Out of curiosity, for the sorts of people you’re talking about, what’s the hypothetical amount you think would be necessary to move them from “no thanks” to “yes, I’ll do the show”?
Interesting question. I guess it will depend on individuals.
I would have thought $500 to $1000 would be sufficient to make some people give up an evening to record.
This is based on the fact it would be a one time thing - so not a regular guest every month or anything.
I’ll talk about whatever they want for $200 a night.
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I suspect you’re trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist …
Last year I did 6-8 hour-long chats for a podcast that will released as a long series of highly edited 30-minute interviews.
We had a hoot!
Especially me - who got to talk about the stuff I love with 2 clever people who were eager to learn from me.
I imagine thousands of people will listen to the interviews.
And I hope some of them will be able to use my framework and ideas to make their workplaces better.
Everyone wins.
–
If money had changed hands … ick.
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I’ve done a number of in person presentations to local organizations. Usually there is an honorarium of $50 t0 $100 US. (I don’t need the money, and often just donate it back.)
I was also the president of a couple of such local organizations and we paid speakers to present at our meetings. (And they often donated back the honorarium.)
I understand that a podcast is not exactly the same. For one the guest does not need to develop a presentation. Nor do they need to get to the presentation site.
But there are similarities in that the guest is giving of their time. And often they are giving it to a money making endeavor. So I do not think that paying guests is all that outlandish an idea.
I had a side job in radio journalism (long before podcasts existed), including a few very small gigs and some training with the BBC.
There was a very clear distinction drawn between “editorial” and “entertainment”. “Talent” (i.e. people who made their living entertaining others, like actors or musicians or even experts giving lectures) got paid (usually union rates) for their main work and got repeat fees etc. Journalists and presenters similarly were paid including freelancers, but paying anyone (including the above) for being reported or interviewed was considered ethically very dangerous: how could anyone know if they were telling the truth or giving an honest opinion if they were earning from it? Expenses (e.g. sending a cab to bring them to the studio or paying for their train fare) were seen as fine, but the BBC had standard rates for all those things, so everyone was treated the same. I suspect that podcasting inherited that framework, and originally was “done for love” by everyone involved in it.
Those waters have been deeply muddied. Partly deliberately by Murdoch and co paying for “kiss and tell” stories and much, much more, and partly because things are much more complicated. Guests can benefit financially indirectly, “influencers” get sponsored rather than paid directly, people make money from their own “channels” and “merch” by being heard and seen elsewhere. Many, many more things are “monetised” than were ever imagined in the past: in particular, it’s become a thing in the UK to pay politicians to be TV and radio “presenters” (usually far more than they would be paid if they weren’t politicians)
I’m still enough of a hippy to believe that “monetising” public discourse is a threat to liberty and that an element of “gift” is essential for the common good. I understand that people need to pay for their shoes, but the day when no-one shares their ideas or learning unless they get paid (directly or indirectly) for doing so will be a very sad day.
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Please consider inviting members of the community as guests occasionally. People who post here frequently that you know they have something interesting to talk about. Marco is interesting, but he has his own podcast. I want to hear more of the new voices.
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