Libsyn is getting some attention for problems with their podcast hosting service. Like other services that cater to podcasters, Libsyn is finding that podcasting is a monster in some ways, growing so big, so fast that they need to focus on just the core essentials to make the service work. To make it more challenging, these guys all have day jobs.

From Libsyn at the Yahoo! news group on podcasting:

Podcasting is a monster, and when something goes wrong, it is an all encompassing balancing act to remedy the problem while minimizing interruptions.

For Libsyn customers, the stat service the hosting service offers makes it possible for people to measure their audiences and recruit sponsors. But the periodic outages are taking their toll. Some customers are leaving all together.

Warren Ellis writes:

Well, I checked the stats on the system provided by the host I use for the Superburst Mixtape, Libsyn, last night, and it seems like they’ve gotten the stats system working again. The bad news is that Libsyn’s outages, so many people moving to iTunes for their podcast-catching (where people are still telling me they’re having trouble finding the thing) and, presumably, people losing interest have taken their toll.

So Superburst Mixtape 25 will be the last one. I’ll give people a week to grab any they don’t have from http://warrenellis.libsyn.com, and then I’ll terminate the PayPal subscription, and the page will go away soon after. I’ve got other uses for the money.

Libsyn admits its faults. In their post at the Yahoo! podcasting group:

Secondly we'd like to apologize for the state of the stats. Our
number one priority is always that the media gets to your listeners.
Stats is number two. If the media delivery network doesn't stay up,
there are no downloads to record anayway, so that's our reasoning. We
understand how important statistics are to the podcaster. It is the
audience that feeds you, and seeing that audience grow is what pushes
you to improve your show. And not only that, sponsors are right
around the corner, and your success with them relies on your ability
to verify your audience. From the beginning we wanted to provide
folks with the a stats system that was tailored to podcasters. Our
display engine has been a mess, but we're getting closer to having it
locked down. We've brought in some help to make the stats scalable to
the proportions we need them to be.

Where doe all this lead? To consider is the sudden venture capital interest in podcasting. Both Odeo and Podshow announced funding this past week.

When Dave Winer suggested that despite its gropwing pains, Libsyn is a great business, venture capitalists took interest:

They ask why would Libsyn make a good investment. Answer: No matter what podcasting grows up to be, their service is going to be needed. And while I haven't met the individuals who run the company, I've seen how they've dealt with trouble, they're a class act. Summary -- they picked a starting point that makes sense, they run a high integrity business, and they treat their customers well. That's a business with a future, imho. Permanent link to this item in the archive.

Perhaps the folks at Libsyn may not have to keep their day jobs after all.