OT podomatic frustrations

[algoriddim]

If any of you are considering giving podomatic your hard earned cash to start or expand your podcast, think twice. Though my troubles are small compared to what some people have experienced (some folks have lost everything and had to reupload shows, recreate content etc.) it is still frustrating none the less.

Recently, I logged in to find that all my stats had disappeared, yet again. This is at least the third or fourth time this has happened. When I contacted customer service previous times, no responses, no fixes, and I'm seeing now no corrections to the underlying problems that caused the data loss. Frankly, the only reason I use podomatic is that they provide good statistics and a map that shows where people are dowloading at. I've composed a podcast feed from scratch on my own before and don't need to pay someone else to do so for me.

I don't know the volume that they're dealing with, but it just seems like podomatic doesn't have their **** together. I'm paying them almost $200 a year for this and expect better service than this. At least respond to my complaints when I send a message through Pro Support! I work in IT, I know how it is, things fall apart some times. But, that's when you restore from backup so that your customer isn't too heavily impacted by the issues you're dealing with behind the scenes. If a process or system you're using fails one time, find a better solution so that it doesn't fail the same way next time.

I've watched podomatic go through several of these issues without making too big of a stink about it, primarily because I only lost statistical information and not shows and data like other people. But, to see this continuing to happen, repeatedly, makes me think that podomatic just isn't a company that has their act together.

Time to devise an exit strategy... In the next few months, I will let you know about the podcast I've been running of my own site and transition over to that podcast as THE algoriddim podcast by the time my subscription ends here in November. Frankly its not worth investing more money in this company if they can't get their act together and provide a reliable product. I don't want to be kicking myself for giving them my hard earned money that day when things crash again and my show loses more than just stats.

Its a shame, because barring these issues, podomatic could be a great service. But, if there's the repeated technical issues that don't seem to be addressed professionally, I'm not willing to invest my hard earned money here and lock myself into using this company.

[Doctor Tahl]

been using them for almost a year now. Have not had any issues. Think maybe its just an unfortunate and isolated issue.

[algoriddim]

Check their forum some time. There's a lot of back and forth about this from time to time.

[leggo rocker]

Slightly off topic, but:

When you pay your 200 bucks to podmatic, do you also get cover for the copyright of the stuff you broadcast, like on 365live etc?

[algo]

no.

Got an email and they fixed the stats issue, but it still makes me distrust them...

[Guest]

what is this and why you pay 200 for that? isnt that expensive or soppn?

[leggo rocker]

So basically even when using a podcasting structure like this you are a pirate.

I am not judging that. I'm becoming more inclined to just playing without paying as I really don't think a single reggae artist got one cent of the hundreds of bucks I paid for licencing to 365live.

So why don't you just get your own url, host and run your own podcasts independently of these paid-for set ups?

It will probably cost the same, maybe more, but at least you are in control of it all and you are building your own brand while doing so.

[Guest]

ist something where i can put up like 20 mixtapes up? ca is something i am looking for from long

[leggo rocker]

I might be able to help you there Don. My server already hosts a 'dance' music mixtape upload service run by my son. I'm trying to work with him to develop the same for reggae.

Only lack of time, not ability, stops this from happening. And I intend to push it on in the next few weeks, if I get time! MightyZ is also interested in this so hopefully we'll get it up and running soon.

[algoriddim]

DonDigital: I pay more to have an upgraded storage and bandwidth capacity. (2.5 GB storage space and 200 GB bandwidth) They have a free version that is much more limited in terms of bandwidth and space, but might do what you're trying to do.

leggo: I don't appreciate being called a pirate. Everything I play gets recorded to the proper licensing authorities because I'm playing on a radio station when I'm originally broadcasting this. Is there a royalties structure for podomatic? No. Do any of these artists actually get paid even through the radio station? Probably not.