Question for you: when is a podcast not a podcast?
This week, Netflix announced that Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson is set to launch a new podcast. Yet, being exclusively on Netflix, it won’t be available to stream or listen to anywhere else. It also, seemingly, won’t be available in audio-only form either.
So it’s a talk show, then? No, according to Netflix, it’s a podcast. They are also acquiring other podcasts to platform on their service, following their rise in popularity on YouTube.
It’s not the only company blurring the lines between what is and what isn’t a podcast. Audible Originals, which are often of very high quality and feature Hollywood or A-list names, are audio-only and feel like podcasts, yet they are not available beyond its paywall, and you have to be a member to access them. We usually feature them in this newsletter, but with a disclaimer that a membership is required.
Jamie Oliver is Audible’s latest big signing, with publicity claiming that it’s “Jamie’s first ever podcast.” Yet, rather than it being free to existing Audible members, you have to use one of your ‘credits.’ As members usually get one credit a month, and as you technically have to pay to listen, is it more of an audiobook? Audible would say otherwise.
Another headache? Vanessa Feltz’s show on Channel 5, which has also recently been relaunched. If you tune in on weekdays at 2pm you’ll see that the studio is made to look like a podcast studio. Yet there is no podcast. You can’t even watch it on catch-up on the Channel 5 website either. You can only watch it live on television. Argh!
