A Tool to Tally Podcast Listeners

Carl Bialik writes "The company Audible is making an effort to measure podcast audience, which could make the audio shows more attractive to advertisers. From the article: 'Currently in podcasts, "there's no measurability," says Matt Feinberg, a senior vice president for radio at Publicis Groupe SA's ZenithOptimedia. Advertisers have no idea if people are actually listening to podcasts, or if they're just downloading them and never playing them back, so there's no guidance for pricing the accompanying ads. "Prices -- people have been making them up," he says.' The service will cost podcasters: 'The company will charge three cents per downloaded podcast to report whether a downloader listened, and for how long. Audible will also offer tools that will stop the podcast from being emailed to others. It will charge five cents per download to track listening and attach the access restrictions. For half a cent per download, Audible will insert an ad relevant to the podcast.'"

Comments

Re:Turn in your Geek Badge.

[DonGar]

Oddly enough, most of the podcasts I listen already have ads. The stranger thing is that most of the ads are for other podcasts or podcast related products. So far, the limit has been 1 blurb per show, and it's usually explained as a way to offset broadband costs.

However, I've also heard at least one popular podcast state that broadband costs are around $80 a month. At that rate, I think I'd rather sponser a show than have the ad.

Re:Post your podcast here

[verge999]

The weirdest podcasts ever: http://feeds.feedburner.com/weirdos http://feeds.feedburner.com/weirdosvideo not for normal people...

GeekNights

[Schezar]

GeekNights is a late night show for geeks. It's pretty new, but it's done by a couple of slashdotters, and I like it.

GeekNights Feedburner Feed

Re:And for zero cents,

[1u3hr]

Why is everyone referring to this as digital rights management?

Because that's what it is. From TFA: "Audible will also offer tools that will stop the podcast from being emailed to others. It will charge five cents per download to track listening and attach the access restrictions."

Re:And for zero cents,

[JasontheMason]

Why is everyone referring to this as digital rights management?

Because it is - it restricts how you can use the file. The fact that it also monitors listening habits puts it in the DRM and Spyware category and, unfortunately, the two are not mutually exclusive.