Apple Podcasts subscriptions are now available in more than 170 countries and regions, Apple announced this morning. Subscriptions, first unveiled this spring, allow listeners to unlock additional benefits for their favorite podcasts, including things like ad-free listening, early access to new episodes, bonus material, exclusive content, or whatever the podcast creator believes, that his fans will pay for it. Channels allow podcasters to group their shows however they want – for example, to highlight a series of shows with a common theme or to offer different mixes of free and paid content.
The new subscription features were originally supposed to arrive in May, but Apple later Email creator that the start has been postponed to June. This was likely due to a Series of backend problems Service impacts, including but not limited to delayed episodes and incorrect analysis.
At launch, Apple says there are thousands of subscriptions and channels available, and more are expected every week.
When listeners subscribe to a show, they automatically follow the show in the redesigned Apple Podcasts app. The show’s page is also being updated with a Subscriber Edition label to make it easier for them to see if they have access to the premium experience.
The app’s “Listen Now” tab has been expanded to include new lines that provide access to paid subscriptions, including available channels.
In the app, users can discover channels on the show pages and through search, listen to recommendations on the Now and Browse tabs, and share channels with friends through messages, email, and other apps.
Apple’s delay in investing in the podcast market has given its competitors a head start in growing their own podcast audiences. At the time of the spring subscription announcement, for example, an industry report suggested that Spotify’s podcast listeners would surpass Apple’s for the first time in 2021.
Despite the competition, Apple is betting that its massive installation base will attract developers. These developers commit to paying Apple a 30% cut in their subscription revenue for the first year, just like they would with subscription-based iOS apps. This cut falls to 15% in the second year. In comparison, Spotify won’t cut sales for the next two years while the program gets underway. In this case, only a 5% fee will be charged.
Based on the debut lineup, it seems that many creators and studios believe Apple’s footprint is worth the bigger share of sales.
Subscription early adopters include big names like Lemonada Media, Luminary, Realm, and Wondery; Media and entertainment brands including CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, and Sony Music Entertainment.
Other studio participants are Audio Up, Betches Media, Blue Wire, Campside Media, Imperative Entertainment, Lantigua Williams & Co., Magnificent Noise, The Moth, Neon Hum Media, Three Uncanny Four, Wondery, Audacy’s Cadence13 and Ramble, Barstool Sports, Jake Brennan’s Double Elvis, Headgum, iHeartMedia’s The Black Effect, Big Money Players, Grim & Mild, Seneca Women, Shondaland, Relay FM, Tenderfoot TV, Radiotopia from PRX, Pushkin Industries, QCODE and others,
Credit: Apple
The News category also includes The Athletic, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg Media, Politico and Vox Media, as well as channels from other newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, radio stations and digital publishers including ABC News, Axios, Billboard, Bravo, CNBC, CNN, Crooked Media, Dateline, Entertainment Weekly, Futuro Media, The Hollywood Reporter, LAist Studios, National Geographic, MSNBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, New York Magazine, The New York Times, SiriusXM, SB Nation, Southern Living, The Verge , TODAY, VICE, Vogue, Vox and WBUR.
Podcasts for children are also available, including those from GBH, Gen-Z Media, Pinna, Wonkybot Studios, TRAX from PRX, and others.
Apple also highlighted independent creators who offer subscriptions like “Birthful” with Adriana Lozada, “Pantsuit Politics” with Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, “Snap Judgment” with Glynn Washington, and “You Had Me At Black” with Martina Abrams Ilunga.
Credit: Apple
International subscriptions and channels are now offered by ABC, LiSTNR and SBS from Australia; Abrace Podcasts from Brazil; CANADALAND and Frequency Podcast Network from Canada; GoLittle from Denmark; Europe 1, Louie Media and Radio France from France; Der Spiegel, Podimo and ZEIT ONLINE from Germany; Il Sole 24 Ore and Storielibere.fm from Italy; J-WAVE from Japan; Brainrich from Korea; Libo / Libo from Russia; Finyal Media from the United Arab Emirates; and Broccoli Productions, The Bugle, Content Is Queen, the Guardian, Immediate Media and Somethin ‘Else from Great Britain
Subscriptions start at $ 0.49 per month and go up. Some popular shows are $ 2.99 a month and some channels, like Luminary, are $ 4.99 a month to give you an idea of the prices. Apple Card users receive 3% cashback on their subscriptions, which can be viewed in Apple Wallet.
After subscribing, you can listen to music on all Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, CarPlay, HomePod, and HomePod mini.
Subscriptions were announced along with a redesigned version of the Apple Podcasts app that was received a number of usability complaints and sent some users to look for third-party apps. Apple has responded to user feedback and fixed some issues in the iOS 14.6 update with other updates to the Library tab that will arrive in future releases, possibly iOS 14.7.