Copyright, podcasts and crowdfunding: an ‘abundance model’ for an emerging medium?

Abstract

Podcasts have emerged as an increasingly popular form of creative expression over the past decade, and are largely released for free. Their distribution and funding model are reliant on digital technologies, but what role does copyright play? Prior to the digital age, the reproduction of works implied physical reproduction, which imposes a natural scarcity. The technological default for digital works on the other hand is abundance. In this context, some creators and publishers have embraced new business models which do not rely on excluding non-paying users, so-called ‘abundance models’. Many podcast creators are independent from anything like traditional publishers and so have to find their own funding. For independent creators, like podcasters, releasing free work through intermediary platforms, the role of copyright in realizing their business models is far from clear and worth investigating. This article discusses how podcast creators monetize their work through crowdfunding. The specifics of this business model are laid out with support from data gathered through a content analysis study of podcasts which fundraise through the crowdfunding platform Patreon. The concept of an ‘abundance model’ is only an imperfect fit for crowdfunded podcasts, but nevertheless provides a useful frame for the discussion of existing business models.