I am Sorry but Apple has lost it’s way big time! Today when I tried to find some podcast in the iTunes directory, it was nearly impossible to find the shows that I was looking for.
I am very serious when I say that the iTunes team really blew it big time with this latest iTunes release. I have been hearing nothing but complaint after complaint from podcasters and even more from listeners.
Those that I talk to that are in the featured and top picks list are seeing record growths in their show audiences. Its pretty easy to see why. No one else is getting exposure within iTunes it’s because it is very hard to find anything but featured shows.
At this point in the game Apple is hurting podcasting more than they are helping it! Most new and even seasoned podcasters are all screwed because some design team at Apple decided to make it very hard to find the full listing of podcast within the iTunes application itself.
Apple has become a walled fortress at this point. They have an undeniable strangle-hold on the community. It’s no wonder the number of people listening to podcast are increasingly using a computer to tune in, versus a media device. It’s because the #1 seller of MP3 players has sold us down the river!
Hate to say it. but the podcasting community let them do it. Today there are only a few podcast software catcher application alternatives to the iTunes application.
The first alternative is Juice but the primary directory it is connected to has been abandoned, thats another story for another day AC. The Juice team appear to have no inclination to work with others to fix the issue and or work with people that have actively maintained directories.
The second is myPodder by the Podcast Ready folks, we all know Apple is trying to put the screws to them but at least they have a viable up to date directory within the application and site interface. The rest of the podcatcher applications are so far below the radar that they might as well not exist.
The podcasting community at large is totally responsible we blew it, we drank the Apple koolaid and now it’s like Jonestown all over again there are podcasts dying, because one of the primary ways people were finding shows has been essentially hidden in iTunes. Plus Apple continues to let Podcasters play games with the listings.
It pisses me off to no end, and yet most podcasters don’t care, for the most part many have not been with the community long enough to understand all of the dynamics of what has happened, and were things are headed. I will get off my Soap box now but the problem lay in three directions
Podcasters Let it Happen, Podcasters did not React, Podcasters have not Spoken out!
The Community has largely let the Listeners Down!
Boy you really have it bad against Apple on this. I’m not sure what you can’t find. using the browse function gets you through some broad areas and if you use the search function you can find most everything by keyword. Only weird thing was when I search for technology the text listing gave me a whole lot more hits than the view with the art work showing. Keep trying, Todd. Great show by the way. Been listening for over a year now.
Boy you really have it bad against Apple on this. I’m not sure what you can’t find. using the browse function gets you through some broad areas and if you use the search function you can find most everything by keyword. Only weird thing was when I search for technology the text listing gave me a whole lot more hits than the view with the art work showing. Keep trying, Todd. Great show by the way. Been listening for over a year now.
Who uses iTunes or any Fruit products?
Hey Todd, I thought it was just me that this was happening to. I too have been having a really hard time finding Podcasts on Itunes, including my own. Sometimes I cant even find my Podcast by the show name, but I can find it by typing my own name instead?!! This is intermittent and sometimes works the other way around too. But yeah, the iTunes podcast directory is all messed up.
I think we are partly to blame, But apple takes most of the blame.
We take the blame cause we saw a huge powerhouse like Apple *embracing* podcasting and made it so people could download our shows. Everyone talked about how great it was and of course since the iPod has the MP3 market it was inevitable that people would want to use it. We take blame cause us as podcasters knew this, and we somewhat made it, what it is now. Without being in the iTunes directory forget ever getting more that a couple hundred listeners it just wont happen. If your not in iTunes you almost don’t exist in the Directory.
Now Apple in my opinion is mostly to blame. They have never and probably will never listen to anything the podcast community wants in regards to the Podcast area in iTunes. They keep changing it on a whim to whatever they decide. I spoke with the Apple Employees that were at the podcast expo and called them out on the ‘Featured” thing. He claims it’s based on Subscriptions. I called his bluff stating that many “Traditional media” outlets put their shows “magically” they become a front page featured podcast. There has to be some sort of agreement they have or money being exchanged. (Mind you this is not meant at other “indie” shows that just happened to be picked More power to those guys”)
And I can attest as well to no more new subscribers. I was one the Technology Featured list (the one that has 5 pages to it) I was on the 5th page but I was ‘featured’ and my number steadily raised now I am not ad they have pretty much stayed the same.
Sorry for the long comment but Thats my .2 Cents