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Paid listening
Podcasting is so new that people are trying to find new ways to use it. Early podcasts were free as people simply saw it as a way to share their views with the world, or companies used it as a way to offer value through marketing.
As the world of podcasting developed, podcasters saw that people were willing to pay for music to their MP3 player, so they asked themselves why wouldn't they be interested in paying for information on the go as well? And so the podcast version of pay-per-view was born.
When you look at the PPV available on cable and satellite television you see that they are specialty channels that are specifically targeted to a niche market: for example, not just the sports channel, but a channel only about basketball. Or a channel for military enthusiasts. Or a channel for hip-hop music lovers. The secret here, again, is the niche market.
While not all markets will want to pay to hear podcasts, some markets will pay top dollar to hear top experts speak about their industry. For example, you might be a financial adviser with some ideas about the stock market, you'll probably have to offer a podcast for free. However, if you are a top financial expert and your accurate analysis is sought after by everyone, you're probably more likely able to sell your analysis as a podcast.
If you do not possess the industry expertise, like that mentioned above, you might be able to post a podcast that brings on experts for listeners to hear, and that way you will still be able to provide a specialty niche market with top-quality information. When you have found the niche market that you want to service, set up a place on your web site for people who are interested in buying a subscription to your podcast to pay you.
A website that lets you sell your podcast to paying subscribers can be found at http://www.premiumpodcasting.com/index.php.
In coming years this will be the biggest area of growth in podcasting. Get in "on the bottom floor" and get established as the leading expert in your area of interest. Once you have success in becoming the expert, then you may want to consider branching out into other products and finding advertisers.
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