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Voluntary universal subscriptions for podcasts

2 points by lastmjs ↗ HN
I'm experimenting with a new monetization model for podcasts. The project that implements the model is called Podcrypt: https://t.me/podcrypt

Essentially it's a podcast listening app that allows you to setup what I call voluntary universal subscriptions. You set an amount that you would like disbursed on an interval to all podcasts that you listen to. For example, $10 every month. The amount is split up based on how much time you have listened to each podcast. You'll be able to set how much you value each unit of time per podcast.

I believe this model is superior to models like Patreon's, mostly because those models don't scale beyond a few content creators that you like. Who wants to become a patron of every single content creator that you enjoy watching or listening to? After 2 or 3 $5 per month donations, I'd venture to guess that most people are done giving out money. With a universal subscription, your donations are automatic and fair.

Anyway, more info here: https://hackernoon.com/podcrypt-automatic-fair-peer-to-peer-podcast-donations-with-ether-f0a638111410

3 comments

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gus_massa
Can I add weights? For example some YouTube channels publish only one video per month, but the video has a lot of work in it. (For example "acapellascience" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTev4RNBiu6lqtx8z1e87fQ or "CaptainDisillusion" https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEOXxzW2vU0P-0THehuIIeg )

While other channels publish a video each day, that is entertaining but it's just someone talking in font of a camera.

This would add more complexity to the UI, that is bad, but you can try to think how to simplify it.

* Allow some channels to be marked as x10? (or x100?)

* Some podcast get a fixed amount of money and the others get an evenly split of the leftovers?

* Make a few levels, and I can put the podcast in these levels. And the total of my money is split somehow. Perhaps half to all the channels in the top level and half to all the channels in the normal level. Perhaps the channels in the top level are worth x10 or x100 of the normal level.

I think that a x100 is not so much. For example the acapellascience release a 3 minute video per month, while other channels post a daily 15-30 minute video, i.e. 450-900 minutes monthly. If I'd like to assign the same amount of money to both, I'd need a 150-300 multiplier.

lastmjs
Thanks for the feedback. You will definitely be able to do something like you're suggesting. That's what I meant by "You'll be able to set how much you value each unit of time per podcast."
lastmjs
You have an interesting take that I'll definitely consider, thanks for being so thorough. Also, if you want to see this project come to life, would you mind jumping into the Telegram group? https://t.me/podcrypt

I won't start working on it until we have 100 people there