The tension between podcasters and platforms: independent podcasters’ experiences of the paid subscription model

Abstract

In 2019, Podimo, a major paid subscription podcast platform, was launched in Denmark. This sparked a recurring debate among independent podcasters in small language areas with a correspondingly small podcast market: How can podcasters working independently of public service institutions and commercial companies find viable funding models? Taking its departure from the research field of creative labour in the cultural industries and research on the platformization of podcasts , this article explores the inherent tensions between creativity and commerce that independent podcasters experience specifically in relation to paid subscription platforms. This is done by conducting and analysing qualitative interviews with four Danish independent podcasters (The Bad Judges, The Tear Channel, Childless Birds, and Third Ear) who have decided to become exclusive content on Podimo, thereby intensifying the shift from being free labour to paid labour. Interviews are combined with transcriptions of podcast episodes in which podcasters seek to justify why they joined Podimo. The analysis reveals commerce, autonomy and discovery as the podcasters’ key motivations, while their overriding concern is the drop of listeners’ numbers.

Keywords:

• podcasting
• podcasters
• platform
• paid subscription
• creative labour
• cultural industries

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Translated into English by the author. The original Danish names of these podcasts are Dårligdommerne, Tårekanalen, and Barnløse Fugle.

2 Original Danish title: ‘DD GENOPSTÅR EKSKLUSIVT PÅ PODIMO’.

3 Original Danish title: ‘Jeg prøver noget nyt – vil du vaere med?’.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Freja Sørine Adler Berg

I began working on my PhD project about independent podcasting at University of Southern Denmark in April 2019. The aim of the project is to map out the characteristics in terms of form, content, production, and distribution of independent podcasts in Denmark in the era of social media and the commercialisation of the podcast medium. I combine quantitative content analysis, textual analysis and qualitative interviews to understand how the podcast medium is developing in a Danish context from the podcasters’ perspectives. My interest in radio and podcast goes back to my masters’ degree in Media Studies at University of Copenhagen, during which I worked as an intern and as a producer at the Danish public service stations. My master’s thesis investigated the development of form in public service talk radio, and after graduating I specialized in producing radio documentaries and features.