Should Indie Podcasters Window Their Content?

Many podcasters follow the same playbook: Build a big audience, then give early, special, and private access to a select group who pay for the privilege. But what would happen if you flipped the script?

Podcast apps and big podcast networks often rely on "windowing" to give select users—paying users—exclusive access to a podcast for a week. Sometimes a month. 

Indie podcasters do something similar, but we call it "early release" and keep it exclusive for a few hours or days, using specialty services to handle the mechanics for us. 

After the windowed or early release period is up, the episode is released to the main audience. At least that's how we think about the larger release. And I wonder if we have that backward? I wonder if we're missing an opportunity to shift our thinking?

What if, instead of viewing the release as early, what if that release was the main release?

What if we created content for the benefit of the exclusive group who listen first, and treated the wider distribution as... well, reruns, I guess?

What if we cared more about the select group of people who get our windowed content? What if we only cared about those people?

if you're making a good living running podcast ads on your show, then this strange strategy may not be your best play. You don't want to jeopardize your bread and butter, so be cautious before you do something that could reduce the ad-supported downloads you're already successfully selling. 

But for shows unlikely to ever get fat stacks of cash by getting two pennies per listener... then this might be an interesting approach. Actually, a totally different approach. 

As the podcast ranks continue to swell with new shows from top-notch content producers, this could become a strategy—perhaps a survival strategy—that more and more everyday podcasters like you and me embrace.

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Links

Looking for a remote recording solution that handles both audio and video? you need Riverside.fm!SmartLessBBC Sounds windows some shows for a month!Get early access to these episodes on Apple Podcasts or Buy Me A CoffeeOver 100K active podcasters trust Buzzsprout Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!
Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing...

Many podcasters follow the same playbook: Build a big audience, then give early, special, and private access to a select group who pay for the privilege. But what would happen if you flipped the script?

Podcast apps and big podcast networks often rely on "windowing" to give select users—paying users—exclusive access to a podcast for a week. Sometimes a month. 

Indie podcasters do something similar, but we call it "early release" and keep it exclusive for a few hours or days, using specialty services to handle the mechanics for us. 

After the windowed or early release period is up, the episode is released to the main audience. At least that's how we think about the larger release. And I wonder if we have that backward? I wonder if we're missing an opportunity to shift our thinking?

What if, instead of viewing the release as early, what if that release was the main release?

What if we created content for the benefit of the exclusive group who listen first, and treated the wider distribution as... well, reruns, I guess?

What if we cared more about the select group of people who get our windowed content? What if we only cared about those people?

if you're making a good living running podcast ads on your show, then this strange strategy may not be your best play. You don't want to jeopardize your bread and butter, so be cautious before you do something that could reduce the ad-supported downloads you're already successfully selling. 

But for shows unlikely to ever get fat stacks of cash by getting two pennies per listener... then this might be an interesting approach. Actually, a totally different approach. 

As the podcast ranks continue to swell with new shows from top-notch content producers, this could become a strategy—perhaps a survival strategy—that more and more everyday podcasters like you and me embrace.

-----

Links

Looking for a remote recording solution that handles both audio and video? you need Riverside.fm!SmartLessBBC Sounds windows some shows for a month!Get early access to these episodes on Apple Podcasts or Buy Me A CoffeeOver 100K active podcasters trust Buzzsprout Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!
Got a podcasting service? Become a sponsor of Podcast Pontifications.Serious about podcasting? Join the Advancing Podcasting Community today!

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Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media. New episodes are released weekly, providing ideas and questions every serious podcaster should be thinking about.

It's created and hosted by Evo Terra. Follow him on Twitter for more podcasting insights as they come. Allie Press assists with the production and transcription of the show.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th.

Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions.

Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few.

You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com.

If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources:

1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion.
2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions.
3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics.
4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet.
5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more.

We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy
Podsights - https://podsights.com/privacy