One of the cool things about hosting this podcast on Libsyn is that users that pay for a certain amount of storage each month are eligible for an iOS and Android App. All you have to do is supply the art, fill in a few text fields and set your price and you’re good to go. I recently pulled the trigger on getting apps for Just Talking up and running in preparation for the big One Fifty Makeover. This decision did not come lightly, and I have some things I need to elaborate on so we’re all clear on what’s what.
First is the price. If I could make these things free, I would. The cheapest I could set the price was $1.99. I know $1.99 may not sound like a lot – especially for a one-time fee – but for a podcast that I put out for free, charging anything for my content seems a bit silly. Yes, I pay for hosting each month. Yes, technically this means I’m losing money each month on the podcast. I’m okay with this. I enjoy having these conversations with people I admire and find intriguing. I enjoy sharing these conversations with anyone willing to spend an hour of their time with me in their ears. I’ll simply reiterate the primary point of all of this – If I could make these things free, I would.
When it comes to the app, users will have access to bonus content that I publish for each episode, be it supplementary reading material, additional art, or even additional audio. Traditionally with my podcast, what you hear is what you get. With the exception of a few ‘ums’ or ‘buts’, the conversation I publish is the entirety of the conversation I have with each guest. Sometimes there’s a little banter after the podcast is over. Sometimes I take a piece of that conversation and stick it on at the end of the podcast. Right now I don’t have the time to invest in ‘additional’ conversations with the same guest and if I did, I think it would be disingenuous to hold back on any part of the content behind a paywall.
So where does that leave me? I post a new podcast with a different guest each week. Sometimes I get an opportunity to revisit with particular guests and release those as they are finished. I don’t know what else there is to do right now and this troubles me. I can’t sincerely justify my app to anyone without a proper content strategy. My podcast will remain free to anyone and everyone who comes across it. Subscribe through one of the many platforms my podcast is available on – it’ll always be there.
It seems kind of silly to promote something that will cost you money without a proper sales pitch. I continue to think about how to leverage this new opportunity for my podcast, so rest assured, as soon as I figure out what to do with this I will tell everyone. So yea, the app is available for iOS and Android devices. Maybe one day I’ll justify your (hopeful) purchase. If you want to get in now, I’ll be eternally grateful. If you choose to wait, I don’t blame you. Either way, I hope I won’t let you down.
As always, thanks for supporting the podcast. It brings me a lot of joy knowing that other people are having just as much fun experiencing the podcast. Hopefully the next time you hear from me in this format will come with some exciting news regarding what you $1.99 will get you. Hopefully.
The iOS App is technically an umbrella application of sorts, called Podcast Box. All of the Libsyn shows live there, so you’ll be downloading Podcast Box – for free – and then you’d be paying $1.99 for Just Talking. The Android App is downloadable through the Amazon Marketplace. If you’ve used Amazon’s Marketplace on your phone before, this process will be normal for you, if not, you’ll probably be prompted to download the Amazon Marketplace App too. Just a head’s up.
Just Talking Podcast 