Howl Launches All-You-Can-Eat Podcast Subscription Service

Podcasters rejoice! For the first time, podcasting has been brought together in one marketplace with Howl, a new app that allows users to listen

Podcasters rejoice! For the first time, podcasting has been brought together in one marketplace with Howl, a new app that allows users to listen to unlimited podcasts, says Fast Company.

Howl Launches All-You-Can-Eat Podcasting Subscription Service

Launched in May by E. W. Scripps-owned Midroll, a podcast ad network, the free version of Howl features recent episodes of 35 comedy podcasts produced by Earwolf and Wolfpop. For $4.99 a month, subscribers get an all-you-can-eat version with unlimited access to all shows on the network, archives of Comedy Central specials, exclusive photos, host commentary and Twitter streams, according to Fast Company.Among the podcasts are more than 600 episodes of comedian Mark Maron’s show WTF with Mark Maron which features interviews with fellow comics Louis C.K. and Bob Saget as well as big names like President Barack Obama and director Peter Bogdanovich. Maron is more than just the featured talent though. He has partnered with Midroll to offer entire archives of his podcast.Maron explains the partnership to Fast Company:”What’s exciting about Howl is that it’s going to really create a world and a platform and a place that is uniquely podcasting. It’s almost like a Netflix for podcasting,” says Maron. “People that wouldn’t have come to our show will come to our show, and people who are generally into podcasts are now going to have very easy access to whoever is on Howl. I think it’s going to blow up the audience for podcasts in general, because it’s going to make it easier and all in one place.”The app is currently only available for iOS, to be followed by desktop and mobile versions, and eventually Android. As the app evolves, Howl will add exclusive programming. Midroll CEO Adam Sachs says the intent is to help the medium evolve and to be more accessible, allowing listeners to discover new material.”Podcasts require another step of engagement that a lot of people are not culturally used to,” Maron tells Fast Company. “So, I think access is a big thing, and it’s really one of the few mediums where there’s a huge possibility for growth. In my mind, it’s only a matter of time before they just become commonplace, and I think Howl is a step towards that.”Insider Take:What can we say? We LOVE this idea! Creating a one-stop shop for podcasts similar to Netflix or Hulu is sheer genius for the ad network, podcast producers and listeners. The marketplace creates accessibility for users, helping the medium to get in front of new audiences and potential listeners.From a subscription company standpoint, the plan seems well thought out and deliberate – starting with a freemium model on one platform (iOS) and offering a premium version at a price point most listeners can afford. Howl is smart to offer exclusive content, and to expand to other platforms as it works out the kinks of the new app.We’re very excited at the ingenuity of this idea, which seems so simple, it makes us wonder why no one thought of it before. Kudos to Howl for making it happen!~ Dana E. Neuts for Subscription Insider     

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