Fireside 12+

Amazing to see a platform truly created for podcasters. Podcasting hasn’t changed much in years and this platform is leading in some of the changes needed and is focused on doing that for the podcast community.

For the participant, the Fireside feels like an app rushed to market, not yet a good business tool. App gets unloaded by IOS when it’s in background and resets itself. No easy way to backup 15 seconds. Using finger on slider is so inaccurate and it always wants to jump forward. Finding your lace in a recording is terrible. Worst of all, there is no way to find what you have listened to before - only can see what you participated in live. It would be basic table stakes to have it remember what you are listening to and where you were - all podcast and players do this basic function. It’s so clunky. The laugh tracks and applause is tough to stomach, but I get that and why it’s needed - better than nothing and helpful for a speaker to get some read of the room. Please Fireside, give the listener of recordings some basic tools, history, and functions so it’s tolerable. Do appreciate the Bluetooth compatibility.

As a platform for casting, sure, it does what it does, and it's got some limits that are meh.... But overall, it's fine for what it is.

My problem is it's lack of inclusion. I can't have a guest unless they have an iPhone or ipad. Not having a desktop version means you can't use other hardware, like a better mic or camera setup even if you wanted to. That's a bit short sighted. And it means that, while I'll join calls and casts with my iOS device... I will not use it to broadcast, as I'm cutting my audience and guest potential in half by default.