Art Bell

[SciFiAuthor]

Ok I have a question for the group, of course we will begin with a live stream as promised BUT if it gets to big to fast we will be faced with a impossible situation perhaps very quickly, I refer to our music which I must have. There are two possible solutions both are tough. If we get past a point where about 70,000 are listening live and not enough people choose to order the Podcast we can either limit Bandwidth which will piss people off or start charging everybody who wants to listen five bucks a Month unless we do one of those things we will go broke pretty quickly. Opinions please???

Could be a moot point if we start small, nobody knows.

Art

Your best bet is to focus on winning paid memberships. Load the podcast memberships with extra content that only members can get, such as a short "Dreamland" type of thing that you could pre-record once a month or more and then promote that on the air during the regular free stream. Make it seem as though listeners are really missing something if they don't have a membership.

[Art Bell]

USA today article!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/strauss/2015/06/15/steve-strauss-art-bell-small-business/28459885/

Art

[Canned Heat]

Your best bet is to focus on winning paid memberships. Load the podcast memberships with extra content that only members can get, such as a short "Dreamland" type of thing that you could pre-record once a month or more and then promote that on the air during the regular free stream. Make it seem as though listeners are really missing something if they don't have a membership.

So gimmicky and complicated.   People just need to cough up a few bucks.  KISS!

[HorrorReporter]

USA today article!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/strauss/2015/06/15/steve-strauss-art-bell-small-business/28459885/

Art

It begins.
Drudge will undoubtedly pick it up.

[Sabu2K]

Your best bet is to focus on winning paid memberships. Load the podcast memberships with extra content that only members can get, such as a short "Dreamland" type of thing that you could pre-record once a month or more and then promote that on the air during the regular free stream. Make it seem as though listeners are really missing something if they don't have a membership.

I like that plus you could do weekly Q&A or live chats  and maybe something like members can get on air before non members during open lines or when calling in to ask guests questions.

[Art Bell]

Trust me we will start with and I hope keep it a free stream. However nobody, most of all me or Keith has any idea where it will go, hold on tight folk's it going to be a hell of a ride.

Art

[Canned Heat]

USA today article!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/strauss/2015/06/15/steve-strauss-art-bell-small-business/28459885/

Art

SO COOL!

This is what I do Art.  Whenever I'm feeling off maybe not so happy or pleased maybe stressed you get the picture, I stop and I ask myself what is bothering me, of course there's always something, that's with this sounds like to me...if you just stop and you realize that you've got to charge your fans these are fans for goodness sake a few bucks for you to come back, for your time!  Younger people are used to paying for everything today if they're not paying to play games they're paying for Netflix or some music station I could go on and on; you deserve it!   You deserve to not be stressed to do this.

[PathoJen]

Your best bet is to focus on winning paid memberships. Load the podcast memberships with extra content that only members can get, such as a short "Dreamland" type of thing that you could pre-record once a month or more and then promote that on the air. Make it seem as though listeners are really missing something if they don't have a membership.

Agree. And then really make them miss something until they become members. 
Instead of Insiders, call it MITD Oasis.

[Jamal Abanane]

It's a beautiful thing if you can start off in the black !!!

Ya, worse is if you start off n the brown, LoL

[chefist]

USA today article!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/strauss/2015/06/15/steve-strauss-art-bell-small-business/28459885/

Art

That was a great write up, Art.  And in US Today! The word is really getting out there now...

[PathoJen]

That was a great write up, Art.  And in US Today! The word is really getting out there now...

What a great photo too!! One I've never seen.

[Canned Heat]

Ya, worse is if you start off n the brown, LoL

Or even worse, reddish-brown.

[SciFiAuthor]

Trust me we will start with and I hope keep it a free stream. However nobody, most of all me or Keith has any idea where it will go, hold on tight folk's it going to be a hell of a ride.

Art

Another option to bring in extra cash might be to make one-time listens to podcasts available for 99 cents. Someone may have no interest in a full membership, but they might want to hear one specific interview. Theoretically, you could make shows available that way on Amazon where you would have an entirely different marketing structure where queries on subject matter or the guest bring in new listeners to the show as well as revenue. Plus Amazon pays well for content. Itunes as well.

Have Keith cook up an App for the DMRN for increased advertising revenue.   

[CornyCrow]

Is it feasible to give them a free trial for perhaps a month and then require the $5 subscription? 

[Canned Heat]

How do you call 33 bucks or 60 bucks or whatever a full membership.  Who here believes Art's listeners are all broke and need to hear him free.  Sirius's fucked up fees to this?  Pennies a day does not a membership make.

[Canned Heat]

I call it paying the bills.  Stress free.  Goodnight.

[SciFiAuthor]

And don't forget, never underestimate the sheer economic power of having your own branded dating service. 

[MV/Liberace!]

Whats awkward is MV hasnt posted the pic of him in a dress yet😆. Come on sugar!!

I'm not sure if everybody is ready to accept the real me.

[weeberwubber]

Ok I have a question for the group, of course we will begin with a live stream as promised BUT if it gets to big to fast we will be faced with a impossible situation perhaps very quickly, I refer to our music which I must have. There are two possible solutions both are tough. If we get past a point where about 70,000 are listening live and not enough people choose to order the Podcast we can either limit Bandwidth which will piss people off or start charging everybody who wants to listen five bucks a Month unless we do one of those things we will go broke pretty quickly. Opinions please???

Could be a moot point if we start small, nobody knows.

Art

I think your broadcast time is going to help a lot with subscriptions. Half the country just can't stay up for it and keep a job. It's not the only reason I'll be buying in, I'd do it just to support you, but I gotta say it's a solid reason. I'd love to stay up through the shows to be able to call in but the tens of thousands of $ I'd lose in productivity makes the $60 per year seem wholly insignificant. For me, and I would assume many like me, I'll be listening to the previous nights show while working late (until 11 or 12 EST) and picking topics where I hope I can contribute a worthwhile comment or question via a call in to reward myself by staying up until 3 hours before I have to get up for work again. I bet your live streamers / caller pool is a lot bigger on Fridays!

Limiting listeners / potential callers seems like a self defeating idea. If it becomes an issue then its better to limit the music to something easier to cope with financially for only a brief time until the challenge is solved. I know you hate that, but you hate limiting your audience too. Hopefully, and I'd say probably, it won't be an issue.

[MV/Liberace!]

*strikes a match*

Okay...I'm in some sort of bus station. OMG....MV really does look like that.

Surely you were looking at the guy who mops the liquid excrement from the lobby when you said this.

[Zenman]

Uh oh. Many more articles like that would surely put it over 70K, I'd think.

I don't see any problem with limiting bandwidth if it gets too big. At that point, those who are taking a ride for free can decide if they want to subscribe or if they want to take a chance on missing a free ride.

[MV/Liberace!]

Any one of us could check out at any time. What's that? You have a crust of bread lodged in your throat? Been nice knowing ya. Be sure to haunt me from the other side.

I'll never die.

[MV/Liberace!]

So cool that Art prefers a lightly-moderated, genuine forum of free expression, in spite of the inevitable disagreements.  His willingness to be open to, and also to challenge, the whole spectrum of viewpoints is part of why he's such a great host.

Well said.

[MV/Liberace!]

I am at Jurassic World with my Girls.

Art

Saw it tonight with my wife. Wasn't particularly impressed.

[Richard Groyper]

Trust me we will start with and I hope keep it a free stream. However nobody, most of all me or Keith has any idea where it will go, hold on tight folk's it going to be a hell of a ride.

Art

So you're saying there's a chance?

[MV/Liberace!]

my five year old wants to see it but thought it might be too scary. lmk what you think. He is begging for his birthday Friday.

I think it's fine for a 5 year old.

[Zenman]

Best one yet, Jaz. You've definitely got all the AB essentials in this one. Nice. Very nostalgic.

The only thing it's missing is right at the end during the thunder clap. You should have a really scary alien suddenly appear.

[SciFiAuthor]

Saw it tonight with my wife. Wasn't particularly impressed.

Neither was I. See Mad Max: Fury Road. As far as movies go, it tore my face off and shat in my lap and actually reminded me much of the climate here at Bellgab.

[Richard Groyper]

Saw it tonight with my wife. Wasn't particularly impressed.

Fucking T-Rex got Jobbed at the end! That made me angry. Trained raptors... *sigh*

[bateman]

Saw it tonight with my wife. Wasn't particularly impressed.

Yeah, Chris Pratt didn't take his shirt off once.