1.My biggest regret from the PME is not finding some time to sit down and chat with you. Believe me, I'd have loved to talk about this in person.

My point about audio isn't that it's dead. My point is that the MONEY seems to be moving towards video, and by money, I mean that people getting funded and sponsored and paid to create media are finding success in video.

When I look at my podcast subscriptions (only about 70), I note that I have about 70% audio, 30% video, and I'm PAID to pay attention to Video. Why don't I watch more video? For the very reason you point out: it requires more attention, and lots of it isn't worth full attention.

When I talk about the mainstream audio coming in and encroaching, I'm telling audio podcasters to step up their game. Why? Because if you're doing yet another tech podcast, you're competing with Leo LaPorte, and dozens of quality professional productions. If you're doing business, you're competing with John Byrne and BusinessWeek. My point there is that TEAMS of people with audio engineers at their back are your competition in audio.

In video, the competition is high, too. Hell, there's competition all over.

Know what will win? You know, but I'm asking in that larger hypothetical way. Great stuff that has a connection with the people who support it.

That's why YOU have die hard fans, Shel. Jeez. I remember last year at PME. There was this HUGE raft of people in a line waiting to bow for you. And there's a good reason: you and that weird UK guy make some GREAT audio. Great because it's real and connected.

So, that's where I'm going with it.

By the way, I'll let you in on a little secret (well, you and the 3BILLION people who read your blog). I'm writing a book (because all the cool kids are doing it), but I'm doing audio and video work around it. Know which one I'm having fun with? The audio. I'm having a blast re-learning how to podcast simply.

Audio's not dead. But boy oh boy, if you want to grow rich and put your kids through school, it might be a tough way to make a buck.

Make sense?

2.I think Rob Walch's quote is completely wrong - and I'll tell you why. A hell of a lot of audio podcasts just plain suck, and it does a lot of damage to the impression of podcasts as a whole.

Think about it this way: Average Joe hears about podcasts as a great way to get some new audio content, especially about a niche he is interested in. He takes the time to find a show or two, figures out how to subscribe and download the show, and he takes the time to listen. If the show is bad quality - by today's standards of broadcast media - he gets turned off. Moreover - he will be less likely to turn to podcasts again - because he already spent a lot of effort getting the show, and in attempting to listen to it. He may go back to podcasting again - and try mainstream media podcasts from brands he knows - but indie podcasters? Fugeddaboutit! Those clowns sound like college radio or worse.

This is not meant to disparage indie podcasters. This is a wakeup call - that the barrier to gaining listeners for indie podcasters is extraordinarily high, and average joes' tolerance is extraordinarily low. Maybe it's higher then I give it credit for, but still - I wonder what the stats of how many people try indie podcassts and stick around with them are.

See what I'm getting at? High quality media from brands we know is still going to get a lot of attention, and indie podcasters have to work hard to make theirs stand out so average joes know indie podcasters also produce high quality content, and the low quality indie folks can sit back and not ruin it for all the indie podcasters.

I know this is contrary to what people think about podcasting - that anyone can do it, it's like blogging, etc... But it's easy to click past a poor blog, it's not so easy to get over the effort placed into finding a podcast that gets dashed when it sucks bad.

--*Rob

3.Another reason to consider is what we've become as a society. We (at least anyone under the age of 60) have grown up gathering around the video output system called a TV. It has become integrated into our DNA. We are drawn to video.

When was the last time you gathered the family around the radio to listen?

I don't believe it is necessarily about content, I believe it is who we are - visual people. We become more engaged visually than we do with any auditory stimulation. Why haven't audio podcasts taken off? You can look at radio versus TV ratings and get the answer to that. We will always be drawn to video and unfortunately, that won't ever change.

4.I think there are myriad reasons, but let me take a stab at a few off the top of my head.

1. The mainstream is turned off by the use of geeky terms like podcasting and RSS. People think podcasts need to be listened to on an iPod, even though I recall reading some data at one point that suggests most people listen to them on their computers directly. Anytime you have to explain the content format to someone, you lose.

2. Podcasts aren't as easy to listen to as we would all have people believe. I have to mud wrestle with iTunes on a regular basis to get it to update my subscriptions in a timely fashion and then properly sync them to my iPod. And I know what I am doing, imagine how it is for casual users.

3. There's some good podcast content out there, but far less than most of us who are directly involved believe. It is hard to judge one's own work and that of colleagues.

4. Think about how different the content of podcasts is versus successful radio. Many podcasts tend to be rambling, somewhat self-serving commentaries (my own included from time to time). Most good radio is interactive between host and caller or host and guest. Very few survive on the backs of the host(s) alone.

5. Radio is taken in digestible chunks for durations determined by the listener. Podcasts are created in durations determined by the creator. You can't tune in for the last few minutes of a podcast easily.

6. The same things that make podcasts more flexible also make it more challenging for the casual listener.

7. People don't listen to radio when tethered to their computers or devices. They listen when in their cars or on the porch or at the beach. Only geeks like us have our devices with us 24/7.

8. Average people don't want to listen to work-related content during off hours. Employers don't want employees listening during work hours. Hence, business podcasts don't take off beyond a small niche.

There are others, but I have to run to a call right now. I'll give it some more thought and expand here or in my own blog post.

Great to get this dialogue going, though, Shel. Maybe I'll have to get you on Disruptive Dialogue to discuss this!

5.I think Rob and Chris are onto something. As someone who samples a crazy amount of podcasts, I find a lot of podcasters simply record a show without ever trying to improve on it. It's not their "day job" so why worry about quality, right? If people are interested in the subject, they'll listen no matter what, right? WRONG!

Deplorable quality (of content and production) abounds! Learn! Grow! Make your podcast better! Then we might want to listen if you have something interesting to say. We have too much societal A.D.D. to pay attention for long if your podcast sucks. I'll just go listen to Mitch Joel, The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd, CC Chapman or simply turn on my XM. THEY make my ears and brain happy.

6.I agree that some podcasts stink. (Mine included) By the same token, some videocasts stink just as much. But people still engage in them. Why?

I think we listen with our eyes. I know it sounds crazy, but think about how we absorb information. I don't think it's about quality either. It's human nature. That my story and I'm sticking to it.

7.The problem with podcasting can best be summed up by someone who reads a prenting blog I write for, and finally went over to my podcast site. Well, her current computer can't access audio reasonably. She has that older computer/dial up vs high speed thing.

I long thought the podcasting "magic" would have more to do with a successful launch of something like VISTA than anything else. Once computers are upgraded so everyone has a great processor and video card; once high speed internet and wifi abound at low cost; once dial up finally fades into the past and FiOS is the name of the game, then cracking the market on podcasting/videocasting etc. will be much easier.

Right now, our content is still invisible to people who want to hear what we have to say, but can still only access a text-driven world reliably. It's not just access as in accessible to people with disabilities, it's access as in- if your podcast takes 14 hr to download over a dial up modem- it's not happening and might as well not be there at all. SEO will help people find you, but if they still can't get all the info, well, you aren't any better off at all.

8.Hm,

probably severak reasons, some covered above.

Personally I believe Chip is on to something when stating "People don?t listen to radio when tethered to their computers" - computers big screens, it's a visual experience.

If you shall bring podcasts "on the go" you need to:
A) Have an ipod (or similiar device)
B) Sync it regulary with your PC (not only to refresh your music library twice a year...)

There's another familiar device than can fill this position, with some advantages - the mobile phone. See here for some ideas: http://thekillerattitude.com/2007/09/podcasters-please-get-into-my-mobile.html

Once you podcasters starts to feed my mobile phone I might start to listen to podcasts regulary. This is not the case today.
- I do not want to listen to podcasts on my PC
- I do not have an MP3 device (besides my phone)
- When I had a MP3 player (currently broken) i didn't use iTunes, and didn't sync it very often.

But my phone is connected and ready to play the latest podcast. As long as you are willing to notify me of the next show.

9.I am with you here, Shel, we need infrastructure, we need standards.

Green means go - red means stop. Why not make it easier? Why this usability mess in podcasting?

I acknowledge podcasting is going through the same phases as the web and homepages have - a lot of experimenting and a lot of geeky hassle and no standards. But we have learned a lot.

But with podcasts...! People who might go looking for podcasts on websites and blogs get lost, completely. How do we help them:

By confusing them with words as subscription, even though it?s for free?

By hiding the link to the feed or maybe not even giving a link?

By publishing feeds that don?t validate and therefore makes the content impossible to subscribe to?

By not adding one-click-buttons to podcatchers like iTunes?

By not letting people play the file in a Flash player?

By leading people to think that you have to have a blog to host a podcast?

By giving long and geeky explanations to what a podcast is as if this is an IQ test?

By letting people think you need an iPod to listen to podcasts?

etc.

I know supermarkets can make their profit increase by moving the stuff around, so we have to keep looking for what we need, but podcasting can not, if you ask me, become mainstream, if we don?t agree on some kind of infrastructure, standards, usability rules, just like any other media must do.

10.Yikes! I don't post much of anything for a couple weeks, then one post draws nine comments -- substantial, well-thought-out comments -- in a couple hours. And here I am at LAX about to board a flight to Kansas City that won't get in until almost midnight -- it'll be Thursday before I can absorb and respond to these. I wanted to let you all know that I WILL feed back on these thoughts when I have a moment to breathe!

One quick thought, Chris (Brogan): I have two sponsors for my audio podcast, and Neville and I didn't seek either of them out! They came to us.

As for audio podcasts that suck, there are plenty of video podcasts that suck, too. I don't watch or listen to any of them -- only ones I like. Kinda like TV shows. ;-)

Damn business travel...