How much? Subscription style set-up?

[MarkP]

Simple question - and perhaps one addressed in the overstuffed "Art Bell" thread...


How much are you willing to pay monthly to subscribe to the "coming in July" Podcast?


I assume it will be subscription-based, aside from the live stream.   I for one cannot listen during the hours of the new show, and absolutely loved Dark Matter on SiriusXM, due to the on-demand download option. 


I hope I'll be able to subscribe and download through a third-party app, if need be.  Ideally, perhaps, the show would be free, and remain free to download for a week or two, and then if you wish to access it in archives, it'll be a subscription cost.


Lots of Podcaster's have followed that format, and it would make sense for Art to follow.   Make the new episodes free, reach a new and wide audience, but if you want to access every past episode, beyond an initial 2-week download window (and perhaps bonus content), you'll need to subscribe.


So again, how much would you be willing to pay for it?

[NowhereInTime]

Simple question - and perhaps one addressed in the overstuffed "Art Bell" thread...


How much are you willing to pay monthly to subscribe to the "coming in July" Podcast?


I assume it will be subscription-based, aside from the live stream.   I for one cannot listen during the hours of the new show, and absolutely loved Dark Matter on SiriusXM, due to the on-demand download option. 


I hope I'll be able to subscribe and download through a third-party app, if need be.  Ideally, perhaps, the show would be free, and remain free to download for a week or two, and then if you wish to access it in archives, it'll be a subscription cost.


Lots of Podcaster's have followed that format, and it would make sense for Art to follow.   Make the new episodes free, reach a new and wide audience, but if you want to access every past episode, beyond an initial 2-week download window (and perhaps bonus content), you'll need to subscribe.


So again, how much would you be willing to pay for it?

Same as the Coast Insider.  Maybe a bit more.

[MV/Liberace!]

i think $5-$10 per month would be fine.  i know the shows will be available everywhere in pirated form, but i'd pay just to support the show.

[cweb]

I would be fine with a system similar to Coast Insider, as well. I could pay up to $10 a month to help support the show. I know Art has said that such a charge would be largely to cover expenses.

[ItsOver]

i think $5-$10 per month would be fine.  i know the shows will be available everywhere in pirated form, but i'd pay just to support the show.

I plan to pay, too.  I can't imagine it's going to be any more than what the typical rabid, vaguely loveable Art Bell fan would be glad to pay.  Hell, I'd put up a telegraph line, if Art decided he was only going to do the show by Morse code over the wire.

[malliard]

o boy this pains me to say this, you could pay to support dark matter radio network already.
of course keith and or art could have mentioned this and started ramping up to help off set the costs of the equipment and streaming upgrades but for some reason it hasnt been mentioned.

https://www.patreon.com/darkmatterradio

[MarkP]

A question I think I touched on, but need to mention again... Do you think it would be wise to allow for new episodes to be allowed to be released and downloaded for free for a small time, aside from just the free streaming?


I ask this because of the fact that while Coast offers Coast Insider, it is largely piggy backed off of a huge catalogue, long standing audience, and reach of the terrestrial broadcasts, and the SiriusXM broadcasts.   Meanwhile, even offering a nightly streaming show, Art would gather lots of new fans and attention by allowing it to exist as a podcast, for free, for a limited window, following each broadcast.   Build up an audience that way.  New fans discover the free nightly show and free podcast, then subscribe for the back catalogue of shows  (ie; such as Marc Marron's WTF podcast, and many others).


Just bringing it up as a point of discussion.

[malliard]

personally, i think he needs to get the podcast(and youtube) out and shared. Hope they go semi viral to gain listeners. I would even connect with as many internet stations as i can to ask them to re air the old shows to help share the load. while this will cause you to lose count of the real listener number, i dont think that is the point at this time.


Yes a paid vault would be an option but i wouldn't personally pay for them

[MarkP]

personally, i think he needs to get the podcast(and youtube) out and shared. Hope they go semi viral to gain listeners. I would even connect with as many internet stations as i can to ask them to re air the old shows to help share the load. while this will cause you to lose count of the real listener number, i dont think that is the point at this time.


Yes a paid vault would be an option but i wouldn't personally pay for them

Fair enough.  I agree with you on him getting it out there and shared. 


If Art thought his reach was limited with SiriusXM - well launching soley with a free web-based stream, once a day, and a pay-wall to download and listen other times, is going to limit his listenership a great deal.


Personally, I think free stream and podcast with sponsors (for limited window post airing), and paid back catalogue with bonus content, is probably the smart way to go.    Build a new fanbase, increase your visibility, and hook people for free, and turn them into paying fans, ideally.

[dan7800]

With piracy the way it is today, creating a subscript model for Art is largely useless. I have no problem listening to some ads every hour.


Plus if things like Youtube are used properly, they can generate revenue.

[MarkP]

With piracy the way it is today, creating a subscript model for Art is largely useless. I have no problem listening to some ads every hour.


Plus if things like Youtube are used properly, they can generate revenue.

Agreed on the ads thing.  Nearly every podcast I listen to has some sort of sponsor, and a small add to start the show, or two reads every three hours, would be something easy to deal with.


A company like Podcast One (podcastone.com) should be reaching out to Art, and see if they could work something out.

[Wintermute]

Bottom Line:
For $5/mo you can get a hell of a lot of radio content, not just one show. SiriusXM's offer in the mail this week was $5/mo for 6 months. I get HBO for $5/mo. I get Amazon Prime for just over $8/mo. So compare the value there with ONE podcast @ $5/mo. There is no value.


So what would I spend? In a previous post I did write that I may be inclined to pay a monthly fee. Then I thought about the above, and that Art hasn't broadcasted a full year for a decade now, and changed my mind. The absolute max: $15/1yr.

The simple fact is that his live shows will get recorded and will get distributed online, pay or free. So what is the motivation for anyone to pay? The only one I can think of would be if you must listen real-time and want to call in. Otherwise, ??

[WOTR]

If Art thought his reach was limited with SiriusXM - well launching soley with a free web-based stream, once a day, and a pay-wall to download and listen other times, is going to limit his listenership a great deal.

I cannot speak for Art... but I do not think that this is about overall listener numbers for him this time around.  If he is not selling much for advertising there is no real advantage to him having 100 000 people download the show the week after it is broadcast.  The only thing that will make a huge difference to the quality of the show will be to attract listeners in "real time" and have them a part of the show (call in or fast blast.)


I will be interested to see what model is used... But I have my doubts that he wants to pay for people to download content for weeks after a show ends.  Perhaps to attract new people and give them a taste for free- but he will be doing exactly that 5 times a week anyhow.

[Gd5150]

I'd do up to $7mo but that would cut into the $39.95mo I spend to be a Bellgab insider.

[Catsmile]

For what it's worth, some people have turned into full time GooTubers. They had "real" jobs, started a YouTube channel that took off. Bam! Quit their day job and became full time YouTubers. Maybe Art has content that would appeal to the YouTube masses? With enough views it could offset the cost of streaming and such. Maybe even turn a profit; who knows? He could also stream LIVE over YouTube. Which could be saved, for viewing at a later date. Art did it way back when 56K modems roamed the Earth. Why not today? Without trying, who knows what could happen?

Also, for what it's worth... Maybe Art should do the high bitrate stream FREE, for a little while. Ensuring all the bugs are worked out of the whole system. Both on his end, and the streaming servers end. Letting both low and high bitrate streams get hammered really hard, before people pay for a "buggy product." As I recall that was one of the big reasons Art parted ways from his last gig... anywho.

Some things which have already been brought up.... Art wasn't wild about streaming problems on SXM. Hopefully his streaming endeavors are more successful. Having said that, some here can attest to the problems arising during a live web stream. Every problem just short of the PCs blowing the studio apart. Plus problems can occur that are out of the broadcasters control. Even though said broadcaster is paying good money for the service. Not to mention the possible smaller number of listeners, and caller pool.

The double edged sword of the web is fragmentation. Fragmentation which makes the web so robust, can be the Achilles heel of live webcast when data packets have to be delivered in a specific order real time. Rendering a person of said live stream unable to control every piece of the puzzle. Compounding the complexity of streaming is the fact most people are not savvy enough to know if a problem exist on their end. They almost always by default blame the streamer. On the other hand, radio unlike web streaming has control of the process chain including backups, excluding the weather and your tuner.

Let's all hope Art doesn't get discouraged by such potential pitfalls, and overcomes them with much success. 

EDIT: God help Art if Keith has any part of customer service for the pay side.
Keith may be a good code monkey, but a people person he is NOT.

Code Monkey

[MV/Liberace!]

With piracy the way it is today, creating a subscript model for Art is largely useless. I have no problem listening to some ads every hour.

Maybe he could just play a couple ads and do a live read at the top of the hour and ask people to donate.

[DanTSX]

Look at other subscription based shows like Phil Hendrie, and go from there.


I'd be happy to pay a little more if it means that Art can pay producers to take the load off of him if he needs it in the day to day production.


$7-$12 would be ideal.    Keep it under what I pay for Netflix as the price indicator for streaming media.

[MV/Liberace!]

For what it's worth, some people have turned into full time GooTubers. They had "real" jobs, started a YouTube channel that took off. Bam! Quit their day job and became full time YouTubers. Maybe Art has content that would appeal to the YouTube masses? With enough views it could offset the cost of streaming and such. Maybe even turn a profit; who knows? He could also stream LIVE over YouTube. Which could be saved, for viewing at a later date. Art did it way back when 56K modems roamed the Earth. Why not today? Without trying, who knows what could happen?

Also, for what it's worth... Maybe Art should do the high bitrate stream FREE, for a little while. Ensuring all the bugs are worked out of the whole system. Both on his end, and the streaming servers end. Letting both low and high bitrate streams get hammered really hard, before people pay for a "buggy product." As I recall that was one of the big reasons Art parted ways from his last gig... anywho.

Some things which have already been brought up.... Art wasn't wild about streaming problems on SXM. Hopefully his streaming endeavors are more successful. Having said that, some here can attest to the problems arising during a live web stream. Every problem just short of the PCs blowing the studio apart. Plus problems can occur that are out of the broadcasters control. Even though said broadcaster is paying good money for the service. Not to mention the possible smaller number of listeners, and caller pool.

The double edged sword of the web is fragmentation. Fragmentation which makes the web so robust, can be the Achilles heel of live webcast when data packets have to be delivered in a specific order real time. Rendering a person of said live stream unable to control every piece of the puzzle. Compounding the complexity of streaming is the fact most people are not savvy enough to know if a problem exist on their end. They almost always by default blame the streamer. On the other hand, radio unlike web streaming has control of the process chain including backups, excluding the weather and your tuner.

Let's all hope Art doesn't get discouraged by such potential pitfalls, and overcomes them with much success. 

EDIT: God help Art if Keith has any part of customer service for the pay side.
Keith may be a good code monkey, but a people person he is NOT.

Code Monkey

Everything That Guy Just Said is Bullshit

[Catsmile]

Everything That Guy Just Said is Bullshit

RULE # 11: All your carefully picked arguments can easily be ignored

[Heather Wade]

For what it's worth, some people have turned into full time GooTubers. They had "real" jobs, started a YouTube channel that took off. Bam! Quit their day job and became full time YouTubers. Maybe Art has content that would appeal to the YouTube masses? With enough views it could offset the cost of streaming and such. Maybe even turn a profit; who knows? He could also stream LIVE over YouTube. Which could be saved, for viewing at a later date. Art did it way back when 56K modems roamed the Earth. Why not today? Without trying, who knows what could happen?

Also, for what it's worth... Maybe Art should do the high bitrate stream FREE, for a little while. Ensuring all the bugs are worked out of the whole system. Both on his end, and the streaming servers end. Letting both low and high bitrate streams get hammered really hard, before people pay for a "buggy product." As I recall that was one of the big reasons Art parted ways from his last gig... anywho.

Some things which have already been brought up.... Art wasn't wild about streaming problems on SXM. Hopefully his streaming endeavors are more successful. Having said that, some here can attest to the problems arising during a live web stream. Every problem just short of the PCs blowing the studio apart. Plus problems can occur that are out of the broadcasters control. Even though said broadcaster is paying good money for the service. Not to mention the possible smaller number of listeners, and caller pool.

The double edged sword of the web is fragmentation. Fragmentation which makes the web so robust, can be the Achilles heel of live webcast when data packets have to be delivered in a specific order real time. Rendering a person of said live stream unable to control every piece of the puzzle. Compounding the complexity of streaming is the fact most people are not savvy enough to know if a problem exist on their end. They almost always by default blame the streamer. On the other hand, radio unlike web streaming has control of the process chain including backups, excluding the weather and your tuner.

Let's all hope Art doesn't get discouraged by such potential pitfalls, and overcomes them with much success. 

EDIT: God help Art if Keith has any part of customer service for the pay side.
Keith may be a good code monkey, but a people person he is NOT.

Code Monkey

Art is good at tinkering with electronics, and used to fix things during commercials if he had to.  What's that you say?  He used to work on older electronics & he's out of date? 
How dare you, sir.   

[TurningDownMyRadio]

I wouldn't mind paying around 10 bucks. I think that is fair. Especially since at first, there will not be much of a back catalog.

[Catsmile]

Art is good at tinkering with electronics, and used to fix things during commercials if he had to.  What's that you say?  He used to work on older electronics & he's out of date? 
How dare you, sir.   

Art is quite adept at trouble shooting, fixing what he knows.
Hes held jobs doing tech work in radio, and I think cable too.
Computers seem to flummox him somewhat. Simply because hes never took the time to really learn how it all works together. As you well know, computers can be nerve-wracking. Even if you know how to build one with your eyes closed.

Art gets perturbed with the quality of cell phone calls, and SXM streaming issues. Arts perfectionist attitude towards his shows, may have helped cause Dark Matters early demise. Lets hope Art has more resilience, and can better endure any technical issues HIS own show/stream might face come July. 

[Gd5150]

Would love to meet a real life "gootuber" and see their paystubs. It just seems like it's one of those myths that in reality for ever 10000000 google makes, the "gootuber" makes a penny. There'd  always be just one more hurdle to jump and then you'll really start making the dough.

Congrats the 100k in medical bills from that video you made for youtube has generated 10,000,000 views. Here's your check for a dollar. 

[Echo]

I don't see a subscription model working. I think Art will need to keep it free to attract listeners. Without that, i see him having the same problem he had while on SiriusXM. Only a handful of callers (dude from UK or might of been Australia calling in 2-3 times per week) and poor ratings.

[Catsmile]

Would love to meet a real life "gootuber" and see their paystubs. It just seems like it's one of those myths that in reality for ever 10000000 google makes, the "gootuber" makes a penny. There'd  always be just one more hurdle to jump and then you'll really start making the dough.

Congrats the 100k in medical bills from that video you made for youtube has generated 10,000,000 views. Here's your check for a dollar. 

Check out Chika's English Lessons. https://www.youtube.com/user/cyoshida1231/featured
Shes a full time YouTuber, in less than 3 years and 256 videos later. Youtube isn't quite as popular in Japan, as it is America. Yet she found her niche.

Also see Michelle Phan. https://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan/featured
She started out as RiceBunny on YouTube, doing makeup tutorials. Leveraging her YouTube fame, she crossed-over into mainstream media. Including a few endorsement deals. See the Dr. Pepper TV ad below. 1,071,155,975 views on the Michelle Phan channel alone, and still going strong. Haven't seen her paystubs. Somehow, I think she might be making better money now, than when she was slinging hash down at the local choke 'n' puke.

One of a Kind
They did it without doing crazy jackass stunts, or shaking their tits at the camera. They simply did what they liked, doing it better than most. I could go on... but why? Do your own research, instead of creating your own narrative... again. 

[MV/Liberace!]

...(dude from UK or might of been Australia calling in 2-3 times per week)...

Ouch.

[nooryisawesome]

Art said it would be free live. If you can't listen live support the show and get a subscription.

I'd pay $20 a month easy, probably more.

I suspect it be be a few bucks like 5 to 10

[Chocolate coated jackboot]

Check out Chika's English Lessons.
snip
Also see Michelle Phan.

now Art just has to turn into a 20yr old asian girl and he'll be all set. maybe he can call himself lonelyart15

[ksm32]

Art was not talking about charging.. was he?

Unless I can DL the broadcasts (shows) I will not pay more than $1200. a month. If I can't download the shows from the Dark Matter site I won't pay over $400. per month. I Will NOT!

I'm a reasonable fellow but don't test me Art.

[Morgus]

Art posted $5/month for access to downloadable podcasts and higher quality audio stream.
Might be a charge for using the fast-blast feature too.