Apple Video: Smart Move or Time Sink?

A Dialogue with Justin Jackson and Alban Brooke Just in Jackson from Transistor.fm is so enthusiastic about Apple's new way to add video to their platform (called HLS). I have felt "Meh" about it since it was announced (I'm worried about using API's instead of using the RSS feed). So I wanted to see if I was missing something that might lead me to feel more like Justin. Later that same week Alban Brook from Buzzsprout reached out and so I combined the interviews to show multiple points of view about Apple's HLS implementation not that more hosts are being approved to connect to Apple via their API. Justin's View is Based On Younger People While I have no children Justin has a few and he explained how watching them he sees them move from watching video to switching to audio. So the HLS video in Apple supports this (and it's already available on YouTube music, and Spotify. This explains why Justin would have a viewpoint different than mine. Dialogues are amazing, and you just might learn something. Try one today. They are free! Alban's View on The "Give People What They Want" focus of Apple Podcasts When you go to YouTube, they drown you in options as they try to get you to click on anything. With Apple's new video options, when you log into Apple, you primarily see the shows that you've told Apple you want to see. Consequently, it may be a better experience. Kevin Finn on the Buzzcast show compared YouTube and the horrible experience to going to the movies, where everything is overpriced and the floor is sticky. The experience isn't as good. Don't Take on Too Much If you're a video creator already, adding your show to YouTube seems like a no brainer, and Alaban and Just both mentioned that when people signed up to be beta testers, many of the people chomping at the bit were already video creators. Justin mentions that much like coloring, you start with three colors and learn how to keep people engaged. Then start adding more colors. With podcasting it may make more sense to start with audio, and then add video. We are in a Wait and See Period We don't actually know if this is going to take off. While we don't expect Apple to topple YouTube, we are interested to see just how many people jump on board. Both companies mentioned the benefits of being an early adopter. Pricing for HLS Hosting Transistor offers HLS video on any package of of $49 and higher. Buzzsprout offers 6 hours a month for $30 ($25 if you purchase yearly). Captivate is $19/month with an additional $12 for video. Keep in mind Transistor and Captivate operate on a "As many shows and episodes as you want (but you bill goes up depending on downloads/traffic). Buzzsprout's model is a "per show" fee, but you can have as many downloads as you want. For more information on other hosts as they are added see this article on Podnews. The Bridge Podcast on YouTube Justin shared the story of The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge a former Candaian broadcaster who has now moved to YouTube who is having great success without amazing Thumbnails and fancy studios. Acquired Charges Millions for Sponsorship There are always shows that break the mold, and Acquired is one of them. They do limited shows that engage a certain audience (CEOs), and consequently are charging millions for sponsor a season (and are already sold out). They describe their show as, "We (Ben and David) personally invest 100+ hours each to research and produce a ~4 hour "conversational audiobook,” telling a company's complete history and strategy. Spotify's Video Options are Blurry I am always cautious about Spotify. We all know they are not fans of RSS, and they like to make features that only work in Spotify. In a recent article at Podnews, Jame Cridlan explains how uploading a video from your media host into Spotify may lock you into using the media host (where an RSS enables you to redirect the feed). There is talk that Spotify may manually be able to switch your show back to RSS (with consequences). My point is we currently don't know so if you plan on posting video to Spotify, you might setup a free hosting account and uplaod the video there. ( I do that for my "Ask the Podcast Coach" show). Mentioned In the Show School of Podcasting Podcasting in Six Weeks Transistor Media Hosting Buzzsprout Media Hosting Captivate Media Hosting The Video Podcast Show Podcast Marketing Trends Explained The Panel Podcast Buzzcast Podcast Research Links Video podcast host pricing - comparisons from Podnews Beware Spotify's video lock-in from Podnews Mentioned in this episode: Question of the Month: The Smallest Amount of Downloads We all want a bigger audience. We all put a lot of work into our shows. With this in mind, what is the smallest amount of downloads you would do the show for? If it drops below a number would you stop, or put effort into finding out why? Does the size of your audience matter? Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/question by August 28th (and don't forget to say a little bit about your show and your website address so I can link to it in the notes) School of Podcasting You Have A Message That Needs to Be Heard You have a message that needs to be shared. Discover the art of podcasting at the School of Podcasting. We teach you to shine a light on your stories, inspiring others one episode at a time. Let your voice be your legacy. Go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join School of Podcasting Podpage is Now Included with Blubrry Hosting Blubrry Podcasting — one of the longest-running podcast hosting platforms in the industry — has chosen Podpage to replace their built-in website tool entirely. That means every Blubrry hosting customer gets a professional, automatically updated podcast website powered by Podpage, included with their hosting plan. For Podpage, this is more than a partnership announcement. It’s validation that podcast websites deserve dedicated website tools built specifically for podcasters. Podpage Live Appearances I loved connecting with my audience. Here are the next events I will be at: November 11: Podindy.com (use the coupon code SOP) February 23-26, 2027: National Religious Broadcasters nrb.org I'd love to speak at your event. Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/contact Where Will I Be?