Topic: Subscribers

A discussion on podcasting trends notes that shows like "I've Had It" and "Midas Touch" are gaining massive subscriber bases by replacing traditional daytime talk shows like "The View." The hosts debate the value of "unique clips" versus mainstream commentary and the role of nicknames in political broadcasting.

A massive automated subscription bot attack targeted one of the hosts, flooding an inbox with over 500 confirmation emails. The incident necessitated a move to a professional email server managed by Void Zero to filter the influx of non-functional newsletters. This event mirrors a similar harassment campaign that occurred in 2020 during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Austin, Texas.

Progressive YouTuber David Pakman reported a significant loss of over 5,000 subscribers and numerous paying members immediately following the 2024 election. Pakman described the trend as a "terrifying" sign of liberal audiences checking out of political discourse. The phenomenon is characterized as a "rage quit" response to the Democratic defeat.

Glenn Greenwald discussed the "extraordinary success" of partisan media outlets like The New York Times, which now has over 7 million digital subscribers. He argued that these institutions are no longer objective but instead provide "liberal ideological affirmation" to a specific demographic. Greenwald noted that Trump "single-handedly saved" jobs at MSNBC by providing constant content for their "anti-Trump agitprop."

The hosts discuss the success of the No Agenda newsletter, noting that "boob-themed" content has historically driven higher engagement and donations. They explore the difference between modern emojis and old-school emoticons, concluding that the latter are more creative and universally compatible across different devices. Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the free newsletter for exclusive artwork and show notes.

The hosts admit that determining exact "subscriber" numbers is impossible due to the nature of podcasting, proxies, and BitTorrent distribution. They estimate their audience is between 50,000 and 400,000, though only about 1,500 people are active $5 monthly subscribers. They discuss technical issues with PayPal that often cause subscriptions to lapse, affecting the show's financial stability.

The hosts discuss the difficulty of tracking exact listener numbers due to proxies and BitTorrent distribution, estimating their reach between 50,000 and 400,000 people. They note they have about 1,500 "paying subscribers" but face constant issues with PayPal bouncing recurring payments. They express a need for more stable subscription growth.

The hosts analyze the growth of their mailing list, noting a recurring pattern where donors do not always subscribe to the newsletter themselves. One host describes the process of manually scraping PayPal records to merge new donors into the MailChimp system. They express bafflement at why supporters would donate without seeking the "work of art" that is the official newsletter.

Adam Curry addresses listeners still using the defunct Mevio podcast feed, urging them to switch to the official No Agenda RSS feed. Many long-time listeners have reported issues with password prompts or missing episodes due to outdated subscription links. The hosts emphasize that the show has been on a new independent infrastructure for over two years.

Dvorak presents data on international listeners, revealing that Australia is the second-largest source of donations after the US. They note anomalies, such as Japan providing high donation amounts despite low listener counts, and the "cheap" nature of Danish listeners. They also discuss technical issues with PayPal that cause legitimate subscribers to be dropped from the system.

The mobile phone markets in India and Africa are expanding rapidly, with reports indicating up to 60 million new subscribers per month across both regions. Nokia is targeting these emerging markets with low-cost "candy bar" phones, as many users are experiencing the internet for the first time via handheld devices rather than computers. These high-volume, low-margin devices are driving a digital revolution in developing nations.