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SKEPTOID BLOG:

iTunes to charge for podcasts?

by Brian Dunning

June 27, 2012

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Donate It appears that Apple may be planning to create a system to monetize podcasts as part of iOS 6. To a professional podcaster, that's very interesting.

On the one hand, I want (and have always wanted) Skeptoid to be free. However, it is not financially sustainable. I've been working at Skeptoid Media full time for about six months, but have taken too big of a blow in the wallet. If I were a single guy, reduced income would be one thing; but I'm not, I have a family of four to support; so for now I can't keep doing Skeptoid at such a huge loss. (Don't forget you can help support it.) I have to be open to options.

So, yes, I'll admit that I'm at least doing the math. Assuming Apple takes about half the revenue, that would leave 50 cents to me per download (presumably; there are no facts to go on, and I'm having to guess). I estimate 99% of listeners would stop listening. That leaves 1% -- about 1750 people -- netting me about $875 a week. That's not enough to live on, let alone to do all the other projects I do, and to cover the projects I have in the business plan for Skeptoid as a nonprofit.

Interesting, and worth keeping an eye on, but not enough to make me jump just yet.

by Brian Dunning

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