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August 10, 2007

Sell Your Digital Wares Through Edgeio Paid Content

Nick Gonzalez

54 comments »

edgeioClassified listing service Edgeio now lets you sell content through your listings. The new type of listing called “Paid content” consists of the same listing Edgeio already hosts, but comes with an embedded digital locker. Through the locker, users can securely sell text, file downloads, and streaming media through a widget hosted by Edgeio.

It seems a good fit for selling podcasts or research reports. Affiliates can also grab the widget code to sell your product on their own sites as well for a revenue share determined by the content owner. Michael Arrington, the editor of this blog, is a founder and investor in the company.

Digital lockers are nothing new. E-Junkie, Payloadz, Tradebit, and Bitpass (shutdown) have done it for a while. However, Edgeio has the added advantage of leveraging the paid listings through their existing listings network and providing a very straightforward product.

It’s pretty simple to get started. You sign up to create a listing like any other through the “Paid Content” link. Next, select your content type, price (currency), affiliate percentage, and coupon code. Finally, Edgeio lets you make a teaser “preview” for the content to give buyers an idea about what they’re purchasing. Once completed, you get some embed code and the listing is placed in Edgeio’s index, linked to the page where the widget is embedded.

An example of one of the widget embeds is included below. The other version of the widget initially shows visitors a teaser, until the content is purchased and unlocked. Use the coupon code “vgforfree” to unlock the content. To purchase the content, you need to sign into your Edgeio account and to pay by credit card or PayPal. The content is then unlocked for your Edgeio account.

Edgeio splits revenue from sales through the widget 80/20 in favor of the content creator. The creator can then split that 80% for sales through affiliates at any percentage they like.

Update (Arrington): This is a company that I co-founded in early 2005 with Keith Teare, months before I started TechCrunch. There is a clear conflict of interest, although I did not write, edit or give input on this post. For a balance of viewpoints, see Techmeme.

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Friday, August 10th, 2007 at 11:59 am and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. Edgeio launches the Internet’s first distributed paid content platform. | edgeio blog

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:39 pm

  2. edgeio has announced the paid content platform. Distributed Commerce meets Web 2.0 | ...a brief history of my time

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:15 pm

  3. Sell Your Digital Wares Through Edgeio Paid Content » TechAddress

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:30 pm

  4. Techomical

    August 11th, 2007 at 9:28 am

  5. Edgeio: Paid Content Widget–Widgets Lab

    August 13th, 2007 at 4:13 am

  6. TechDumpster » Blog Archive » Michael Arrington and Paul Graham Can’t Debate

    August 17th, 2007 at 1:29 pm

Comments

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  1. Anand

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:11 pm

    ————————————————————————–
    Michael, you never told us the purchase price… ;)

    Looks like a nice opportunity for affiliate marketing here…

    ————————————————————————–

  2. bob cobb

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    someone needs to make an edgeio wordpress plugin so its easy to embed into a wordpress site. That would get me to use it :)

  3. Hornswaggled

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:33 pm

    yeah the affiliate marketing side of things interested me too. I tried the system, signed up for Edgeio and everything worked pretty smoothly. I do not have quicktime installed so i could watch the call. I would agree that a wordpress plugin would help this.

    I am not too familiar with affiliate marketing past the basics (CJ). Anyone in that industry care to express their opinion on this?

  4. HackCrunch

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:34 pm

    I CAN HAZ DISCLOSURE??!?

    (While you may not be “a founder and significant shareholder in edgeio”, Nick, you should mention that your boss is.)

  5. HackCrunch

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:34 pm

    Oh hey there it is.

  6. Anand

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:39 pm

    —————————————————————————————————-
    Hornswaggled, atleast with my little experience and what I have heard from those who have been there for quite a while, it does not pay unless you sell something that is already a ‘hot cake’..

    But Edgeio can always be different..

    PS: Oh its Nick..I thought it was Michael!!
    —————————————————————————————————-

  7. James Thomas

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    Is it me, or is edgeio getting kinda convoluted? It’s hard to tell the purpose of the site anymore…

  8. Erich

    August 10th, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    yet another business model for edgeio with just as much chance of success as the others…

  9. Deals and Coupons

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:02 pm

    What do you know? I am an affiliate. :)

  10. Allen Stern

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:15 pm

    See this on buzzmachine:
    http://www.buzzmachine.com/200.....ent-356582

    evan says to buy you need an edgeio account and that might be a blocker to people actually buying the good.

    I am not sure I get why anyone would use this and lose 20% (in addition to paypal fees) when they could just use the paypal tools directly.

  11. Robert Seidman

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

    I find it humorous that I can get an episode of LOST for $1.99 on iTunes but to hear the drama of the Vonage earnings call is $30. Uh, no thanks, not at $30, not at $3, not at $.30.

    Nice logo though.

  12. Shoshanna Morton

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:27 pm

    Robert - the man’s got to get paid, ya hear?

    I thought for sure, TC wouldn’t post this story considering all the other press it already received. Disappointing Nick.

    I don’t get edgeio- no one knows it, no one has heard of it but they have millions of members. Who uses this tool?

  13. Wrong PR

    August 10th, 2007 at 1:39 pm

    I don’t how to say this. Mike Arrington is famous for Techcrunch. Why owning other junk startup. Are you trying to upset some techcrunch readers and entrepenurers?

    How could TC start venture website and deliever better TC content for Edgeio?

    I think it’s good idea to drop Edgeio PR. It reminds me WWE owns XFL. XFL had 12 or 5 waving flag people watch that football show. I remember football guy name “He hate me” and commendator give him boosting ratings. Only 2 people show up next season XFL.

  14. TechDumpster (living in First Life)

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm

    Sell Your Dignity Through Michael Arrington’s Shadiness.

    What a joke. TechCrunch is pathetic.

    http://techdumpster.com/2007/0.....-the-week/

  15. Robert Seidman

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:08 pm

    Shoshanna: I can believe there are millions of people who hope (against all odds) that they can sell the content that they can’t hardly give away for free.

    I have no issues at all with Arrington getting paid though. I just never really liked the premise. When I worked at IBM one group was working on a product called Cryptolope (encrypted envelope). I didn’t like the idea then primarily because it’s the sort of technology that needs to be ubiquitous — if you can forward the locked content to my e-mail and I can unlock it directly from the e-mail, fine. Perhaps a Facebook widget will spur on a tons of buying by people who are used to getting content for free.

    Of note, in 1995, there was a LOT more “pay content” and not nearly as much FREE content — so it seems like its more of an uphill battle in 2007 than it was in 1995.

  16. lemon obrien

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    wow, this is bad shit…your pimp’n your own inside investment which is about to die and run out of funds…remember, it’s first business plan competed directly against craigslist…

    you need to get back to basics, find new and interesting companies to write about.

    you’re starting to suck; one friend to another.

  17. Allen Stern

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:35 pm

    Robert - the change happened (i remember 95 well) because someone else could offer the same for free.

    That’s the issue today. You charge for your service, Google offers it for free. You lose. I remember this phrase a long time ago, “you can’t compete with free.”

  18. Ripped off

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:39 pm

    Mike you cannot be a next Google. You are famous already. You are everywhere in press. Techcrunch…Techcrunch…Techcrunch…
    Why are you sell yourself?

    Believe me, Edgeio is lowest and lamest product I ever try. I use Techcrunch more than Edgeio. Not because I’m here to spoil your success or being jeolous of your success. It’s like you don’t know how to handle Google, Ebay, and rest of monsterous corporate gangs.

    You are Arrington’s press.
    You are not Search engine man.

    Come on, mike… You are born to write.
    You are not Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
    Please don’t let us down and sell and quit Techcrunch.

  19. Allen Stern

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:40 pm

    BTW, Robert, here is an example. I just published an eBook of startup tips yesterday. 45+ pages. I thought about offering it for $5, but realized no one would pay. I thought about putting a donation button but thought no one would donate anything. I put a ton of time into making the book, it has hundreds of tips but all I get is (maybe) a few extra page views. Why is it we do everything for free but the diner across the street charges me for the eggs at 100x what they cost :)
    http://www.centernetworks.com/.....onth-ebook

    Same with full/teaser feeds - but don’t get me started on that one!

  20. Michael Arrington

    August 10th, 2007 at 2:47 pm

    I just added a disclosure and an update to the post. I was actually planning on not covering this at all. Nick made an editorial decision to do it without talking to me (which is absolutely fine, by the way). But the conflict should be noted. I’ve also linked to techmeme for a balanced set of opinions.

  21. August

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:00 pm

    If I run press or blog startup. I wouldn’t give my newly startup free PR.

    It’s like…. how do you say it…. you know…. uhm… inferior self-made startup quality gets into way and destorys Techcrunch.

    No..No…I don’t know how to get it out my head.
    Sell out… No.. No.. uhm…

    I think this damaging company’s reputation — That’s what I think. I think Edgeio is new tobacco for techcrunch. Techcrunch readers isn’t second hand smoker. You give new tobacco for techcrunch reader to try for free. This is what I am try to say.

    Conflict of interest.

  22. Nick Gonzalez

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:08 pm

    Wow. More blogs than TechCrunch covered this. More importantly, people can make up their minds about if they want use this service or any of the others I listed in the post by themselves.

  23. Deals and Coupons

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:08 pm

    I’m a big fan of TC because of these interesting comments.

  24. August

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:09 pm

    Nick and TECHCRUNCH….

    We don’t want more Edgeio press. We don’t want Techcrunch tobacco friend.

    Edgeio is XFL to me.
    Edgeio is FAT LADY sitting next to me.
    Edgeio is powerset.com to me.
    Edgeio makes people FAT.

    Get out Edgeio!!! Stop showing your flat chest.

    No more Edgeio Press.

  25. Robert Seidman

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:11 pm

    Allen: at the diner, the multiple you pay is largely for the convenience of not having to buy and prepare the food yourself. There is definitely a market for “being served” and people are willing to pay for it.

    I am a big believer in “if you do what you love and put all your energy into it” it will pay off. It has worked for me in the past. It seems to be working nicely for Arrington, and I hope it works out for you.

    And yeah, “You can’t compete with FREE” if the free offering is good. On the plus side, I love what Google offers for free — on the downside, I think there’s some stuff that we don’t wind up seeing developed (until GOOG gets around to it) out of the reasonable fear that “Google will just wind up offering it”.

    The same was true of MSFT, but they were adding the stuff into “for fee” products so it took much more heat than Google will ever take.

  26. James

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:15 pm

    If you go to Edgeio…. It makes you 100% gay.. Very Gay…

    Think of Edgeio color and last letter o.

    Edgeio

    i = Dick
    0 = Anus

  27. Colin Dowling

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:18 pm

    Can any one explain why Edgeio would be a better choice then Payloadz, which hooks up with Paypal and handles micropayments? Thanks in advance.

  28. Allen Stern

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

    Thanks Robert - I wrote about the charging for services the other day on CN - everyone immediately thinks everything should be free. Many startups are scared to charge because of this. Same with content.

  29. Hornswaggled

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:31 pm

    Wow, the comments here are a bit out of line in my opinion. There are a bunch of other startups that get coverage here that not everyone likes and sees value in but when one is affiliated with TC everybody craps their pants and complains.

    There is no reason that TC should publish news about its own ventures. It was disclosed in the original post that they are affiliated and anyone who regularly reads this blog knows that Mike has an interest in Edgeio.

    How about instead of complaining someone writes an honest critique of the service on its own merits or just keep to themselves, if they like it cool, if not thats cool too.

    I really hope that these comments are not a sign of things to come.

  30. blah

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:33 pm

    Add it to the DeadPool

  31. Jimmy Snacks

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:44 pm

    Clear conflict of interest - TechCrunch does not list other classified sites (or real estate sites).

  32. Urbanist

    August 10th, 2007 at 3:45 pm

    That seems like a much user- and reader-friendly way to deal with issues of paid content.

  33. Nick Gonzalez

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:09 pm

    Jimmy,

    We’ve covered several listings services and I enumerated competitors to the product in the post.

    http://www.techcrunch.com/2006.....companies/
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2006.....-in-rails/
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2006.....whole-web/
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2007.....gs-iqzone/
    http://www.techcrunch.com/2007.....ar-market/
    http://www.techcrunch.com/tag/oodle/

  34. tommyboy

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:14 pm

    Hi jimmy Stacks:

    Glad you dont comment here often, pwned?

    Anonymous is also convenient 8:

  35. lemon obrien

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:18 pm

    >>Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

    a-fuck’n-men brother

  36. August

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:27 pm

    I don’t think Techcrunch journalist get it.

    Let say Mike built large Jailhouse…. Mike & Nick controls Jailhouse. They know their rules. Edgeio is newly prisoner. Would you give free key to Edgeio to escape the prison?

    That’s what Nick did. Techcrunch are not suppose to write about Edgio.

  37. Jimmy

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:31 pm

    You guys seem to be coming down a bit hard on arrington, here. I don’t think the article says anything that’s a conflict of interest or inappropriate. Getting on TechCrunch is not a competition to be won… it’s a blog.

    For once, I’m with TC on this. Edgeio, like it or not, is a competitor in the classifieds scene. This is a monumental update and worthy of coverage. If I were arrington, I would definitely report on it. I’m not sure if he actually didn’t know or not, but so what if he did? You would do it too.

    The only reason half of you post is to promote your own site, anyways. You don’t see me telling people to visit my coming-up edgeio competitor listobo.com, which will change the way you think about classifieds. You don’t see me promoting jamjunky.com, where songwriters can store a vault of their tunes… and you sure don’t see me promoting my weight graphing widget skinnyr.com. That would just be lame.

    So chill and give the guy a break here…

  38. August

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:44 pm

    No… Jimmy…

    I think POWERSET.COM make everybody bad luck.

    I remember reading about Bambi Francisco’s powerset. She quit CBS marketwatch and start Vator.TV.

    Dow Jones company forbid employees or journalist start a company and write their own stuff. They would fired journalist. Just like that… 1…2…3….

    Edgeio is like Bambi Francisco.

  39. keith teare

    August 10th, 2007 at 4:54 pm

    Nick, thanks for writing about our new product.

    I wanted to give some context. Edgeio has spent about a year developing an advertiser platform for companies who have classified ads and want to distribute the ads to get more traffic to them.

    We have more than 6000 advertiser who, by the end of Sept, will have submitted more than 29 million classified ads into the system.

    More recently we have turned to the publisher side - people like AlwaysOn, Techcrunch, Infoworld. The goal here is to provide publishers with new ways of making moneyto support their editorial efforts. Our classified board product was the first product here. Around 1500 publishers have built classified ad sections of their site using this product.

    Today we launched our second publisher product. Transactional Classifieds give a publisher a way to allow their readers to purchase digital content directly within a piece of content.

    This will allow edgeio to grow the number of publishers who use is to earn revenue.

    Our next, and final challenge is to compete our platform, allowing our advertiser and publishers to do business together through a self-service Exchange (listings in, traffic out, in return for $).

    But that will have to wait for our next product launch…..

    And on a personal note, Mike has never favored edgeio here. I can tell you honestly, I often feel we would get more attention if Mike was not involved in the company.

    Keith
    CEO/co-founder
    edgeio

  40. James

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:00 pm

    Techcrunch does have standard written blog. Mike will have two toughest decision.

    Kill Edgeio or Stop writing about Edgeio. It would be illegal for any companies to buy off Edgeio stake or rights or compete. Companies would get their stock plumming into 1 dollar a share. That’s how stockmarket works.

    These guys were investors of Edgeio. They wrote by accident.

  41. Michael Arrington

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:04 pm

    What’s up with the grammar? It’s like a bunch of angry six year olds invaded the blog.

  42. James

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:05 pm

    Maybe this article will help you understand.

    http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6174226.html

  43. TechDumpster (living in First Life)

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:07 pm

    It’s completely fine for TechCrunch to write about Edgeio with disclosure, but the entire conflict of interest thing and hypocrisy is what bothers me.

    - PayPerPost
    - TechCrunch 20 (and now the demo pit)
    - Ooma
    - Edgeio

    It goes on and on.

  44. James

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:09 pm

    Hey, mike… It’s not we bunch of angry six years olds. You have understand company write their own policy.

    Some companies have policy to fired bloggers. When people become fan of you and emulate blog journalist. Some people might end up getting fired.

    I don’t know why. I don’t make the laws. The state and company does.

  45. James

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:15 pm

    I will name companies that fires bloggers. Dow Jones, Fox, Delta, etc..

    Delta Air Lines fires Ellen Simonetti
    NBA officials fines Mark Cuban
    Google terminated Mark Jen

    You named all crazy companies…

  46. berry

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:21 pm

    Conflict of interest…. Hmmm…

    How about rename Edgeio into V for Vendetta?

  47. James

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:35 pm

    bdb. No… I’m not embarrassed. I’m happy… I don’t speak mandarin. I don’t know you either. If you like to Eavesdropping me.

    That’s fine…. :) You look like pedophile who stalks asians.

  48. Michael Arrington

    August 10th, 2007 at 5:45 pm

    ok closing comments now. if you guys are representative of my readership things are going seriously downhill.

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