A new way to do podcasts has started at Apple.
As of Tuesday, June 15, Apple has launched Podcast Subscriptions, which is a new service that the company has started this year.
What the new service will enable podcast creators to do is not only be able to offer premium subscriptions through the Apple Podcasts app, but also potentially offer exclusive content to listeners of certain podcasts.
This could mean anything as simple as ad-free shows or bonus episodes of podcasts.
Of course, those who do subscribe to podcasts through Apple’s Podcast Subscriptions program will be met with the “Apple tax,” which means that Apple will take a 30% cut from subscriptions that podcasts acquire.
It also means that listeners of that podcast, in order to get their perks or benefits from the podcast will only be able to get them through the Apple Podcasts app, and not through alternatives like Spotify or Overcast.
Podcasts on the Apple Podcast can still monetize through other methods outside of the Podcasts app too.
Channels for Apple Podcasts also launched today. This is how 9to5Mac describes Channels:
“Channels allow anyone to group their shows into a dedicated page, including custom branding and artwork. Channels are offered to creators for free and can be used whether a podcast takes advantage of the subscription features or not. For instance, Wondery and Luminary now have channels representing a collection of their respective shows. Paid subscriptions to a channel automatically unlock all shows with subscription benefits inside it.”
The best way to get the most out of this update is to make sure your iPhone is running iOS 14.6, with more updates likely to come in iOS 14.7.
What do you think of the launch of Apple Podcast Subscriptions? Feel free to let us know on Twitter at @appleosophy.
