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

And for zero cents,

[n0dalus]

I will simply not download that podcast. I have better things to do with my time than listen to DRM'd podcasts, and I'll let the podcaster know that.

Re:And for zero cents,

[shbazjinkens]

Why is everyone referring to this as digital rights management? This isn't here to stop you from illegally downloading podcasts, but to monitor when and for how long you listen to them. That would be spyware.

As a great dead man said...

[Phlog]

Reminds me of Bill Hicks. "Oh, God! Please stop turning everything into dollar signs."

mental waste companies

[Device666]

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.' Let's keep it that way. Now the advertizers know how to feel how it is to be cheated. Please.. Why not just podcasting for the joy of it.. Keep yous shows real and ban out all the advertisement and privacy problem shit. Lets keep up raising the prices for advertisers-> the more we will actually hear and see what we really want to hear and see. This message was sponsered by The Dump-Mental-Waste Company.. Please see our website at http://www.microsoft.com/

won't fly

[snappy316]

im sorry, thats a dumb idea. i really dont feel like being "watched" as to which podcasts i listen to and which ones i dont. and who wants to pay?

i just dont see the draw to this...if there is one, someone point it out to me please.

Re:Why. (RTFA)

[Andrew Tanenbaum]

Because podcast clients automatically download content and the user may not actually listen to it.

Turn in your Geek Badge.

[chris_mahan]

Carl, turn in your geek badge.

Podcasting is for people who do not want commercials.

If commercials are put on podcasts, guess what's going to happen to podcasting.

Advertisers are a silly bunch

[TheFlyingGoat]

Advertisers don't know if people look at their ads in magazines or newspapers, how many people actually look in the direction of their billboard, listen to their radio ad, or don't walk away when their TV commercial is on. Being able to see how many people download a podcast is probably more indicative of people that hear the ad compared to many other media.

They're just looking for MORE accurate data, but that's totally unnecessary. Ad agencies are very good at tracking usefulness of ad campaigns without specific numbers.