myPodder on Sony phones... who knew?

A review of the new Sony K850i is out and the author specifically mentions myPodder as a great way to add content to the phone.

Using the expansion slot we added 2GB of storage to the phone's measly 40MB, allowing us to both snap loads of high resolution pictures and, using the phone as a mass storage device, run the free application myPodder (http://www.podcastready.com/) to catch a range of programmes for listening on the move.

Obviously we can't test myPodder with every phone on the market, but that's the beauty of UMS (universal mass storage): if your device connects to a computer as a storage device, myPodder will work.

964% Growth! That's What Podcast Ready Does.

There are a number of reasons why people produce podcasts: just for fun, to get the message out about a cause or a charity, to raise awareness of a business or premium service, or to advertise. One thing they all have in common is: to be heard. But for podcasts that are trying to earn revenue, or drive audiences to a service from which they earn revenue, how do they promote their show?

A lot of podcasters swap promos and collaborate to get the word out. Others use tools like Facebook, Twitter, or My Space. Still others buy ads through Google or on related sites such as the Pickle, and everyone hopes to get featured on the front page of iTunes' podcast section. (At the first Expo one promoting podcaster put stickers on the wall in front of the urinals in the men's rooms.)

The question is, how does a media company promote their podcast to the mainstream? And how do they hit the 150+ million people this year that will choose not to buy an iPod, opting instead for a less expensive, more feature-rich media player?

That's what Podcast Ready does.

We've licensed our podcast-receiving technology to device manufacturers who in turn are installing it directly onto their products at the factory. The end result is, the consumer is introduced to the wide world of podcast content the instant they connect their new players - no installation, and no configuration; just plug-and-receive.

As part of the first time experience, we pre-populate the receiver with sample podcast feeds. The user can of course opt not to remain subscribed, but for the content creator its a chance to get their feed - their freshest content - into the ears of millions of potential new audience members.

This works. It drives new subscribers to shows. Of course, its up to the content creator to keep them, but the exposure is on a scale like no other - 350 millions exposures in the next 12 months.

Even though we haven't begun shipping with our largest partners (shipping is slated to begin in November) several podcasters have already witnessed the benefits just from being part of our standard website download.


(that's a 790% increase in 14 days!)

Another podcaster (graph shown above) has seen their subscriber numbers grow steadily since their inclusion two weeks ago. And this graph is only going to jump once we start seeing the projected 10,000+ activations a day.

Using Podcast Ready's services to promote your show is the most effective tool out there. It ensures fresh, timely material and literally puts your content in the palm of your potential listener. We still have plenty of slots to fill, so drop me a line or give us a call (866-343-5166) if your interested in taking your show mainstream.

We're Number 4!

I spoke with a podcaster at the Podcast and New Media Expo over the weekend that had just made the switch from Libsyn's statistical system to Raw Voice Generator. The first thing he noticed was that while Libsyn didn't report any contact with myPodder, Raw Voice's system showed myPodder to the 4th most popular client downloading his show. I wonder if they take that into account when Neilson certifies Libsyn stats...

In a hurry?

One of out users asked in the forums why myPodder doesn't automatically begin downloading new episodes upon execution. Having the program pause after scanning the feeds to allow users to de-select episodes we thought was the best default, but we have been working to make it an option.

Although the option isn't implemented yet, there code is there and its easy to implement for Windows users. Basically, create a shortcut to the 'mypodder.exe' program in the 'mypodder' folder and add "-download" at then end of the path. This will force the application to load in an minimized form (look for the butterfly next to the clock), scan your feeds, and automatically begin downloading.

Below, is the contents for an "autorun.ini" file that will make this auto-download initiate from Windows autorun menu or when you double-click on the devices drive icon in "My Computer". Simply replace the contents of the current "autorun.ini" file with this text, remove the device, and reconnect it. There are a few notes, so check the forum post for the details.

[autorun]
action=Get your podcasts
icon=.\mypodder\pictures\DEVICE.ICO
open=mypodder\mypodder.exe -download
label=myPodder iPod
includeRuntimeComponents=True
includeRuntimeComponents=True
shellexecute=mypodder\mypodder.exe -download
shell\Auto=&AutoPlay
shell\Auto\command=mypodder\mypodder.exe -download
shell=Auto

This is an undocumented feature and not officially supported yet, but if you have any questions or problems please let us know.

And the winners are...

First I'd like to thank everyone that participated in our 100K Play contest. Its been a lot of fun and we've really enjoyed all of the creative entries. Having said that, on to the winners:

For FIRST PLACE with 2549 points for various extra credit activities which included some very creative videos, the winner of 100,000 downloads and an iPod Touch for one of their lucky listeners:

Tech Talk for Families
by Dale Critchley

SECOND PLACE (by only 15 points) - winning 100,000 downloads as well - goes to probably the most high-spirited and competitive player in the contest:

Britney Mason's PopCast
from Britney Mason

HONORABLE MENTION #1, winning 10,000 downloads:

Sturgeon's Law
from Random

HONORABLE MENTION #2, winning 10,000 downloads:

Typical Mac User Podcast
from Victor Cajiao

Congratulations!

In the coming weeks we'll be inserting your podcast feeds into the default subscription lists of millions of Podcast Ready enabled devices from Coby, SanDisk, iRiver, Cowon, and many others.

Podcast Ready at IFA

Hagen and Christian, co-founders of Podcast Ready and my business partners, are representing Podcast Ready with one of our licensees at the IFA in Berlin. The largest consumer electronics show in the world... lucky dogs.

The Last Day for 100kPlay

Today's the day. If you haven't signed up already now is your last chance. With the recent addition of new device partners we'll be pre-loading your show's feed onto nearly 35 million devices. That should drive those downloads pretty quickly!

Good luck... and thanks for making this so much fun!