podcast revenue). I'll almost guarantee that Phil Hendrie will exercise the latter option, as he already has one "guest" per hour. On the other hand, Air America will remain free as a way to increase listenership.



    5. Major content providers will dig into the vaults and create new podcasts from old broadcasts. The Best of 60 Minutes, The Best of Barbara Walters Interviews, and older news specials and/or interviews that otherwise would collect dust will soon be available for a fee. Just wait until Election 2008... we will not only have access to podcasts of Presidential debates--which will likely be free--but all Presidential debates that exist from prior years, for which a charge will apply.



    6. Established musical performers like the Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam, The Who, U2 and others will eventually release podcasts of every stop on their current tours for a reasonable fee. This will all but elminate bootlegged versions, which are often sonically poor recordings from the audience, rather than the much better sounding versions from the mixing board. As a result, die-hard fans will pay for all of them. That will become major revenue sharing for Apple and those artists.



    This podcasting thing is much, MUCH bigger than simply offering access to some guy recording his random thoughts from his garage. It will become big business. New talent will be discovered. And this will all take place very soon.



    GTSC
  • Reply 10 of 15
    ^^^^

    Great Post! Made me look at it in a whole new light.
  • Reply 11 of 15
    robin hoodrobin hood Posts: 513member
    Just listening to Fly With Me Episode 5. It doesn't seem like it's available through iTunes itself though? At least I didn't find it, so I got it through Google.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    sjksjk Posts: 603member
    Thanks for the interesting speculative summary, GTSC. Even if it doesn't all play out as you've described you've thought it through more than many other posts on the topic... or at least did a good job of faking it.



    I've listened to a few podcasts but, unlike music, they generally require more foreground concentration than I have time or interest to give them while I'm doing other things on my computer. Might be different if I commuted. Still, some may be worthwhile enough to make time for attentive listening but so far I haven't found anything so compelling that I'd pay for it.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    I've been enjoying the Video PodCasts (although I've been trying to figure out a good catch term for them, PodClips is one I came across that seems pretty tolerable).

    I was quite pleasantly surprised the first time I subscribed to a PodCast that contained video and it simply displayed in the Album Art window!!

    Being able to subscribe to people's video feeds makes me feel like we're on the verge of what is to become the future of television.



    I'm anxious for iTunes to allow for better PodCast management and organization already, though.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    ishawnishawn Posts: 364member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by MacGregor

    How do you cut and splice and bam that?



    I have 6 subscriptions: ESPN, Mac media and a bunch of NPR stuff! It is nice to listen to while fixing dinner!




    I thought it could be done in GB 1, but I had no luck, QT Pro might do the job, but for the time being I am having success with Logic.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    I've subscribed to a few science and news podcasts and I'm loving it. I really think this is going to be as big as the iTunes music store. I agree with Gandalf's post regarding the possibilities.



    I wonder how long before the commercials start to interrupt my podcast. I love listening to nightline (one of the few real professional news shows left on TV) without the commercials.
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