Why do so many Japanese podcasts block transcripts behind paywalls on Patreon?

I really like LingQ as a way of developing my reading skills, but want to use it for my listening as well (with the convenience of being able to look up any words I dont know while I am listening) as sometimes it is a pain to look up words on Jisho while listening to a podcast. It can also allow me to read sections I cant hear properly which therefore allows me to understand more of the listening to fill in the missing gaps I don’t understand.

I wish to import some Japanese podcasts, but I have found that most (at least the ones I like) seem to block their transcripts behind paywalls on Patreon. I understand that they need support as for some it is how they make their living, but I feel like this is blocking a huge part of their podcast behind a paywall (when frankly Patreon is an optional way to support creators you enjoy) and I personally can’t afford to be dropping sub fees on several different podcasts just for the transcriptions. This means it is very hard to import podcast episodes to LingQ as it requires accurate subtitles or text in order to be reliable.

1 comment
  1. Typing out a transcript and proof-reading it several times to make sure it is good enough for language learners sounds like a ton of extra work and probably takes a lot more time than just doing the actual podcast. Of course people want to be compensated for their time and effort, and rightfully so.

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