Whither thee, Artcast?
With the inevitable return of my art tutorial video podcast (previously known as “The Artcast”), I'm considering a slight change in what it's called. Read on for my reasons, and please feel free to offer your thoughts/opinions on the idea.
Obviously, “Artcast” was originally just a mashup of the words “Art” and “Podcast”. This, to me, is generic enough to be just a category more than it is a brand, and could benefit from something a little more unique that fully represents the content. I've always felt this, and am certain that now is the best time to change the name.
I started “The Artcast” in 2006. During that time, I don't think that there was anyone else doing quite what I was publishing. Or, if they were, they weren't very findable. Now, however, Google tells a much different story.
Also, there's monetization. I'd like to think that this is something that I might eventually profit from. I mean, who wouldn't want to make a little money from something they work hard on, right?
I have a few choices here:
- I can charge for the show (which I will never do).
- I can hope that merchandise is enough (t-shirts, mugs, etc.).
- I can attempt to build sponsorship or advertising (which I know very little about).
- I can sell the downloadable resources from each episode (too sneaky?).
I don't want to be evil about it, but out of these things, I know the least about sponsorship. So, I just need to decide which of these routes is the least evil for everyone. Capitalism isn't evil, it's just ugly to deal with.
Comments Back to Top
1. Luke Dorny
Apr 30th, 2010
That’s what Marx would have said, too.
I say go 3 or 4.
Would love to see you do what you do more, sir. Keep it up!
I’ve reinstalled my system more than one time since you began your podcast so i no longer have the files, or the subscription. I’ll have to search and start again.
Wait up for me?
2. Kyle Fox
Apr 30th, 2010
Assuming these are video podcasts, I don’t see anything wrong with charging for your show. PeepCode.com makes high-quality, in-depth videos—and they’re worth paying for.
You could also do some kind of combination, where you produce regular, free videos and then occasionally create Premium content available for a small fee. This is what nettuts.com has done (and many others, I’m sure).
However, these suggestions involve the one thing on your list you said you’ll never do, so perhaps this comment is in vain ;)
Sponsorship can be as simple as you want, too. You might simply charge a flat rate to be mentioned at the start of your show, for example. If you think sponsorship is a viable model, don’t let your inexperience stop you: there’s no better way to learn than doing, imo.
Whatever you decide, best of luck!
3. Anton
Apr 30th, 2010
@Luke - Don’t worry, you’ll have access to all of the archives when I post the new page.
@Kyle - You know, a free/premium model is not a bad idea. I had tossed around the idea before, but must’ve forgotten all about it. Thanks for the reminder.
4. Ryan Brunsvold
Apr 30th, 2010
Akin to point #5, perhaps you could consider having the most recent podcast (I still say you should go with “Ant Cast”) free for, let’s say 5 days, and after that they move into an archive section where people may purchase them and any applicable resources for a few bucks a show. http://www.eescreencasts.com/ has their $5 per episode price tag and I’m of the mind that their price point is completely reasonable.
I think the advertising/sponsorship route is viable as well, but you may want to hold off on that until you get a better idea of who specifically is tuning in to watch. (Besides me that is.)
Regardless, I think we all want to see more work from you… however that happens.
Best of luck.
5. Erik
Apr 30th, 2010
I like Ryan’s idea. Free for a short amount of time and then a paid archive after that.
6. Adam Chamberlin
May 3rd, 2010
As mentioned above I would take a leaf from the Envato book. Keep on producing the podcasts but hold a little bit back in reserve for that premium membership.
You’ll build up readership from the free shows, creating a desire to see what the paid podcast includes.
Which ever method you choose it does add an extra level of responsibility into the equation. As long as you are still doing it for the love and not the money then you’ll be fine.
7. Anton
May 3rd, 2010
I’m very much liking the idea of doing a free/premium type of setup, as long as I can work out how little/much to put on each. It’s a fine line when it comes to content and value.
@Adam - Absolutely agree. Doing it for the love has always been a priority for me. The primary reason I need to consider paid content is that the time I would need to produce each episode would take away from my freelance schedule. Meaning that it would be nice to somehow keep the income/work ratio in balance.