The RegenNarration Podcast
The RegenNarration podcast features the stories of a generation that is changing the story, enabling the regeneration of life on this planet. It’s ad-free, freely available and entirely listener-supported. You'll hear from high profile and grass-roots leaders from around Australia and the world, on how they're changing the stories we live by, and the systems we create in their mold. Along with often very personal tales of how they themselves are changing, in the places they call home. With award-winning host, Anthony James.
The RegenNarration Podcast
224. The Mail Run: Navigating hurricanes, mail & Apple's 30% fee controversy
This mid-week mail run comes to you from Savannah Georgia, as a hurricane nears the Florida coast and the storms begin here in advance of it. As usual with these brief episodes, I reply to text messages from listeners through the new link in our show notes. And this time I also announce the recent winners of the book giveaway.
That’s before sharing some concerning news for independent podcast creators like me, as Apple announces a controversial 30% premium on Patreon subscriptions made through their iOS app. I run through some implications, ways to avoid this charge, and other subscription options. Then we close with a quick look at what’s coming up.
This episode has chapter markers and a transcript (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.
Recorded 26 September 2024.
Title slide: The view from where this was recorded, by the rising marsh.
See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.
Music:
By Jeremiah Johnson.
The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests (thanks to Josie Symons).
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Become a subscribing member to connect with your host, other listeners & benefits, via our Patreon page.
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G'day everyone. Anthony, here in Savannah Georgia, I've just posted a little bulletin out to Patreon subscribers so you guys will get a little glimpse into this. And those who've listened to the episode this week with Matthew Evans back home in Tasmania, responsible for launching a new festival in December down there, which I wish I could be at but will still be here those of you who've listened to that will also have got an auditory intro to where we are. Because it was sweltering heat and I had to go inside because, as you can hear, there's a bit of traffic here and there was some other noise at the time, so I retreated indoors with the aircon off. Now the cool relative cool has come because there's a hurricane about to hit Florida, so it's extremely wet here. We're expecting it to get a bit windy later and Yeshi is our young fella, is producing a podcast, for Yeshi Interviews His little missives tracking the hurricane. So if you're interested in that family members perhaps, particularly you can track it there. We're not experiencing or expecting any great drama here, but it's amazing to be here for and just amazing to be on these marshlands here, and we have tracked some extraordinary restoration efforts coming down the coast too. More on that soon.
AJ:This is the second mail run. So there has been one piece of mail received in the last few weeks and I wanted to reply here as I did last time. So from a treasured listener, hiya, loving your show, and wanted to check if you knew these podcasters who, like you, are visiting, touring the US, and I think there's alignment in what you speak of. From memory. They speak of tour dates around 40 minutes in. We're here in Climate Conversations and Regeneration at Narara Eco Village on unceded land. That's of course back home in Australia too. Her village on unceded land. That's of course back home in Australia too. G'day there to all at Narara. Great to hear from you and to imagining you listening there.
AJ:Unfortunately, the show you were writing about didn't come through with the message. I guess you probably tried to attach it. Perhaps just send me the name and I'll search for it. It does sound interesting and thanks again for writing. Outside that message, the horse book giveaway that was a couple of episodes ago and topically around those Montana episodes featuring horses to a fair extent. The winners, so to speak, were Vicky Mann, dominique Hess and Amanda Foxon-Hill. Congrats to you guys. You may even have your books by now. Text Publishing the brilliant team there. They have sent them, I believe.
AJ:Now, finally, some news from Apple that's not altogether pleasing. I don't want to paint an unduly damning picture of Apple, because they generally are certainly compared to Spotify, for example, a more openly oriented presence in podcasting and, let's face it, probably the dawning of what it's become today as well. But they have decided to put a bit of a spanner in the works for people like me, independent creators. They have decided to put a premium on subscriptions through Patreon done via the Apple iOS app. If you're not subscribing via the app to Patreon, this doesn't affect things. Via the app to Patreon, this doesn't affect things. But if you are thinking of subscribing and you do it through the iOS app, apple will charge a 30% premium on that for the use of their app. Patreon offered me to absorb that cost instead of you guys, but that would seriously eat into the income and viability of the podcast. So I haven't done that. I've taken the other option to have that premium be bounced along to new subscribers through the app as much. So it's visible to everyone as well what apple has chosen to do with it in this instance. I do hope they decide to reverse this or at least reduce it to a lesser amount, a lesser proportion, given that you guys, I know, want the vast majority of what you give to support the podcast. To come through to the podcast. So, in fairness, apple are doing this because it's all their work in the app. Podcasts already aren't a great earner for apple. They, of course, leverage off that to sell devices, but it is a huge impost on people who want to support creators and, of course, independent creators like me trying to do the work for you. So so, in summary, it's a 30% premium.
AJ:Apple is charging on subscriptions to Patreon via the iOS app. So if you're looking to subscribe to the podcast on Patreon and you do that through the Apple operating system, on your iphone, for example, then you will be charged an additional 30 percent. If you do it via the patreon website, even on an apple mac, that will avoid the charge. Or, of course, if you do it somewhere else entirely, that avoids the charge. The other way you can avoid charges completely, of course, is just donating directly via PayPal or my account. Even All those details are on the website under the support page.
AJ:Patreon is just a way to get a bit of behind the scenes info and footage from me on the journey. And Patreon itself takes about 10% of what you give, which to me is reasonable for quite a brilliant platform that continues to improve. There were some issues earlier days with subscribing or resubscribing or renewing cards. I think they fixed most of them. But yeah, for Apple to take 30% on top of that 10%, that's almost half of what you'd give. That would not make it to me. Anyway, also to emphasize, none of this affects existing subscribers, so don't worry if you're already on board. Oh, and the other option Apple do offer subscriptions too, but they take 20% off that platform and, more importantly, harvest your details as opposed to passing them to me, whereas Patreon a full disclosure. I get your email, we can communicate directly if needed.
AJ:Apple, in that other way of being that I don't particularly admire, keep your data for themselves. So that's why I haven't opened up that portal, even though it's highly recommended, because it's so easy for those who listen through Apple to just click subscribe there. But I just don't like that closeness and they're not awful on that front. Again, in the podcasting space in general, but in these couple of ways, yeah, I'm less on board. There is also the ability to subscribe via buzzsprout, my host platform, and for those who do, I'm going to find a way to also send you the behind the scenes stuff. They don't take a cut because I'm already paying them to host the podcast, so I'll find a way to get what I send to patreon subscribers to buzzsprout subscribers too. If I can stand by for more on that, that's an option too and that's simply in the show notes. You can see that very clearly where it says support the show at the end of the main bunch of show notes and then under that it says text a message, if you want. They're the messages I reply to on these mail runs and you can subscribe there too. A few of you have already done that, so huge thanks to you.
AJ:Okay, I hope you have enjoyed or will enjoy the episode out this week with Matthew Evans back home in Australia, in Tasmania, announcing the launch of a new festival which I am pumped about and bummed that I'll be missing because I think we'll still be over here. But we'll do a big debrief on the thing after it's done and I've already heard from a few of your listeners, after listening to the episode out a few days ago, that you'll be going. I'm so glad. Can't wait to hear about it. Enjoy. The link to get tickets is in the episode show notes too. It's called grounded. It'll be in december. We'll be thinking of you, we'll be there in spirit and meantime you'll hear more from us over here in the lead up to the election in november. I've saved a bit of a collation of our experiences and observations and conversations for the month of october. That'll start next week. For now, from pre-hurricane southeastern United States, I hope you're well wherever you are. Thanks, as always, for listening. See you next week, thank you.
