Why I'm Not Going To the Podcast Expo Next Year.....
Well actually, I will still be going to the Expo, it's just that it's no longer called the "Podcast and New Media Expo" just the "New Media Expo". But read on for why I think this is an exceptionally significant move which has repercussions across the whole industry.
I've just got back from this years event in California and the issue of using the name "Podcasting" was up for discussion again, however, this year some speakers went to the length of declaring "Podcasting is Dead".
Now this is nothing new as the topic of "Podcasting" terminology was actually brought up in Leo Laportes keynote from last year, when he suggested that the name "Podcasting" was bad for the industry and may be held to blame for the plateau that many top "podcasts" appeared to have hit.
Since then, negative connotations with "user generated content", the detrimental effect of not having Microsoft fully supporting podcasts (although this seems now to be resolved at least for the Zune 2) and the general misunderstanding that podcasting was only available on iPods, all seem to have validated Leos suggestion on calling for a terminology change.
However, last year his voice was a solitary one and despite him re-branding his shows "NetCasts", the rest of us were happy to soldier on under the banner of podcasting.
With this years Expo however, the tide seems to be turning.
- The show was much more serious with a distinct slant on video and providing digital content as an independent media producer.
- The tracks on monetisation were well defined and well attended.
- There was no dismissal of commercial considerations and it felt good to be able to be one of the first to stand up and be counted as someone who is making a decent living as a digital media content creator.
- The keynotes focussed on the success stories of several New Media properties gaining ground in establishing themselves as valid and profitable ventures. All creating compelling content and utilising the new distribution channels now available to all media creators.
The dropping of the term "Podcast" from the Expo title is actually the second major change that Tim and Emile Bourquin (the Expo organisers) have made to the Expo. As of next year, the Expo is moving to the convention capital of the world - Las Vegas. Along with the name change, this is an attempt to pro-actively grow the Expo (and by association the industry) by legitimising the Expo to outsiders. The previous three years Expos have all been held in Ontario, California and based on remarks made in the excellent Podcast Brothers show, Tim and Emile have met resistance to growing and legitimising the Expo purely due to its location.
In two fell swoops, they've set the ground work for the show to grow significantly for next year.
So am I happy that they've dropped the Podcast entry from next years Expo and re-located?
Yes!
Is Podcasting dead?
Most certainly no BUT I'm 100% behind the push to redefine the term to remove some of the barriers preventing new media content becoming more widely adopted.
But what exactly is New Media and why is it different to Podcasting?
I think there are several distinct attributes that define "New Media"
Content - New Media is all about the content. The content has to be compelling, original and worthy. The method of distribution is not the end game, it's the content. This is the trap that we fall into by defining the industry by the delivery method. It's not about Podcasting, it's all about the content.
Consumer Choice - The New Media consumer wants choice. Choice on how, when and where they wish to consume their digital content. This extends to multiple formats, the ability to playback on any device they own, the removal of copy protection and the ability to move data between devices and locations.
Relationships - New Media has the potential to be a two way conversation between the producer and the audience. The audience has the ability to interact directly with the New Media producer and have their voice be heard.
Niche Markets - New Media is the perfect match for niche markets.
I do a weekly video tutorial all about Mac software. It's seen throughout the globe by thousands of people in virtually every country. I also produce High Definition premium content for the people in the audience who want more than the free content can provide. The premium content is chargeable and supports my efforts as a full time new media producer (as well as my mortgage, my family and my addition to Apple products!). My web and media hosting costs are fully covered by adsense ads. I have no staff, I do everything myself so the production costs for the show are in effect nil.
Compare that with traditional media costs. For example, a factual daytime show for the BBC costs between £10,000 to £60,000 per hour. Comedy starts at £110,000 rising to £600,000 for top shows.
Traditional (or old media) can't service the potential vast numbers of niche markets available to the New Media producer, it's just not economically feasible for them.
Digital Format - New Media is all bits and bytes. Whether audio, video, documentation, online web based or other content we've not even invented yet, it's all digital.
Distribution - New Media is distributed via a low cost, highly scaleable global distribution channel predominantly based on Real Simple Syndication or RSS.
Boundaries - New Media has no boundaries either legislative or geographic and can be distributed to a global audience just as easily by an individual as by a mega-corporation.
New Advertisement Models - New Media doesn't need the old CPM ad models.
New Media has a target audience of niche markets, communities of like minded people who are actively seeking out new content and who are not adverse to consuming ads as long as they have relevance to them and their interests. Advertising via New Media takes on a whole new perspective when considering not just the cost of views but crucially, the cost of influence. This represents a complete sea change in the current advertising models and one that has the potential to be exceptionally powerful.
And yes, all these apply to "Podcasting" as it stands today but we need to move forward.
We need to get over the barriers and hurdles that simple terminology puts in our way.
We need to grow our audiences and establish "New Media" as a credible supplement to traditional media. Not as an alternative to traditional media, but a distinct supplement.
So I'm happy to support the transition from "Podcasting" to whatever terminology becomes the norm. There's probably a fair amount of discussion to be had around the whole area of terminology but for now here's my first take:
I'm no longer a "Podcaster", I'm a "New Media Producer"
I no longer have a "Podcast", I have an "Internet TV show" which can be found in the Podcasts section of iTunes.
So sorry Leo, perhaps we should have listened to you last year (I still don't like the term "NetCasts" though!).
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