“Audible Inc. is introducing a tool to help advertisers measure how many people are listening to podcasts, the Internet-based audio shows that are downloaded to listeners’ computers,” Sarah McBride reports for The Wall Street Journal. “That means advertisers will be able to get a handle on how many people are really listening to shows. By providing a way to track not just how many times the show is downloaded, but whether it is played back and for how long, Audible hopes to give podcasters some audience information.”
McBride reports, “Audible, based in Wayne, N.J., plans to sell a measuring service, starting next quarter, that is based on technology the company already uses for distributing bestselling books, magazine articles, newspapers and the like in audio form. It is revising that technology for podcasters.”
“Audible is making its tracking service available to outside podcasters. The company will charge three cents per downloaded podcast to report whether a downloader listened, and for how long. Audible will also offer tools that will stop the podcast from being emailed to others. It will charge five cents per download to track listening and attach the access restrictions. For half a cent per download, Audible will insert an ad relevant to the podcast,” McBride reports. “With the tools, ‘you can build a bona fide rate card’ for advertising, says Foy Sperring, Audible’s senior vice president for strategic alliances. The company says it will provide only aggregated statistics; it won’t disclose what individual podcast downloaders listen to.”
Full article here.
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*to report whether a downloader listened* .. ?
They can tell if you actually *listened* to the podcast that you downloaded .. or not?
Spooky.
btw .. I do know the iTunes app keeps track of whether or not we are listening to acquired podcasts .. I didn’t think that this data was being reported to anyone else, however. But after reading this .. who knows .. maybe it is. Anybody know for sure?
I’ll dump Apple even faster than Walt Mossberg when he thinks they’re going south if these iTunes podcasts are calling home somehow ..
Just saying, eh? Anybody know?
Ill be avoiding the podcasts that put on ads as often as TV
gwm,
It’s not Apple, it’s Audible that inserts the tracking info. Apple doesn’t report your iTunes data usage to anyone. iTunes keeps track of what you’re listening to locally, for your own use. Totally different than what Audible proposes.. Audible, for a long time, has used in their audio book files.
Thanks Mark.
Good news and as I had hoped. phew!
I never use my Mac without “Little Snitch”
Even Firebird calls home. and yes Itunes does call home.
that is until Little Snitch put an end to it.
But how do you know Little Snitch isn’t calling home?
effwerd wrote: “But how do you know Little Snitch isn’t calling home?”
That’s why I also use “Big TattleTale v2.1”. It tells me if “Little Snitch” is preventing other apps from calling home and if Little Snitch is calling home herself.
Now, that makes me wonder if “Big TattleTale” is calling home – damn.
Can’t you use “Little Snitch” to see if “Big TattleTale” is calling home?
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Another “rootkit” installation??? Hmmmm.
hey Guessing, my MWM is quite appropriate:
probably