Just got some interesting news. Apparently Audible Wordcast account holders were informed today that Audible will shut down the service as of September 1, 2007. I must admit, this comes as no surprise to me. In fact, at a presentation just last week we discussed the general failure of “gateway” or “paid” podcast alternatives. Let’s face it, it is tough to sell your product when 99.9% of the market is providing their content for free.
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Duh
This is what I told their reps and their CEO at the first Podcast Expo when they introduced it. I told them everyone else is offering it for free. Your not going to make it when the majority is doing another thing.
I’d have to disagree a little. I think their failure is based more off of the fact that they used a proprietary format and did not have a clear niche.
People are willing to pay for advice, and what better format to give that advice then a paid subscription model. Look at Motivational Speakers and Business Coaches for example.
There is a need for a good subscription based podcast model, understanding that it will never be the majority.
Take a look at http://re.verbr.com for more on the topic.