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Wharton: podcasting here to stay

Knowledge@Wharton picked up the hot topic of podcasting this week.  Experts at Wharton says it's the latest Web movement here to stay with advertising and subscription revenues eventually coming into play as business models emerge.
Written by Natalie Gagliordi, Contributor

Knowledge@Whartonpicked up the hot topic of podcasting this week.  Experts at Wharton says it's the latest Web movement here to stay with advertising and subscription revenues eventually coming into play as business models emerge.  The article cited Kendall Whitehouse, senior director of information technology at Wharton saying, "A lot of people are excited about this... [but] it's a classic case of predictions that are extreme on both sides…Some say old media is dead and others say podcasting is just a fad. I don't think either one is accurate. The two will coexist for a long time." 

Similar to other technolgies going mainstream, such as RSS which I wrote about yesterday, the top discussion for podcasting these days is centered squarely on monetization. For example, the article states that while podcasting can help drive more listeners to Apple's iTunes and iPod products, the lack of any focus on paid subscriptions could put the company in a "tough spot." If you are not Apple, making money may be even more difficult, said the article. It goes on to highlight two different approaches that start-ups PodTech.net and Odeo, are banking on.

On the horizon, satellite radio is embracing podcasting (Sirius recently signed up Adam Curry) and music will follow. The article makes a good point; "If music labels don't license their content, they lose a viable distribution channel and ultimately get usurped by sites like Garageband.com." 

Below is the interest/consumption picture that BT Trax gives us for the term "podcasts" over the last 6 months. Interestingly, a drop in the number of podcasting headlines last month had no affect on the upward consumption trend.


 

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