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Comment by throwGuardian | Hacker News Reader

This is why we can't have nice things. Podcasts rely on advertising for revenue, and given the static nature of pre-recorded ads, they are the least intrusive in this era of AI driven hyper real-time ad-targeting. Reminiscent of print ads on newspapers.

So respect the effort of the creator and stop automating ad skipping. Heck, I even implore you to listen to the ads that make your favorite shows available for free, but you always have the skip-ahead button in your player

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NPR inserts targeted ads when you download an episode.

Isn't it only geo-based though? Of the IP you are downloading from? Fine. Do that. That is still very unobtrusive

It isn't clear exactly what they are doing nor have they said what their plans are.

I think NPR bought Pocket Casts and I doubt they spent all that money with no plans for a return on that investment.

I fear more and more podcasts are going to start locking you into a podcast app.

It's turning into the video streaming scene

I think that's exactly what some of these companies think they are building - Netflix for podcasts. Unfortunately for them, there isn't a lot of value in podcasts for most people and I can't see that changing.

Exactly. My limit is $5/month and a lot of smaller podcasters seem to agree that it is an adequate amount for bonus content/no ads.

Hell, I know a few that for $1 or $2 they get the full ad-free podcast

> I fear more and more podcasts are going to start locking you into a podcast app.

Any podcast app can play any podcast, full stop. Podcasting is a simple and open medium.

Creators can make their shows available on closed platforms as well as distributing them as podcasts. When closed platforms become the only option for creator monetization, podcasting dies.

Would you say the same thing to every other podcast app company (including Apple) and tell them to remove the 30 second forward button?

A skip button requires user intent, your entire value-add is automating that out.

Frankly, I would say that you are a hypocrite.

1. You charge $1.99 for an app that strips revenue streams off content creators, while simultaneously expecting people to pay you for your work. The equivalent would be someone simply taking your impending Android apk, cleaning out the part where you get paid and putting it up for free download. a.k.a piracy

2. Your TOS [1] is a draconian piece of work, implying that the mere act of linking to your site requires your permission (which is obviously inaccurate). However, you have the gall to strip parts of someone else's content in an automated fashion? I'm certain you are violating ToS of podcast creators by doing what you do, and I hope they hold you accountable

Even the list of podcasts you currently support (like ones from NPR) are publicly funded, universally acclaimed and mostly ethical in their labeling of ads. You are not a net benefit to the ecosystem

[1]: https://adskippro.com/terms.html

It's my device, what I do is none of their business. I do not want to be advertised to, period.

Thank you!

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