More than 400,000 people have used the PodServe platform since we launched more than a year ago.  Today, around 2,000 power users actively use the service to host their podcasts.  The truth is that we have done a lousy job supporting our unpaid users, primarily because the service was free.  We have determined that our ‘unpaid’ model is unsustainable and as a result we are moving to a ‘paid’ model starting in May.  PodServe has been a great marketing tool for Big in Japan resulting in a handful of lucrative private label projects including projects for Nip/Tuck, Dirt, The Shield and The Riches.

Starting May 1st we are asking that users pay an annual fee of $25 to use PodServe via PayPal.  We certainly won’t make any money with this fee (if every active user paid we would generate $50,000 per year, hardly enough to pay someone to provide basic support), but it will help defray the costs of operating the service and allow us to continue to use PodServe as a marketing tool for Big in Japan.  We have a plan to make PodServe better:

Our plan: a) add additional dedicated servers and a larger SAN, b) integrate updated code base to PodServe code for increased stability, c) add statistics, and d) provide basic support to users.

Interested?  Go ahead and send $25 via PayPal to sales@biggu.com, providing your user name with the payment.  Alternatively, you can wait until April and signup on the site.  Remember, if you are not going ‘Pro’ you will need to move your podcast before May 1st.

Is this a good deal?  If PodServe works for you it is a great deal.  If you need additional features like a flash creator, http://www.hipcast.com might be a better fit.  They have three plans ranging from $49.97 to $119.40 per year.