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The Paracast — Subscription Only?

Forums New posts

If The Paracast Were Subscription Only, Would You Subscribe?

  • Total voters
    101
  • Poll closed .

Free episodes:

Gene,

I've been a P+ subscriber for a couple of years now, although this is my first post (sorry); I would continue to subscribe if a paid subscription were the only way to listen to the show. I used the podcast to listen during my morning commute. As I'm now unemployed, I continue to use the P+ podcast during my daily 3-4 mile fitness walk. I mention this because, while there are a scant few decent UAP-related podcasts out there that I listen to, I consider P+ to be just about the best. Since Art Bell re-re-retired, and since C2C covers the UAP topic less and less, I have come to appreciate even more the work that you and Chris put into the show each week. And, I have found a kindred spirit in Chris, whose approach to the subject mirrors my own to a large extent. I would hate to see his contributions to the show end.

The fact that I will continue to subscribe to P+ while unemployed is a small testament of my appreciation.

Keep up the good work!
 
There is still a lot to think about, and I won't act rashly. I appreciate your support, and I know it's difficult. But if there was any way for us to boost Paracast+ and Tech Night Owl+ membership by several times, there'd be no question about whether to go subscription-only, seek new network possibilities and all the rest.

If you really want to support the show, the premium package is the way to do it. That will still allow people who aren't in a position to subscribe to continue to get a free show.

In any case, I appreciate all the input.
 
I see a number of people here who say they wouldn't pay for a subscription model but i wonder if they would pay say maybe $1.50 for an individual episode they found intriguing ? It would be helpful I think if the nay sayers expressed their rational like @ufology did. maybe there's a work around to keep all happy.

For my part, in a way I already shell out the money for the + episode and as long as the price doesn't go up a lot I see no reason to change my mind but I'll mention once again I don't listen to every episode. I have selective interests. There are episodes I target and I usually let forum chatter dictate what other episodes I might listen to but I do the same with two other paranormal podcasts and even though not flush with money I find I can part with a few bucks for something I don't take full advantage of BUT if any of them went to upwards of 9$-10$ I'd probably pass.

I guess my point is if the majority of those that have said no did so because there are only a handful of shows they'd want to pay for then maybe once a show goes into archive they would be willing to pay a individual fee.

I'm assuming this has been mentioned in the past .Is there a model for that Gene? Or is it getting complicated?
 
Paul Kimball said:
It's all about valuing the work that content creators do. That means paying for it. If you're not willing to pay for it, that speaks volumes as to the value you assign to it.
Click to expand...
Speaking of content creation, I've got 7000+ posts here. I love to write, I do it fairly well, and I'd love to get paid for it too, but I don't get paid a dime here, and 10¢ a word isn't unheard of for content creation. I wonder what that works out to? Not only that, I've paid for advertising here in the past, and I might even buy more if and when somebody someplace decides they want to pay me to create their content. In the meantime, am I a fool because I'm not getting paid here? Should I complain about not being appreciated by either Gene or Chris?
You'll forgive me if I seem harsh on this, but we have allowed a culture to arise where people expect to get original content for free.
Click to expand...
Hey no need to ask forgiveness. This is what I do. I look at the issues and hash them out. Good point-counterpoint helps distill out what's essential and maybe Gene and Chris can benefit from that. It's true that people these days expect to get stuff for free. It irks me too. It's gotten so bad that I'm competing with other job seekers who are willing to work weeks or months for free just to get a foot in the door. The employers just use them and spit them out and get another one. I won't do it. So here I am still unemployed providing free content for The Paracast. I also hope to be doing it years from now :) .
That's wrong. Gene and Chris create content. You demean and diminish their efforts and their unique take on the subject when you write it off as an infomercial, and don't want to pay, even as you still listen.
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It's a good idea to look at the issue as objectively as possible and it's just a reality that The Paracast is mainly a promotional medium for guests and advertisers. There's nothing wrong with that, and IMO they do it far better than their competition. Recognizing it in no way "demeans and diminishes" Chris or Gene's efforts. They both have every reason to be proud of their accomplishments, and get paid. It's just the way that happens that we're discussing. If the show goes 100% paid subscriber, then maybe I should start charging for editorials too. Put a teaser on the free side and the rest behind the pay-wall ... lol. How much are you willing to pay me for content @Gene Steinberg ?
 
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I get that Gene and Chris need to do what's best for the continued survival of the show. Right now I'm trying to figure out if I'll be listening to the show enough to make P+ worth it for me, but any decision won't get made until after Christmas at this point.

Like ufology, I'm not a huge fan of recurring payments. I'd rather make my one payment for the year and renew manually, thereafter.

@Gene Steinberg, have you looked into a platform like Patreon? Some of the other podcasts I listen to are using it as a revenue stream, in addition to the one time donations they also take.
 
I'll look at the platform.

Meantime, if you subscribe for five years or a lifetime, the issue of recurring payments is not as important. Even annually — PayPal only collects once a year. You can always cancel a recurring payment and rejoin when it expires.
 
A couple of thoughts regarding video, be that YouTube or Netflix:

YouTube: I listen religiously to the show and ATP but always either in bed at night or when working/doing other stuff. For that reason, a video element to the regular show would be of very little interest/use to listeners like me.

Netflix: Could have promise: Gene & Chris as presenters, guests, cuts to other content, worth pursuing maybe?
 
re: Patreon.

Not suited for us. It is the sort of platform you have to start from scratch and use its site creation tools. We have a 10-year history here for both the site and the forums. It would involve reinventing the wheel, more or less, and that's not really practical.
 
I am going to express my honest and bitter opinion as a regular, average listener and not someone directly or indirectly involved with the subject of ufology.

I have a doctorate in mechanical engineering and I was always fascinated with the subject of alien life in the Universe as well as with all major scientific questions and unknowns. I consider this subject to be a field of scientific research and not an opportunity for new-age mental ill people to use for their delusions instead of seeking psychiatric therapy. As a result, I've been listening to Paracast ever since it started because it takes the subject seriously and tries to find good guests who do follow the scientific method in their attempt to resolve this mystery. But it is not the only podcast I listen because many other subjects interest me. Therefore, If I was to pay a subscription for every single podcast I listen then I would need to have two jobs to support my habit.

I am not willing to pay any subscription fee because, in my own personal opinion, the podcast platform is not and was never meant to be a business opportunity. Podcasts are a cheap and easy way for all kinds of people to express their opinions and talk about subjects of particular interest to them. This platform has grown and today there are some very high quality podcasts out there with very interesting discussions and important guests, all for free. Why would I pay for a podcast about a subject which is controversial and unfortunately pursued by all kinds of crazy people who know nothing about true research other than writing books mostly based on fiction in order to make some easy money, people who are mostly uneducated scam artists?

Paracast is indeed trying to do a serious job in this field but one cannot have a weekly podcast inviting the same 2 or 3 serious people who are actually doing real research and they do not suffer from hallucinations or delusions of personal high importance for the future of our planet and the universe. I pay 10 euros per month for Netflix and that gives me hours of programming available to me on a daily basis. So, in comparison, even a dollar for a weekly podcast on such a subject and guests one cannot really trust is too much in my opinion. Perhaps some people who are deeply involved in this field think it is impossible not to get their weekly dose of Paracast but I believe that they do not represent the vast majority of listeners who, apparently, did not even bother to vote, unless Paracast reaches less than 100 people in which case making money out of them is meaningless.

Also, I do not understand the rational behind someone doing a weekly podcast who expects to make a living out of it. For someone to make a living out of presenting information on a weekly basis in today's competitive and information overloaded world he must do high quality professional work based on his personal or a team's extensive research work. And this is not Paracast or any other podcast I am aware of for that matter. I have to say that I was surprised when I realised that the people who make Paracast want to make money out of this and made changes which resulted in a podcast of lower quality than the past and full of very silly advertisements which obviously target the less intelligent people out there I do not associate with typical Paracast listeners. I understand that the people behind Paracast may have financial difficulties and employment problems but a podcast is not the platform for someone to make a living and any attempt to do so will certainly fail. The subject of ufology is a passion for a few people and I think that this is how Paracast started. If for whatever reason it cannot continue as a passion and love for a strange subject because the producers have financial problems or other concerns then it should terminate. Asking for money or inserting humiliating for the listeners ads is not the solution, it is simply a slow depressing death of a once great podcast.

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
 
The last paragraph is not correct. We have not changed the quality of the show
Paspro said:
I am going to express my honest and bitter opinion as a regular, average listener and not someone directly or indirectly involved with the subject of ufology.

I have a doctorate in mechanical engineering and I was always fascinated with the subject of alien life in the Universe as well as with all major scientific questions and unknowns. I consider this subject to be a field of scientific research and not an opportunity for new-age mental ill people to use for their delusions instead of seeking psychiatric therapy. As a result, I've been listening to Paracast ever since it started because it takes the subject seriously and tries to find good guests who do follow the scientific method in their attempt to resolve this mystery. But it is not the only podcast I listen because many other subjects interest me. Therefore, If I was to pay a subscription for every single podcast I listen then I would need to have two jobs to support my habit.

I am not willing to pay any subscription fee because, in my own personal opinion, the podcast platform is not and was never meant to be a business opportunity. Podcasts are a cheap and easy way for all kinds of people to express their opinions and talk about subjects of particular interest to them. This platform has grown and today there are some very high quality podcasts out there with very interesting discussions and important guests, all for free. Why would I pay for a podcast about a subject which is controversial and unfortunately pursued by all kinds of crazy people who know nothing about true research other than writing books mostly based on fiction in order to make some easy money, people who are mostly uneducated scam artists?

Paracast is indeed trying to do a serious job in this field but one cannot have a weekly podcast inviting the same 2 or 3 serious people who are actually doing real research and they do not suffer from hallucinations or delusions of personal high importance for the future of our planet and the universe. I pay 10 euros per month for Netflix and that gives me hours of programming available to me on a daily basis. So, in comparison, even a dollar for a weekly podcast on such a subject and guests one cannot really trust is too much in my opinion. Perhaps some people who are deeply involved in this field think it is impossible not to get their weekly dose of Paracast but I believe that they do not represent the vast majority of listeners who, apparently, did not even bother to vote, unless Paracast reaches less than 100 people in which case making money out of them is meaningless.

Also, I do not understand the rational behind someone doing a weekly podcast who expects to make a living out of it. For someone to make a living out of presenting information on a weekly basis in today's competitive and information overloaded world he must do high quality professional work based on his personal or a team's extensive research work. And this is not Paracast or any other podcast I am aware of for that matter. I have to say that I was surprised when I realised that the people who make Paracast want to make money out of this and made changes which resulted in a podcast of lower quality than the past and full of very silly advertisements which obviously target the less intelligent people out there I do not associate with typical Paracast listeners. I understand that the people behind Paracast may have financial difficulties and employment problems but a podcast is not the platform for someone to make a living and any attempt to do so will certainly fail. The subject of ufology is a passion for a few people and I think that this is how Paracast started. If for whatever reason it cannot continue as a passion and love for a strange subject because the producers have financial problems or other concerns then it should terminate. Asking for money or inserting humiliating for the listeners ads is not the solution, it is simply a slow depressing death of a once great podcast.

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
The last paragraph is not correct. The quality of the show has not changed since we joined GCN in 2010, except for better guests and production values.
 
Paspro said:
I am going to express my honest and bitter opinion as a regular, average listener and not someone directly or indirectly involved with the subject of ufology.

I have a doctorate in mechanical engineering and I was always fascinated with the subject of alien life in the Universe as well as with all major scientific questions and unknowns. I consider this subject to be a field of scientific research and not an opportunity for new-age mental ill people to use for their delusions instead of seeking psychiatric therapy. As a result, I've been listening to Paracast ever since it started because it takes the subject seriously and tries to find good guests who do follow the scientific method in their attempt to resolve this mystery. But it is not the only podcast I listen because many other subjects interest me. Therefore, If I was to pay a subscription for every single podcast I listen then I would need to have two jobs to support my habit.

I am not willing to pay any subscription fee because, in my own personal opinion, the podcast platform is not and was never meant to be a business opportunity. Podcasts are a cheap and easy way for all kinds of people to express their opinions and talk about subjects of particular interest to them. This platform has grown and today there are some very high quality podcasts out there with very interesting discussions and important guests, all for free. Why would I pay for a podcast about a subject which is controversial and unfortunately pursued by all kinds of crazy people who know nothing about true research other than writing books mostly based on fiction in order to make some easy money, people who are mostly uneducated scam artists?

Paracast is indeed trying to do a serious job in this field but one cannot have a weekly podcast inviting the same 2 or 3 serious people who are actually doing real research and they do not suffer from hallucinations or delusions of personal high importance for the future of our planet and the universe. I pay 10 euros per month for Netflix and that gives me hours of programming available to me on a daily basis. So, in comparison, even a dollar for a weekly podcast on such a subject and guests one cannot really trust is too much in my opinion. Perhaps some people who are deeply involved in this field think it is impossible not to get their weekly dose of Paracast but I believe that they do not represent the vast majority of listeners who, apparently, did not even bother to vote, unless Paracast reaches less than 100 people in which case making money out of them is meaningless.

Also, I do not understand the rational behind someone doing a weekly podcast who expects to make a living out of it. For someone to make a living out of presenting information on a weekly basis in today's competitive and information overloaded world he must do high quality professional work based on his personal or a team's extensive research work. And this is not Paracast or any other podcast I am aware of for that matter. I have to say that I was surprised when I realised that the people who make Paracast want to make money out of this and made changes which resulted in a podcast of lower quality than the past and full of very silly advertisements which obviously target the less intelligent people out there I do not associate with typical Paracast listeners. I understand that the people behind Paracast may have financial difficulties and employment problems but a podcast is not the platform for someone to make a living and any attempt to do so will certainly fail. The subject of ufology is a passion for a few people and I think that this is how Paracast started. If for whatever reason it cannot continue as a passion and love for a strange subject because the producers have financial problems or other concerns then it should terminate. Asking for money or inserting humiliating for the listeners ads is not the solution, it is simply a slow depressing death of a once great podcast.

Sent from my Pixel C using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


Paspro you nailed it sir... i could not have said it any better.... Mic drop.

Gene all things come to an end i think its time my friend.
 
It's a shame. Paying for podcasts seem to be the trend these days. I was a podcast listener since the early days. Heck, I remember going to security questionable websites back in '06 to download raw MP3 files before iTunes.

There was always something dangerous and satisfying about completely bypassing the big networks that carried the Art Bell shows of the world and listening to real people talk UFOs. The paracast and shows like Kevin Smith and Banall of America scratched that itch. They seemed very underground. I always had this romanticized notion they were doing it for the love of the subject and not for money.

To answer the question I would have to say no. When things become about pleasing a paying audience or network overlords watch out. That's what made db such a powerful presence on the show. He wasn't concerned with that crap and spoke his mind without giving a f**k.
 
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I won't comment on going to a total pay system or not. If you do go all pay, you are going to need to provide more content than you already do. Some chit-chat like the Paracast + won't cut it.

Also, I wouldn't hold much relevance to that poll. Less than one hundred people have responded. When people have to actually dip into their pockets and pull out some cash, that will be the deciding factor.

I would suggest you clean up your chat rooms if you make the move. That political chat is a total disaster. Too much ranting is going on. Just look at most news sites these days. They don't allow comments. Enough said. Personally, I would charge at least $120 a year for a subscription. There are way too many freeloaders and malcontents onboard.

Maybe that will clean up your website and make it presentable to the paying public.
 
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