Are Big Companies Poisoning Podcasting?

Are Spotify and YouTube poisoning podcasting? I keep hearing how "What used to work in the past - doesn't work anymore? Well I disagree. Making great content that resonates with your audience has been around since the early days of radio, and if it make them FEEL something, you've got something that is golden. Giant companies always put profit over people, and with the latest AI band called the Velvet Sundown which has six figure streams. Why are AI Bands better than real musicians? They don't get sick They don't complain about not getting paid They can provide more music, more frequently So if the world starts to accept AI artists, if you're Spotify, why wouldn't you introduce an AI podcaster to deliver an evergreen topic? Spotify could promote it to make it popular and then run advertising against it and not have to worry about splitting the revenue with a podcaster. Both YouTube and Spotify entice you in with free services, and then once you grow dependent on them, they can do whatever they want and you don't have a lot of control. If you say the wrong thing, you're kicked off the platform. Rosanne Barr (who is Jewish) for saying something deemed hate speech about Jewish people while she is herself Jewish. It was Sarcasm. Rosanne started her career as a comedian. Big Companies Often Put Profit Over Doing the Right Thing Purdue Pharma has been accused of mislabeling opioids that lead to lots of overdoses. Johnson and Johnson faced lawsuits about cancer and talcum power. Wells Fargo was fined millions for having employees open millions of account without the customer consent. I could go on and assemble a very long list. Just keep your eyes open, and watch as these companies that have come into podcasting with free offerings to interrupt the space, take control and bend it to suit their needs (not those of the host or the listener). Sponsor Magnet Book Review The Ultimate Book on Sponsorships/Partnerships, "Sponsor Magnet: How to Attract, Price, & Execute Your Dream Brand Partnerships" by Justin Moore. It is THE book for those looking to create partnerships with brand (not just a one time payment). The book shows you how to find out who to talk to, what to say, how to say it, and to overdeliver to they keep sponsoring the show. The audio book has bonus content that was very cool as you hear people talking about putting the strategies into practice. You can get it on Audible if you're more of a listener than reader. Takeaways: If you're hunting for sponsors, check out the book 'Sponsor Magnet' - it's a game changer. Podcasts don't need to follow trends; old-school content is still valuable and effective. Big corporations could ruin podcasting, so let's just not invite them to the party. YouTube is saying things that make no sense. A CD is not a cassette. Spotify seems to have issue always delivering all the facts about their activities. Hashtags no longer carry any clout on instagram per Brock Johnson A podcast is audio, video or pdf delivered via RSS Podcasting existed before people put in advertisements, and it will exist if advertising goes away. Advertising is ONE way to monetize. Links referenced in this episode: schoolofpodcasting.com graphtreon.com (Top Podcasters using Crowd Funding) profitfromyourpodcast.com Corporate.fm Movie on Amazon Everlong on Howard Stern Kevin O’Leary on Diary of a CEO Sponsor Magnet Book Podcast Hosting Changes Graph Build Your Tribe - Instagram SEO Oxford Road What is a Podcast? Attention and Trust Report from Sounds Profitable Monetizing a Niche Podcast with Ray Arnott SOP 977 Mentioned in this episode: 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 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 Check Out Dave's Newsletter With Behind the Scenes Content In each issue of Podcasting Observations, I share my thoughts on what is happening in the podcasting space, my latest content, and things that have caught my eye. I also may ask for your opinion. Join the free community Podcasting Observations 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?