Apple postpones release of podcast subscriptions until June – update – Sound and Vision – News

Well more. At least, the shows I listen to get nice donations (also from me). But that’s all nice outside of Apple and Spotify. Under the guise of “we make it easier” we are now being lured into walled-gardens where, once used to it, we will soon be able to contribute percentages to Apple and Spotify again.

Doubly dirty: you cannot determine the “donations” that you make via Apple or Spotify. They are fixed – low – rates. The podcaster may initially be happy with this easy method of making some money, but it ends up missing out on a lot of money. These rates make it more difficult to build up a financial buffer, making it more difficult (or at least scarier) to escape the walled-garden.

Last but not least: the more podcasters that participate, the more people use the apps from Apple and Spotify and the fewer independent podcast apps remain. It’s a vicious circle through which even the people who don’t want it at all end up in these walled-gardens and are allowed to contribute to Tim and Daniel’s treasure chests.

Maybe I’m a bit pessimistic and it won’t go that fast, but I don’t see these podcast subscriptions as a healthy development.

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