Still looking to monetize IT Conversations |
Scoble invited Thomas Hawk, Evan Williams, Doug Kaye and a few others to have dinner with Microsoft’s Jim Allchin. The subject was a preview of Longhorn which is slated to be release at some point in 2006 as well as discussing other Microsoft technologies like Windows Media Player and Media Center.
During the course of this conversation. Thomas Hawk recalls:
Doug Kaye was also interested in how Microsoft might be able to help content producers with the economics of the production of their content. IT Conversations is a terrific podcast but the question is how best can something like this, beyond simple advertising, be monetized? Although I’m not sure that a clear answer came out of the dinner…
So there’s talented podcaster Doug Kaye, what, five months later (see “paying for the podcasting bandwidth“) still trying to find a financial model for IT Conversations? If this is how it actually went down then this is a sad, sorry state on the financial future of podcasting if one of the best podcasts out there is looking to Microsoft to help with some sort of subsidy arrangement.
Why should Microsoft be subsidizing podcasters? Doug seems like a smart guy, but I miss the logic in this one completely. Again, if this is how it really went down. I wasn’t there.
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Well, that’s not actually the way it went down. My comments about monetization had to do with the lack of a standardized payment mechanism for content delivered via RSS. Nothing to do with the IT Conversations business model per se, but we do have some content providers that have asked us to experiment with fee-based disctribution for their programs only. IT Conversations is doing just fine, BTW. We’ve got more sponsors each month, and a very active tip jar that goes to our behind-the-scenes volunteers, Team ITC. (See http://www.itconversations.com/teamITC.html)
Comment by Doug Kaye — April 16, 2005 @ 3:01 am PST
That’s good to hear, Doug. That didn’t seem to make much sense. Thanks for stopping by and setting the record straight.
Comment by TDavid — April 16, 2005 @ 9:35 am PST
I need to comment on this one because working with a company like Microsoft can make a huge difference in the success of talk programming online. WebTalk has benefited from working with Microsoft over the years, but Microsoft is currently ignoring spoken-word content in all their new distribution platforms, except for past inclusions like WebTalk that still exist. The Windows Media player is a huge opportunity for Microsoft and podcasters if Microsoft integrated RSS enclosure support into the player and displayed a content provider directory that is similar to the current WindowsMedia.com Radio Tuner for streaming. They could also support high-quality podcasts as part of the MSN Radio offering. I have benefited from getting paid on a per-download distribution from Microsoft over the years from the Sync & Go service and that continues to be great. But at present Microsoft is only interested in working with the large branded media outlets and is keep its ear to the ground about podcasting. It would be great to think that Microsoft is working on something, but I just don’t know if they really are or are just giving lip service. I was just awarded a Digital Media MVP for 2005 and would love to get in the mix more with helping Microsoft figure this one out. I think it is great that Doug actually met with Microsoft about all of this and Microsoft could benefit from sponsoring ITConversations and being a distribution partner also makes sense.
Rob Greenlee
WebTalk Radio
Comment by Rob Greenlee — April 16, 2005 @ 3:35 pm PST
Rob - why do you think Microsoft is taking this position on spoken-word content? Do they believe that only music is the answer or something?
Comment by TDavid — April 16, 2005 @ 3:41 pm PST
It is all about focus on its new platforms that focus on music and video. It is putting energy and staff into providing video content for the Portable Media Center and selling music through MSN Music. Even the MSNVideoDownload.com service for Portable Media Center video is a monetization play. I have been told that MSNVideoDownload.com is the upgrade to Sync & Go service, but it is not anywhere close to a feature or content upgrade to Sync & Go. Frankly the content in Sync & Go is better right now. The function user controls are far better than MSNVideoDownload.com. This is actually a step backwards.
While all this focus on Video and Music is all good and smart for Microsoft to do, it has taken all the available resources and staff away from spoken-word Internet Radio products and content.
Rob Greenlee
WebTalk
Comment by Rob Greenlee — April 16, 2005 @ 4:44 pm PST
Unfortunately, the folks we had dinner with have nothing at all to do with MSN. They made that quite clear.
Comment by Doug Kaye — April 17, 2005 @ 1:29 am PST
Memories are fallable and my apologies if I got it wrong with regards to Doug’s comments about the monetization of podcasting. I think Doug was probably talking about others’ opportunites to achieve this kind of thing through Longhorn and a Microsoft based RSS platform. I took the next step in my own mind with the question regarding IT Conversations. IT Conversations has their own model but certainly there is room out there for others to offer paid content. I personally think day old Howard Stern would be pretty valuable media and could be something that might be able to be monetized for instance.
There is an interesting question as to what monetization models might work with regard to podcasting and video microcontent. Doug and I talked briefly after the dinner and I was excited to hear that he felt NPR especially was fairly responsive to providing free microcontent through podcasting. I hope we see more of this.
Sorry if I got this one wrong.
Comment by Thomas Hawk — April 17, 2005 @ 1:18 pm PST