I listen to my podcasts in podcatchers that I want to use. I've switched pocatchers many times too. But platform lockin stops people from using what they want. Spotify is the biggest risk here.
DAI lets podcast networks deliver extremely weird ads. It's hard to describe, and I think it's kind of hilarious. One of the reasons why sponsorships on podcasts have been so lucrative in the past has been "impersonal personalization." If a podcast host runs a sponsor read, they often at least vet the sponsor and understand the product. They usually have personally used it, and on many podcasts, the sponsors are just products that the podcasters already use or actually support. Sponsors that sponsor tech podcasts target tech, which makes sense, and they're read by the hosts, usually. In contrast, DAI just brings back "commercials" with the added benefit of being privacy intrusive. I find it really creepy to listen to a podcast from the UK and get an ad for a car dealership a mile away. Yet, that's what DAI does. It's enough of a turn off that I wish I had an adblocker for podcasts, which says something.
The podcast medium has always been a niche, and I'm happy to see it growing. But it seems like the companies who want to grow it are going about it in some of the worst ways possible. Apple re-entering the fray is good competition wise, but it's scary to think that they might lockdown their podcast directory or pitch podcasts without RSS feeds. I'm sure they won't tolerate privacy invading analytics, but it's such a delicate balance that I'm fearful for the future.
Edit: Looks like Apple's premium features (like subscriber only content) are indeed behind DRM and only accessible in the Apple Podcasts app: https://podcasters.apple.com/support/899-set-up-your-show-fo....