Topic: Revenue

The hosts discuss Spotify's apparent departure from the "Amp Accords" by implementing ad-skipping features. They reflect on the death of the linear broadcasting model, noting that only broadcast radio and television were ever fully supported by advertising alone without secondary revenue like subscriptions or classifieds.

Revenue from the Lightning Network for the Podcast Index has plummeted from $50 per week to approximately $11, making the $240 monthly cost of maintaining a Voltage node unsustainable. The decline is attributed to changes in protocols, the rising price of Bitcoin causing users to "HODL" their sats, and a general shift away from the initial excitement of streaming micropayments. The hosts are now considering whether to shut down the node entirely.

Citing analysis by Ed Zitron, the hosts discuss the financial instability of OpenAI and Anthropic, noting they require hundreds of billions in annual revenue to remain sustainable. They posit that Apple's entry into the market has popped the AI bubble, forcing companies like NVIDIA to pivot toward hardware-based inference in laptops and appliances.

Adam Curry proposes the creation of the Podcast Data Collective (PCDC) to leverage the power of independent podcast apps. Drawing on his extensive background in advertising at MTV and with brands like Budweiser, he suggests that a collective of "misfit" developers can disrupt the industry by providing honest data directly to advertisers.

Adam Curry proposes the "Adam Accords" as a counter-solution to industry measurement problems, suggesting that advertisers should pay app developers for first-party data. He argues that if developers received a 5% to 15% cut of ad revenue, they would willingly provide the playback metrics advertisers crave. This model would treat podcast apps like radio or TV stations that receive a portion of the advertising spend for delivering the audience.