John (Podcasting) explains why your podcast is not a live stream ...

1. Time-Shifting Core Value: Podcasts were designed for on-demand listening, allowing audiences to consume content at their convenience. Live-streaming undermines this fundamental benefit by requiring real-time attendance.

2. Limited Live Audience: Most podcasts attract minimal live viewership, often fewer than five viewers, making the effort and resources spent on live-streaming unjustifiable.

3. Split Focus and Quality: Hosts must divide their attention between presenting content and managing live interactions, leading to a decline in production quality and listener engagement.

4. Editing Avoidance: Many live podcasters forego the crucial editing process, resulting in lower-quality content that lacks the polish and coherence of edited episodes.

5. Technical Difficulties: Live-streaming introduces technical risks such as connectivity issues, audio/video glitches, and other unforeseen disruptions that can degrade the listener experience.

6. Lack of Flexibility: Live-streaming restricts the ability to correct mistakes, leading to potential on-air blunders that cannot be fixed post-production, harming the podcast’s reputation.

7. Audience Disengagement: Real-time engagement requires constant interaction, which can distract from the content’s depth and lead to a less meaningful experience for both live and future listeners.

8. Resource Intensive: Live-streaming demands more resources, including higher bandwidth, additional equipment, and increased preparation, which may not be justifiable given the small live audience.

9. Not Suitable for All Formats: Some podcast formats, such as narrative storytelling or in-depth interviews, are not conducive to live-streaming, as they benefit from careful editing and post-production enhancements.

10. Dilution of Content: Focusing on live interactions can lead to a dilution of the core content, as hosts might prioritize real-time audience engagement over delivering well-researched and thoughtfully presented material.

More at johnpodcasting.com or x.com/johnpodcasting