[…] being able to say, “wherever you get your podcasts” is a radical statement. Because what it represents is the triumph of exactly the kind of technology that’s supposed to be impossible: open, empowering tech that’s not owned by any one company, that can’t be controlled by any one company, and that allows people to have ownership over their work and their relationship with their audience.
What podcasting holds in the promise of its open format is the proof that an open web can still thrive and be relevant, that it can inspire new systems that are similarly open to take root and grow.
When people push listening on Spotify even though the podcast is available everywhere else I roll my eyes.
One of my main motivations for cancelling my Spotify subscription was their insistence on capitalising on podcasts. They have a perfectly fine business model with music, why do they need to ruin podcasts?
Yeah the locking down podcasts for exclusivity to me is really fucking toxic and totally counter to what podcasts used to stand for. Really pissed me off when Gimlet went Spotify only and Reply All was no longer available elsewhere. Very anti consumer.
I agree that the Spotify exclusive podcasts suck. However I am 99% sure reply all never went Spotify exclusive. The show just kinda imploded after the test kitchen series. I was listening up till the very end on normal podcast apps.
Because they don’t have a perfectly fine business model. They get squeezed hard by both the oligarchs of music publishing UMG, Sony Warner who negotiate the price for the music. And from the other side by the tech giants google and apple who can cross service subsidize their own streaming.There exists essentially no space for them to make any profit in streaming music. So they have to go other places.
The only reason they’ll probably exist for the foreseeable future is because the rights holders are able to use Spotify to have more negotiating power against Google and apple.
I thought of starting Spotify subscription but they keep recommending songs by artists that I have blocked. Fix your shit, Spotify.
I didn’t cancel because I think the rest of the service is fantastic, but I haven’t touched the podcasts. Because of the politics.
I left when they paid Joe Rogan money
Whenever I’m talking with someone about my podcast and they ask, “can I find it on Spotify?” a little part of me dies.
Like, yes it’s available on Spotify, because it’s available everywhere. But I strongly dislike what Spotify tried to do to podcasting, and there are much better apps out there.
I use spotify daily like most people these days. I’m not married to it, but it is easy to use (most of the time) and has the best selection of everything (for the most part). What app is a better use of my time for music and podcasts?
I like using AntennaPod for podcasts and Spotify for music.
If you like feature rich apps then I recommend Podcast Addict.
Is it available for iOS? The native podcast app is unbelievably confusing.
I don’t personally use iOS, but some friends of mine have given good reviews about Podcast Republic - note that it has a one-time ads free unlock to it.
Thanks!
I literally stopped listening to Rogan when he moved to Spotify even though I already had an account and used it, because their app was such garbage at the time.
It’s slightly less garbage now.
I don’t understand their podcasts. It isn’t sectioned off or organised in any kind of way.
I tried it out and still regret it, because even after unsubscribing from all of the podcasts I still get notified of new episodes all the time.
Honestly the whole app is shit. 90% of the time what I want is to just continue listening to what I was earlier. But every time I open the app it’s just myriad of shit I don’t care about and I have to dive through 7 menus to find what I want.
As a Spotify user for most of its history, I think there are some UI and UX issues to resolve, but I literally have never had the experience you describe here.
I dunno what to say. These days 2 different people can have 2 completely different experiences using the same service because they’re “tailored” to the user, and usually the users has absolutely no control over it. So maybe that’s why.
I tried to use it as a podcast platform for about a week and to this day, several years later, even after I told it I’m not interested several times, it still clogs my homepage up with this bullshit.
Add to that “picked for you” and “your top mixes” etc.etc. and the stuff I actually want to listen to is nowhere to be found.
Every modern “app” and service is this way in 2024 and it’s absolutely infuriating. They all want to cram shit down your throat instead of letting you choose what you want.
I feel ya. I’m not sure why you’re having that much trouble and I’m not. I tried a couple podcasts, hated it, and stopped seeing recommendations pretty quickly. I get what you mean about so many recommendations though, it’s kind of annoying sometimes.
Well plenty creators push product X, Y or Z. Whether that product is in itself also the hoster of the media you’re listening to… I dunno. Just another ad to me, I don’t really care about the details any more at that point. Sadly no sponsorblock for podcasts yet, AFAIK.
Hey, I get that. Honestly I do not even think they push Spotify because they’re paid to do it. The ones I’m listening to, that is. They do it because they like the service and that’s fine. It’s just sad to feel like an afterthought. The adverts I’m fine with. I can just skip them.