I Don't Know If I Like Ricky Anymore
I like the Ricky Gervais Podcast. I think it's hilarious. Steve Merchant is an admirable co-host, and Karl Pilkington has now become an internet phenomenon all of his own creation. So when I got an email yesterday saying that 'the first in a new run of at least 4 shows is available right now!', I was happy. I looked forward to more Monkey News, more entries from 'Karl's Diary', and lots more observations and comedy musings from the point of view of the ineffable Ricky Gervais.
But then I clicked through from the mail I recieved from rickygervais.com to Audible.com, I got a horrible surprise. For 4 episodes of the Podcast, which up until now has been completely gratis, they wanted nearly seven flipping euros, or nearly two euros each. Now, if it was something I thought I'd listen to over and over, I probably wouldn't have a problem with that. But The RGS is not like that. I listened to all 12 episodes from Guardian Unlimited (for free), and thought them funny, but funny in a 'yeah-that-was-funny-but-not-a-second-time' kinda way. Three dudes sitting around a microphone and prattling on, occasionally interrupted by hyena-like laughter, while very funny the first time, isn't something you can listen to over again and again. Well I can't anyway.
So, when I got home, I had another look. This time I clicked through the iTunes Music Store link, and discovered that on iTunes, the podcast is free. Is this not weird? So people who use iTunes (those clever bunnies) get it for free, but everyone else who use Creative Zens and Sony Network Walkmans (Walkmen?) and the like have to pay a couple o' bob per episode for a half hour or so of jollity? Hmmm. I'm not sure of the reasoning of this, or if what appears to be is not in fact what it actually is, but for me the one thing that this generates is a lot of confusion. Is it some sort of play by Mr Jobs & Co, on the day his 'New Big Thing(s)'? Is it a mistake by Audible or Ricky Gervais that has now been rectified? I don't know. From what I've found out, if you have iTunes+iPod, it's free, if not, that'll be seven bob to you sir/madam. Either way, paying for something that should really be free seems like a big load of shite to me.
(so I subscribed to the podcast on iTunes, coz y'know, it's free...)
UPDATE: It seems that currently you can only download episode 12 from iTunes Music Store, and from what I've seen in the news it seems that iTunes doesn't currently support paying for podcasts, which up to now have been free, so for now it seems you have to pay to get the content. Hmmm. Might cancel that subscription after all. Isn't the whole nature of podcasts that they are free? $7 isn't a lot to pay, but it's a lot more than nothing.
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Comments
Very interesting that it's free on IMS. I'm quite surprised actually.
My issue with charging for a podcast or TV ep, is the price. I would probably pay a couple of pence for the podcast, and maybe a little more for a tv show. However if a single is 79p, and I listen to it say 50 times, that's less than 2p a listen. However a podcast I would only listen to about once. So the value for money is just not their. Not until they work out a decent micropayments system.
Posted by: Adrian | March 1, 2006 11:22 AM
Well, as the update says, it's not actually free on IMS at all, and I totally agree with you about the price. In the last two 'casts on Guardian Unlimited, there were ads for Channel 4 and stuff, so they're obviously making money from them, and if they wanted to just cover their hosting costs, a few pence per download would be fine, but not $1.95 for about 15MB. I agree with what you say about singles vs. podcasts too. 2p a listen is fine, but if it was £1 a listen, you wouldn't listen to as much music I think.
Posted by: Matt | March 1, 2006 11:37 AM
I'll just BitT it...
Posted by: Adrian | March 1, 2006 11:55 AM
Yeah, have a look at Gordon's site for some info on ?Torrent, which he says is better than Azeurus. If it comes onto iTunes for free though, wouldn't that be so much easier? Seriously, I don't know if I like Ricky anymore!
Posted by: Matt | March 1, 2006 12:04 PM
I'm quite happy with Azeurus, and since I torrent on my Mac uTorrent wont work.
If it came on IMS for free then that would be easier. If he charges for it, I'll BT it.
I wonder how much of this is Ricky and how much is agents and what not. And it'll be interesting too see how many people pay. The more people pay, the more it shows it's a viable business model and the more they will carrying on charging for it.
Posted by: Adrian | March 1, 2006 1:09 PM
Well, Ricky and Steve did go on a bit a couple of times about how free the podcast was, and how they were making nothing from it, etc, etc, so I dunno if it's the agents or not. apparently it's the number one subscribed podcast on iTunes as of today, but when I loaded iTunes yesterday and subscribed to the podcast, it said it was free, ie they didn't say subsequent episodes wouldn't be free. So maybe a LOT of people will download before realising it's not as free as they thought..?
Posted by: Matt | March 1, 2006 2:09 PM
As I understand it, the Guardian Unlimited podcast was free which was 12 episodes. The new podcast is not free.
Posted by: Adrian | March 1, 2006 2:24 PM
It's 0.95p an ep on iTunes, so you are definitely paying on iTunes.
Among other things, the money will go toward a salary for Mr. Pilkington, who has been out of work for several months and professes shock at the sensation he's caused.
Posted by: Adrian | March 2, 2006 7:16 AM
Well just to clarify it's NOT free on iTunes (the new podcast), and in fact it's being sold as an audio book (for £1, as far as I can tell), not a podcast. Which is actually not that bad. I'll pay £1 to support old Karl. I think their readership (?) will drop off dramatically now but I say kudos to the young fellas.
Does anyone know any good MUSICAL podcasts? Because I could do with one.
Posted by: Destructor | March 2, 2006 11:48 AM
Well, I've recently been getting into a really good musical podcast by the name of the Destruct/Hour, and... oh right, you've heard of that one.
If the money from the RGP goes to the previously enemployed Karl, then that's alright I s'pose. I've heard he is genuinely shocked at how famous he's become as a result of some little thing called 'the internet'.
Posted by: Matt | March 2, 2006 12:03 PM
Yes basically I want something like the destruct\hour but done by somebody else so it's suprising. Matt?
Posted by: Destructor | March 2, 2006 3:32 PM
No, not me. I'm far better suited to some sort of video/mime/comedy kind of podcast I think. I'm not so hot with the excellent music. But I could give it a go I s'pose...
What do you mean 'so it's surprising'?
Posted by: Matt | March 2, 2006 3:44 PM
Maybe you should ask ON YOUR SITE, if anyone knows of one.
Posted by: Adrian | March 2, 2006 10:06 PM