David Emery OnlineFree is much better
28 March 2006
Check out that chart over on the right. That’s iTunes’s UK album chart for the last week. Notice anything odd? Anything in particular dominating the chart?
Yes, that’s right – pretty much the first paid podcast, The Ricky Gervais’ Show, is currently occupying half of the iTunes top 10.
We’re doomed
We had one chance: If the Ricky Gervais Show – which in its first season was massively popular, and also free – had tanked when it transitioned to a paid for model, that would pretty much be the end of it; podcasts would be free forever (probably using a advertising based model, like radio).
We’ve blown that chance.
Now everyone and their dog will jump on the paid-podcast bandwagon – we’ll no doubt get some stellar content out of it, and quite probably we’ll get things we’re wouldn’t have done using an advertising based model…
... but free is much better.