Interesting article in Wired about podfading - even more interesting response here.
Those will remember Scott Fletcher of Podshow coming up with the word 'Podfade' when he stopped doing his previous podcasts, including the great-but-too-short MT Conversations. Interestingly PodCheck until this week seemed to have also podfaded - thing is, like Ross's comment from the latest show is podcasting is very time-consuming - some people have stopped, some like Ross from Mashup Podcast or Scott from Podcheck seem to be doing them when they can.
I'll say one thing from my experience, doing this since November 2004 - I've nearly shut down Radio Clash several times; at show 25, then show 50, at the 1st year or then at Xmas - podcasting is a lonely business; this is why to podcast listeners I'd say this: if a show stops, or you like a show, give them some love, email them, It can seem sometime like you are talking to a brick wall (quite literally) and knowing someone is out there makes the world of difference. But it is VERY time consuming and I think sometimes the audience don't appreciate that unless they do it themeselves (which is partly why I encourage people to podcast themselves, even if they do podfade it gives you an insight and also 'takes the power back' from the existing media broadcasters) so I totally understand and respect those who decide to call it quits.
At the time (nearly a year ago) I talked the in reponse as my experience about my experience as a listener - PodFatigue, you can get fatigued or overwhelmed listening to many long or many short shows...what I don't understand about the response piece on 43 Folders is that the consensus seems to be to shorten your show.
Wrong.
As a podcaster with a fairly long-ish show (but not the longest) I'd say change your frequency first - I think part of the podfading problem is that people are trying to replicate existing old media scheduling, not they are creating shows that are too long - what's too long for one audience is too short for another; and I think in this Faster and Faster generation it's easy to go for the shorter soundbite over the long; the fast food over the slow meal - this has infected radio and TV and everything is headlines, 30 second sniplets.
Why? Do a show every month if you want to, or ever day, you and your audience will judge the right length...just keep in mind something I do agree with from the 43 folder article:
Raise your bar for quality and way lower your bar for frequency, and I promise you the whole thing will be much more fun for everyone.
The quality seems to drop for shows going for a daily kick, and I don't see why they need to be daily unless you are a news show...all that happens is that they rack up in my Podcast directory and eventually I delete them. I'd prefer it if more shows went weekly or less daily as I can't simply keep up. And going away and coming back? That's fine too. Don't stress about it, people will be still here.
It's these old media expectations that kill podcasts and make it 'not fun', so ignore the pleas for 'more shows' and do it when it's fun for you. I said this a year ago and I'm saying it now. I'd prefer to have a few quality shows irregularly coming through cf. Podcheck. KASS, Mashup Podcast rather than no shows from those people, or have that 'quality bar' drop.
I'll still be here.
