Ask HN: Why hasn't an IMDB/Goodreads for podcasts emerged? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why hasn't an IMDB/Goodreads for podcasts emerged?

A few people have tried to build this (e.g., Podchaser). But nothing has come close to being really successful. What's the hold up? Is this one of those seemingly "good ideas" that's just not that good?

View on HN

IMDB itself already includes podcasts. I think your question is really why you and others don't seem to know that. The Joe Rogan Experience, which as far as I understand is far and away the world's most popular podcast, has 4.5k total ratings. Gen V, which has existed for a month, already has 19k. Podcasts just aren't that popular. But it's nothing specific about the format. Largely informational, non-fiction content, even extremely high-quality, long-running classics, don't get much attention from critics and discussion groups. Nova has been running for nearly 50 years now and has 3k ratings on IMDB, even fewer than Joe Rogan.

There ought to be a dedicated IMDb for podcasts, just as there is one for books

> non-fiction content

Not factual content either. Interview style podcasts are just some people sitting around chatting, there really isn't any fact checking going on. Once you've seen an interview of someone you don't really need to see the rest of the podcasts they appear on as they make the rounds pushing their latest book/movie/show/platform/whatever.

Maybe because books and movies are more static/unchanging in nature? I realize IMDB also does TV but even then many podcasts have a frequent release schedule that outpaces nearly every other medium besides maybe streaming. Because of this, reviews become stale quicker, and some podcasts talk about something different every episode which makes recommendations trickier

Also worth noting Amazon owns both IMDB and Goodreads. Many folks seem to think they're neglected now and not great platforms anymore

Certainly true of many episodes.

But still think there could/should be a top 1,000 all-time list — filterable by category.

Because the IMDb for podcasts is built into the Apple ecosystem. It has ratings, reviews, category lists, best of lists etc.

Apple doesn't have a list of the 1,000 best episodes all-time

Apple also doesn't offer any sort of community around individual episodes/shows

It does have a smaller list of best this week, month etc.

Books and movies predate the internet and discussion forums, podcasts are generally discovered near platforms that they use for communities already. Also, books/movies usually being published more properly (ids, canonical credits, companies behind, etc) is a more obvious "database", if you look past the ratings

The market size podcasts is tiny compared to books and movies.

IMDB and Goodreads address mass media. Podcasts are niche. Even the most popular ones.

In addition books and movies have the backing of multinational corporations. So there is marketing to create cultural awareness.

There’s no IMBB for YouTube and no Goodreads for blog posts, either.

Fundamental reason is that books/films is an art.

Something that belongs to eternity.

Something that people have always been collecting.

Podcasts are just entertainment to fill the time, air. Like radio.

Who cares or ever cared about collecting radio programs?

Because you haven't built it

Is ListenNotes considered successful? I usually go there to search for interview episodes.

Moderately successful but not a smashing hit in my book

> But nothing has come close to being really successful

How is Podchaser not? 500k MAU in 2021, for something as niche as podcasts I'd call that successful

And then there's also Listen Notes with 2mil MAU

I would like one. It's hard to find trustworthy curated lists of good podcasts

I kinda like that we don't have central clearing houses for podcast recommendations.

It makes it one of the few remaining forms of media where I have to rely on friends to disseminate their likes and dislikes and give recommendations. The sharing of these primarily in real life social interactions is a part of the predigital age I actually want to keep around.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com