TalkShoe: host podcasts by phone and get paid

Why would you listen to a podcast talkshow when you can watch Opera?

gotta spell check before posting… I saw that =P

Maybe it’s not sinking in yet but it looks like you have to sign-in to listen to a podcast. What if I’m already a podcaster that’s 50 shows deep and want to use this service? Can I record my shows in TalkShoe and link them to my existing podcast feed like podomatic? Anyway, I signed up and will mess with it later today.

Who is running this blog?! Marshall you sure write some nice posts but I must have missed the post when Mike said Kirkpatrick will be featured on the blog lots from now on.

Come on Mike write a proper intro!

I think this is a good idea….Podcasters already are trying to feel like a niche broadcasters and the ones that do it well have good mic’s and voices even. This helps get it once step further. I think scheduled live podcasts over the net will be the next big thing. It will also enable other services to be built around the concept. Show guide aggregators for various blogs..mashups etc..

I can see the drawbacks to this for professional podcasters.

I can see the oppotunity for locals to discuss local issues, though. http://www.idahofallz.com is a locally-based website focused on improving the Idaho Falls area and connecting local residents. We already thrive on chatbox chatter and locally-oriented blog stories and comments. This could be another tool to connect locals.

Perhaps this will be the training wheels version of podcasting, like blogger is to blogging?

Is this not very similar to the Skypecasts that’s currently in Beta? I know Skype doesn’t have a record facility yet, but I think that Skype’s market power would be a challenge to TalkShoe

I love the idea. It’s bringing podcasting alive. Call ins!! That would be a blast.

I wonder about the service though. I mean, everything they do for you can be done on your own. The only advantage is that it syncs all of the tools together. The other problem is that it will only attract new podcasters, and no one wants to hear noobs ramble for an hour.

If they really wanted to do it right they would have to sponsor some celebrities to do a few podcasts for them. Get people interested in their service.

I’m the founder of TalkShoe. Congratulations to TechCrunch for being the first to break this story. They scooped everybody!!!

Some thoughts on the post and the various responses.

Regarding the limit of 25 talkers, we had originally planned to implement this for human factors reasons. Recently, we decided not to impose the limit and will correct our FAQ. TalkShoe currently supports 300 talkers per talkcast and soon will allow an unlimited number of people to listen live by streaming to their PCs. Of course, we already support an unlimited number of folks listening to recorded Talkcasts.

To Christian: If a podcaster has 50 recorded shows, we’d be happy to host them on TalkShoe. Just email support@talkshoe.com for a “how to”. We have a number of professional (radio) talk show hosts that will be providing access to their archived shows on TalkShoe; exactly your concept. They’ll also be simulcasting their live shows as TalkShoe Live integrates seamlessly with a radio station/studio.

By the way, it’s easy to record your show on TalkShoe and then grab the mp3 for whatever purpose. Just right click on the download button and you’re on your way. Of course, if you leave it at TalkShoe and use our feed, we pay for the bandwidth and give you money for every listener.

To Ked: We’re thrilled that Skype is doing Skypecasts as it gets people into the idea of connecting with others of similar interests. But TalkShoe has a number of advantages over Skype. It works from any landline or mobile phone; it includes recording/posting/podcasting/subscription; it is built on the highest quality teleconferencing technology (same stuff as MCI, BT, and Sprint provide for their best business customers); and maybe most importantly, show hosts get paid for every listener.

Regarding Voice over IP (VoIP), very shortly TalkShoe will work with a wide variety of VoIP (SIP) clients such as SJPhone, X-Lite and many others. The VoIP feature is already built and we will add it to the beta once we’re satisfied with our own internal testing. In the mean time, you can use Vonage, Skypeout, and the like.

To James: We love the celebrity idea. We had great success with a show that a couple of the Pittsburgh Steelers players recorded a week ago (http://www.talkshoe.com/talkCast.jsp?masterId=144 ). We’re going to do a lot more of this, and not just in the sports category.

Thanks for writing (and reading). If you want to TALK, join me on TalkShoe - 724-444-7444.”

Hi,

I just posted some thoughts about TalkShoe.

http://www.mrmarkets.com/2006/.....ims_f.html

TalkShoe aims for mainstream podcasting, but should make adjustments

Yet another service is jumping into the podcasting fray, and I still do not think it has figured out the right formula to attract the mainstream. TalkShoe supposedly makes it easier to create podcasts with its service. The catch is you have put in ads into the podcasts, which for me makes it not worth it, but maybe some people find that ok. Let’s explore the challenges here.

Start with the fact that you have to login in order to listen to a podcast hosted on the website. That is an awful idea in terms of getting users interested in the website. Think about the percentage of people who as a result abandon the website, and think about the likelihood they will ever comeback. The answer is right around nil.

For the people who do sign up, maybe the registration information is accurate, maybe not. TalkShoe then has the benefit of being able to reach out to them to stay with the website. That is an unfavorable tradeoff considering the advantages of becoming a podcast destination, building a user base and in the process creating more reasons to use TalkShoe to make podcasts.

But without getting caught up in that too much, consider the substitutes. Mostly techies do podcasts now, and it really is not challenging to set up a skype call and use a free program to do recording. You can even make phone calls over other IM clients like AIM and Yahoo.

TalkShoe requires a download, which is a barrier for some. Even so, are there really many teenagers, professionals and/or non-techies looking to do podcasts?

The biggest roadblock of all, I believe, is the fact that a headset or at least a microphone is required. For the many who do not have one built in to their computers, that is a $10 expense and a trip to the store. When you are talking about expanding beyond early adopters, that is a problem.

What should TalkShoe do? I think opening up listening to podcasts without registration is a good start. TalkShoe ought to leverage its traffic to draw attention to its userbase so they are creating value for them and justify putting ads in the podcasts. After all, there are a host of websites open to hosting podcasts and many do not attach advertisements.

To bring in more users, TalkShoe persuade enthusiasts to post regular podcasts and in exchange feature them on the front page. TalkShoe can start by targeting people who post about specialized topics on popular message boards. As a result, TalkShoe could tap into their expertise and passion for a topic, which will draw more users.

TalkShoe needs to think about how to retain podcasters once they become more popular. After all, there are many substitutes, so TalkShoe needs to implement community functionality that benefits the podcaster and gives them reasons to stay.

If retention is a problem, then TalkShoe could be nothing more than a training ground for future talent with no participation on the upside.

Posted the following on your other site/feedback area - excited to see the ability to host canned podcasts is in place. Our radio station streams live, so this looks very good indeed. As previously posted:

Hi Dave,

I found out about Talkcast and Talkshoe from some podcasting google alerts I receive - nice concept that should be fun to participate in. This podcasting is STILL very difficult to jumpstart - especially the RSS feeds! Your simplification should help boost the field and make it open to all…great idea - great service!

Bill Quigley and I are getting into podcasting and have a weekly commercial broadcast radio show about lending and real estate (we teach, inform, and de-mystify the industry and un-spin a lot of hype).

We currently record the show (we have 20-plus available so far) and convert it to an MP3 file for podcasting. Our casts are on pod-serve.com and libsyn.com as well as christianpodder.com (we’re somewhat of an anomaly to them) and we’ve used feedburner.com and ourmedia a little. Blogging some, too- at blogger.com

We would like to grow with the podcasting industry and have several additional show ideas we are developing as we also try to make our living (Life is that perpetual juggling act, isn’t it?). We currently have no podcast kits (other than headphones and access to the radio station’s recording studio - for a price), but will likely get m-audios deluxe podcasting kit (two mikes, pre-amp, and software that integrates VOIP calls into the recording) when they ever release it (unless you have better ideas).

Still weighing the “quality vs file-size” problem. Been told by wisecasters (made that term up - figure it describes anyone who knows more about podcasting than me, which is a very large group) that quality AND content trump file size. Your opinion and guidance appreciated.

So, if you want to listen to a sample, we’re “Your Home - Your Money” or “Bill Quigley and Art Blanchet” as authors (with various subtitles) on the sites mentioned - or we can send you a show CD. We’d really like to consider hosting if you think that a possibility.

It appears you are not currently set up for canned podcasts or hosting. We’ll work with what you have as you/we grow.

Warning: Our website “radio show” page is a work in progress - be ready to be underwhelmed.

Thanks for reading this - and best wishes for a first-rate website and community.

Sincerely,

Art Blanchet
Bill Quigley
http://www.yourhome-yourmoney.com/radioshow

A few replies to comments:

– First, thanks for the comments.
1. You don’t need a headset to talk. You can use a telephone or cell phone. In fact, that’s one differenece compared with say, Skypecasts.
2. It’s not required to put ads in the Talkcast. It’s an option for the podcaster. If you do put in ads, that’s how the podcaster can make money.
3. Excellent idea about recruiting enthusiasts. We’re trying to recuit some in various fields. Please refer any you may have.
4. We agree about the community ideas. We’re currently developing them.
5. We’re removing the Sign Up/ In to listen to recorded Talkcasts.

Mark Juliano
TalkShoe

lol i just tried skype to call one of my friend back in home; well its cool quite cheep.

TalkShoe introduces specifics of TalkShoe Cash program to pay people to create and host podcasts, as well as refer other hosts.

The TalkShoe Cash™ program pays people to host podcasts, and to refer hosts. Users are paid for creating podcasts (called Talkcasts™), as well as for the number of people who listen to, download, or subscribe to their Talkcasts. In addition, people are paid to refer hosts, based upon a percentage of the earnings of the referred hosts.

TalkShoe Cash Program Specifics
Hosts are paid $5.00 for each Talkcast episode created (up to 10 episodes) plus $1.00 for every 25 hours of content consumed, which is the number of content-hours listened to, downloaded, or subscribed to as a podcast. People who refer hosts are paid 25% of the host’s earnings.
Recorded Talkcasts are stored on the TalkShoe website. Hosts also have the option of listing their Talkcasts on iTunes and other podcast directories.

This is a great idea and I’ve already participated in a few of these podcast/phone calls. I haven’t gotten paid yet, but we’ll see where it goes!

I have been podcasting on Talkshoe and really love it and have got paid. I think its a great Idea and reminds me of the Myspace business model. I belive it will explode in the future.