Substack makes a pitch for your podcasts

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I had to stop working on Wordle so I could finish this newsletter. I'm taking this one seriously in hopes of pushing things in the right direction because my statistics are tied to the number of guesses. I have three yellows and a green, but I still have to guess three.

On to the news.

There is a stack of podcasts.

Substack wants you to know that it is more than just a newsletter platform. It would like to be thought of that way.

Substack: The Fifth Column has more than 4,100 subscribers paying a minimum of $5 per month, American Prestige has more than 2,200 subscribers, and Tangent has more than 100 subscribers. I assume Substack offered an upfront payment deal to the creators to make it worth the risk, like it has with many writers and comics artists. Substack didn't tell me if they're getting a deal. The company put up a couple of posts explaining why it's a good platform for podcasting.

I don't see a reason why a person would choose Substack over Patreon to build a community. Both platforms allow creators to put written updates, podcasts, videos, and more behind a paywall, but Patreon allows them to do that with more flexibility. Substack only allows a single flat price, whereas Patreon allows creators to offer different subscription tiers.

If you get fed up with the platform, you can take your subscribers' email addresses and payment information and leave. Are you going to choose your platform based on your future desire to leave it?

The CEO of the company must sit for a deposition.

A judge ordered Daniel Ek to make time to chat with lawyers about the music licensing practices of his company. According to a report by Billboard, the company is being sued by Eight Mile Style over allegations that it failed to properly pay out mechanical licenses and mandatory fees to the writers of his songs.

Ek wasn't needed for the lawsuit because he isn't involved in the day-to-day licensing practices of the company.

The judge wrote that Mr. Ek has a full schedule. The issue of proper licensing relationships with the artists whose work comprises the entirety of the business and its sole product is worthy of some of Mr. Ek.

The trial will be held in September of 2023. There is no timing yet for Ek's deposition.

Yesterday, Explained hits radio.

Today, Explained is expanding to radio. The show started airing on 13 public networks on Monday through a partnership with WNYC Studios. The show is expanding to the air because it isn't everyone's cup of tea yet, and we want to reach as wide an audience as possible.

The mentorship program was launched by Rooster Teeth.

The Digital Creator Program is being launched by WarnerMedia Access and Rooster Teeth to support historically underrepresented digital talent.

The program isn't just for people who like to listen to audio, but also for people who like to host and media training. Through May 8th, applications are open.

Parcast is threatening to strike.

The members of the Parcast Union are ready to strike if they can't reach a deal in the final days of bargaining. 96 percent of the union's members signed a pledge to support a strike. The two sides are at odds over language on diversity, pay minimums, and intellectual property rights. The Parcast Union is organizing with the Writers Guild of America, East, as well as the Vox Media Union.

The Gimlet Union and Ringer Union had agreements with Spotify. Ringer staffers were already in the process of unionizing when the company was acquired, just a month after Gimlet staffers announced plans to unionize. The final days of bargaining are often when some of the most sensitive and important topics are discussed. This threat doesn't mean Parcast will strike, but it is one of many pressure tactics a union can roll out as it works toward a better deal for members in these late-game discussions.

That is all for today. I will have more for Insider members on Thursday and Friday.

On Tuesday, you will receive analysis, insights, and commentary on the audio industry.