Why podcasts don’t compete against satellite radio … yet |
This morning a micro conversation broke out about podcasts and satellite radio.
Before we get too far, it’s important to understand I like podcasts. I’ve also created podcasts since the early days, as well as hosted a live weekly web streaming radio show since May 2000. This Friday will be episode #361. There are some very good podcasts out there and I fully believe someday internet live streaming and pre-recorded material (podcasts, vlogging) will replace satellite and terrestrial radio.
But that day isn’t here yet.
This morning I suggested to WickedGood to give satellite radio a try after seeing his message:
Radio everywhere is awful, unfortunately. That’s why I never leave the house without my iPod anymore.
I’ve been a satisfied Sirius subscriber since September 2006 and see where WickedGood is coming from. One very big problem is he hasn’t actually tried satellite radio before to experience the content firsthand. It’s too easy to question why others would want something if they have never tried it. His response: why should I pay for satellite radio when I can get podcasts for free?
Now let me share why this is the wrong question to ask.
You need the internet to sync podcasts
Firstly, podcasts aren’t always free. You still need an internet connection to get to them and unfortunately the internet isn’t always free and isn’t always available. Yes, there are some free WiFi hotspots, but unless you find one of those to sync up new podcasts, you’re listening to the past and not anything live. In some rural areas like Montana, you’re lucky if you get much internet coverage at all.
Live talk radio
Truckers and people who travel a lot and enjoy talk radio know how fun and interactive these shows can be. It’s a type of content that rarely happens with podcasts, but is more associated with live web radio streaming or video. Stuff like you’d find at justin.tv or ustream.tv with lifecasting. Problem there is always internet connection required and bandwidth available. We have an EVDO connection and while it works great in our surrounding area, if we travel too far, we’ll lose the connection and the feed.
The same thing happens with terrestrial radio. You are listening and getting into a talk radio show and then the signal fades as you drive away. I’ve been in situations where a talk radio show was getting good and had to crank up the volume and reduce treble to try and hear the signal as we … drove … away.
That never happens with satellite radio. Satellite works almost everywhere. No, it won’t work well when there are tall buildings or overpasses or concrete structures that block the satellite which can make some city driving frustrating, but if you’re on a long car trip through rural areas there is no better live radio fix.
Live sports
If you’re an NFL or MLB fan like me and want to hear the home broadcasts for different games, satellite is currently the only answer. Yes, you can listen to MLB games through mlb.com (I do that since I don’t have XM) but again, you’re restricted to having an internet connection. NFL games aren’t available (legally) in the United States streaming through the web. So those with XM can get live MLB games and those with Sirius can get every NFL game broadcast in both home and away broadcasts as well as some foreign language broadcasts. Podcasts? Forget about it.
And when, not if as I believe, the Sirius + XM merger goes through, subscribers will be able to get both the NFL and MLB under one subscription. This is a sweet deal that the internet doesn’t (legally) offer, and even if it did, the connectivity concerns would still be there.
Commercial free music serendipitously
There are lots of good ways to discover new music online. If you want to listen to genre music streaming live on the web there is shoutcast and icecast offering tons of stations, most of which are commercial free. However, if you don’t have the internet, you’ll have to preload onto that portable music device music. Some podcasts will deliver some outstanding indie music via podcast.
Pandora is one online music service which would be great to have with EVDO if only EVDO would work everywhere, I wouldn’t need satellite to fill this gap. Satellite offers a bunch of different commercial free radio stations. About the only area satellite music is weak where podcasting is strong in is indie music.
Bottom line: finding new music in genres you like with live DJs spinning the tunes (old school) while driving around with the least amount of hassle, satellite is strong. Terrestrial radio is too watered down with commercials.
Live news, traffic and weather
If you need live news and are connected to the web, either through your cellphone or PDA that’s great, but podcasts don’t deliver timely news very well. By the time the podcaster has recorded and uploaded and shared the podcast the news is growing stale. Some news in specific niches like tech don’t stale as fast and a podcast tech news show might work assuming you sync in the morning before going to work and sync at work for the drive going home.
As for traffic and weather, there are numerous websites and services that can help. Satellite radio for traffic is a pale replacement for a GPS like the Garmin c330 or better yet: Garmin c340. I’d much rather have a GPS with live traffic service than satellite radio. However, if you’re looking for major city traffic reports, Sirius offers the following channels entirely dedicated to traffic and weather in: NY Traffic (148), Philadelphia & Boston (149), Los Angeles (150), St Louis (151), Baltimore (152), Atlanta (153), Dallas (154), Las Vegas (155), San Francisco (156), Phoenix (157) and Orlando (158).
Exclusive live and prerecorded content
WickedGood might not care for Howard Stern, but a lot of people do. The only place to listen to Howard live (legally) is on Howard 100 on Sirius. If you miss a show live, it continues in a loop throughout the day. That’s 5+ hours of high production value content four days a week (Howard isn’t live on Fridays), save for vacations and holidays. 20+ hours of exclusive content, and that’s only Howard.
For the adults in the crowe, there is also Playboy Radio (channel 198) which offers frank discussion on that fascinating three letter word that begins with an s and ends with an x.
Podcasting provides an almost neverending source of new material, mainstream and adult, to listen to without any subscription fees. You still need to sync up the episodes which isn’t a big deal, but there is a much smaller number of high production value podcast content that exceeds 20+ hours a week per show. High production value almost goes against the grain and spirit of podcasting, since it’s often amateur based, I get that, but if you are looking for some quality high production value radio, satellite has a very compelling selection. In the podcasting space you can find it, but it requires more work on your part.
Terrestrial radio still has some great exclusive content, particularly local station DJs, but again these stations are ruined by way too many commercials and there is the FCC which means you’ll hear neutered conversations. You won’t hear that on podcasts and satellite.
Satellite subscribers don’t have to worry about what content to subscribe or unsubscribe to, that is taken care of by Sirius or XM. That could be a benefit or detriment depending on the individual. You only have to remember what channel and time. Some receivers allow programming reminders and/or even recording shows at certain times.
What have I missed?
I wish somebody would have pointed to a post like this before I subscribed to satellite radio, which would have helped me understand the differences. If you love radio it will be hard to deny the value in satellite. One of the other turning points that made me pull the satellite trigger were the people I talked to who already had it. I encourage you to talk to other satellite radio listeners. There is overwhelming amount of passion around and between satellite subscribers. They get what makes it so appealing and while I speak only for myself, I don’t mind paying for this service at all.
Podcasting is great, live streaming web radio is great and so is satellite radio all for different reasons and listening scenarios. There is going to come a time when internet is available almost everywhere like satellite is as of this writing and that will begin the end of satellite radio. A lot of people are talking like that time is already here. It’s not. Yet.
Why can’t we like them all? What have I missed about comparing satellite radio and podcasts? My ears and eyes are ready in the comments below.
Did this post make you go hmm?
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I saw your twitter on this post and I thought I had to respond. I do agree that podcasts, by their very nature, are not live, but I would suggest that TV and most Radio isn’t live anymore. Many shows are broadcast thru distribution channels. You see the Daily show at 11pm but it is recorded in the mid afternoon. You listen to many shows on NPR and they too are delayed for broadcast.
I do miss the immediacy of live radio ( I used to be the afternoon drive guy on WCOP AM 1350), but as a podcaster (http://www.dogearnation.com) I think it is better that people can carry their selections with them. Neither format should be considered a direct competitor, instead they should be considered different formats and distribution channels. Just like today you can see movies at a Theater, via Satellite, via DVD, cable, or wait for the network television premier!
Comment by Michael Rowe — December 27, 2007 @ 11:25 am PST
Thanks for the response, Michael. I agree that you can like both
I was trying (very much) not to portray this as a podcasting vs. satellite radio as well as represent why someone would want to pay for satellite.
Comment by TDavid — December 27, 2007 @ 11:28 am PST
You’re right about this and I’ve blogged about this on a number of occasions, but I don’t believe we will see the end of Satellite radio per se. Satellite radio, like streaming web radio, and like podcasters, sees themselves in the audio content business - and always has had the vision to see things this way. For them - they derive revenue not from radio sales, but from subscription fees, and neither Satellite radio company has been profitable in this manner. However - they are already setting up partnerships with cell phone carriers and cable companies to make their content available everywhere. The question is whether they will be able to survive with a subscription based model through their partners. The playing field for audio (and video, by the way) will be leveled once we have always on broadband internet ubiquitously.
That said - a merger is probably going to happen, and at that point the combined subscriber base may indeed make the company profitable, which is actually good. So we’re going to see the demise only of Satellite radio as a delivery mechanism, not as content producers. These companies attract a lot of high level talent - talent people will still want to hear from. We can talk about the Long Tail of content, but at the end of the day most of us also like to hear what’s near the head. SO the question really is - when will we see Satellite radio hardware’s demise?
Terrestrial radio, by the way, has yet to figure out they are in the audio content business, and rather is still hanging onto their old business model. THey are the ones in for a rude awakening.
–*Rob
Comment by Rob Usdin — December 27, 2007 @ 11:34 am PST
Good response, Rob. In some ways I think we are already seeing satellite radio starting to add terrestrial radio flaws. Take for instance the number and frequency of commercials on Howard Stern’s show and the Playboy Channel. Satellite could ruin their major benefit (less commercials) by too much monetization, which is kind of ironic. And then there is Google who would love to be able to put their format into satellite (wouldn’t shock me if that happens after the merger).
Comment by TDavid — December 27, 2007 @ 11:42 am PST
Fair enough. The question I asked was too broad. I didn’t mean to imply that satellite radio has no value whatsoever. But, to me, it doesn’t offer me enough to justify paying for yet another subscription service. The only time I’ve ever legitimately considered paying for satellite is for the two or three times a season I want to hear a Red Sox game and I’m not close enough to Boston to get the game on the radio. But just to address a couple of your points:
If you have an iPod, syncing up new podcasts really isn’t a big deal. You subscribe and iTunes handles the rest unless you start messing around with the settings, in which case you probably know what you’re doing anyway. You plug in your iPod to charge and the new podcasts get delivered to it. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve run out of content on my iPod, even when I first started listening. And then I’ve got a whole library of music on my iPod to listen to.
And I think you’re seeing podcasts as channels rather than as programs. We can argue the high production values point (I honestly think that a lot of podcasts are pretty close to what you’ll hear on the radio, and when you’re in a car, you really can’t tell the difference), and I’ll agree with you that most podcasts don’t come out with that much content per week, but I honestly wouldn’t want them to. I’d rather have 30-60 minutes a week from 20 or 30 different podcasts than 20 hours from one podcast. That’s one of the things that turned me off to talk radio in the first place; they generally have about 45 minutes worth of actual material that the end up having to stretch into three or four hours of show.
As far as music goes, I’d put up a music podcast against what a Sirius DJ can play any day. I’ve found a ton of great artists that I like through Accident Hash, or Jersey Todd, or All Axis Radio, and the benefit is that it’s almost always stuff I’ve never heard before. And, if I don’t like a song, I can fast forward through it. Plus, when I go to buy the music, I’m supporting independent artists who may never get heard otherwise, even on satellite.
I also know that Stern is a huge draw; it’s not for me. I just don’t enjoy that sort of program, and I know I’m in the minority to some degree in that regard. But you don’t need to convince me that’s he’s the main draw for Sirius (as Opie and Anthony are for XM, to a lesser extent); at least once a commute, my iPod’s FM transmitter gets overtaken by a Sirius receiver playing Stern. (You practically don’t need to pay for Stern in Boston; just turn your radio to 87.9 during rush hour and you’re almost guaranteed to hear him loud and clear.) But the flipside of their looping Stern throughout the day is that, with podcasts, I know I won’t miss anything, because I can listen to content when I want to listen to it, not when it’s offered to me.
I think it’s mostly an ease of use issue, though. Satellite radio works seamlessly in the car and you really don’t need to think about it, while podcasting is still, three years later, somewhat difficult for people to understand and requires software and such, even if it happens to be software that people already have (read: iTunes). I do think that will change eventually. Satellite’s always seemed to me to be more of an interim solution in the same way that HD-DVD/Blu-Ray are; they’re good right now because they’re a natural progression from existing technology, but the real next step is digital delivery, and that’s coming pretty soon. It’s not here yet, of course, so these stopgap solutions are the best option for right now.
For me, personally, though, there’s no reason for me to pay for content that, in my opinion, isn’t any better than the podcasts that I listen to. If i want live local content, I’ll turn on the terrestrial radio. I don’t really need to listen to sporting events in the car; if I need to see them badly enough, I’ll TiVo them and catch up once I get home. And if I need to listen to Stern… Well, that’s not gonna happen.
Comment by Steve — December 27, 2007 @ 12:15 pm PST
Steve - thank you for the response but you kind of sidestepped addressed my recurring concern: connectivity. That is the big deal with podcasts. If you aren’t near somewhere to “fill up” (sync) the podcasts, your device is going to only have what was loaded there the last time, just like TiVO is going to only record as long as there is a connection to a TV signal. This is a huge difference between podcasts and satellite radio particularly when it comes to live material.
I wish my EVDO would work everywhere so I could tune into live streaming from the car. Someday we’ll have that and every argument I made for the value in satellite radio above will rightfully be under fire.
As for HD-DVD/Blu-Ray comparison, I’m not quite getting the analogy. Those are nextgen formats for DVDs. Is satellite higher quality than terrestrial radio? Not if you’re near a strong signal. There is the whole HD Radio thing which is kind of bogus marketing thing in my opinion, but that’s another story. Podcasting will be as high quality as the production value and the bitrate that the files are ripped at. If it’s lossless, then we can expect a better sounding experience with a podcast than over satellite radio. It’s not possible to make a DVD higher quality than than Blu Ray without paying for the extra player and buying the special format disc.
As for you not willing to pay for content that is not any better than podcasts? How do you know if you’ve never subscribed? That’s my second point and an important one. Ok, you’ve heard Howard before, but he’s merely one of hundreds of shows (and 130+ channels). Subscribe, try it for three months and then come back and say there was no value to you. It’s like saying podcasting isn’t any good without listening to any podcasts. That’s my point. Most people I’ve spoken to who are down on satellite radio are people who have never subscribed and/or do not like live radio content.
As for treating podcasts as channels? Not sure where that’s coming from. I know there are many different types of podcasts (some are music focused like Coverville, some are genre focused like TwIT, many are personality focused like Dawn & Drew) and covered some of them when I wrote about some of the personalities of podcasting here. I don’t see podcasts as channels, I see them as shows, some of which have a regular publishing schedule and others which don’t.
However, if you’re looking for indie music, as I said in the post above, podcasters have the line on the indie music scene much better than satellite.
Sidebar: interesting historical note that Adam Curry’s podcast show on Sirius stars 103 bombed and was taken off the air. Why did that happen? IMO Curry spent too much time choosing podcasts that were from his friends rather than exploring the podcast landscape at large.
Comment by TDavid — December 27, 2007 @ 12:45 pm PST
The only time connectivity’s really been a problem for me is when traveling for longer than a couple of days, and if that’s the case, I’m usually not doing a lot of listening anyway. More often than not, being near a computer/net connection to sync up isn’t a big issue, just like a Tivo being connected to a television isn’t generally a big issue.
As far as not knowing what I’m missing, here’s the thing. I know that I’m happy with what I have and Sirius and XM haven’t done a good enough of convincing me otherwise. I know roughly what they offer and it’s not something that I’m willing to incur a monthly fee for, mainly because I know that the opportunities I’d have to listen to it are few and far between, mainly because I’ve found enough podcasts that I enjoy to fill up my commute. So asking me to subscribe to Sirius is kind of like asking someone who only turns on the TV for Jeopardy to sign up for Tivo. I might find some value in it once I’ve subscribed, but not enough to justify the initial hardware investment and the monthly subscription. If I end up buying a car in the future that comes with it built in, sure, I might give it a shot every so often, if there’s a baseball game I wanted to listen to or whatever. But, based on my current listening habits, I know I’m not going to use it enough to spend that kind of money on it.
Comment by Steve — December 27, 2007 @ 1:43 pm PST
I’m not sure I’d recommend jumping in and buying a satellite receiver right now anyway for somebody in your position, Steve. With the merger around the corner you know there are going to be some great new receivers coming out. They are promising that people will not have to buy new receivers if the merger goes through but my guess is that to get all the best new functionality the carrot will be there that one must buy new hardware. That means for those on the fence or less inclined to try satellite like yourself, it is best to wait the merger out and see what new, cool gadgets emerge.
As for cost of hardware, the merger uncertainity has created some great prices. TiVo players cost more than some satellite receivers right now. I’m seeing some models in bargain bins for less than $20. The Sirius Replay model we bought works in both home and car, although we also bought the Stiletto for more portable listening. We weren’t that impressed with the Stiletto (C-).
Comment by TDavid — December 27, 2007 @ 2:04 pm PST
Hey Steve….
www.sirius.com/freetrial
http://xmro.xmradio.com/xstream/index.jsp
Why not signup for a FREE, yes FREE trial, to both services. Both use the the online player, since your internet connectivity is so wonderful.
And as for cost.. I’ll break it down for my own situation. Yours may vary.
Satillite radio (XM)
XM subscription = 12.95 per month. I pay quarterly installments via CC.
Delphi Roady XL receiver = $28 bucks at Wal-Mart.
Podcasting
High Speed internet connection = $40-$100/month. Which because where I live, is not avalible to me. So I’m forced to use dial up.
Home computer = free-$3000+ Still another piece of equipment needed.
Ipod = $99+ Just a guess here, I’m sure you can find them cheaper.
So for my situation, satellite radio is a much cheaper option than podcasts. Then you add the time and effort finding and subscribing to podcasts, it’s alot of effort. Where I can just turn on my receiver and go. So podcasts aren’t exactly free…
Plus I do quite a bit of traveling, so I regularly use my XM radio. I couldn’t imagine listening to podcasts being on the road for 10+ hours.
I suggest you at least try out the free trials, then you can listen for yourself and make a decision.
Comment by orangecrush — December 30, 2007 @ 4:04 pm PST
Satellite radio truly offers something for everyone and unlike podcasting or other social media, it works by turning a dial. Until podcasting is as easy to access as turning on the radio, there’s not much chance that podcasting will dethrone any form of radio programming.
Comment by George Lindemann Jr — May 24, 2008 @ 11:17 pm PST