A few months back, Apple had announced a new idea related to Podcasts Subscriptions. Today, Apple has delivered on it by launching Podcasts Subscriptions as one of the biggest global marketplaces for premium podcast subscriptions which are now available for everyone. We all know that listeners are way more in number than the viewers. In 170 countries, people had purchased subscriptions for individual shows or groups of shows through different channels, making it easy for the listeners to support their favorite or most liked creator. They can enjoy the new content and unlock the additional benefits coming attached to it. For example - listening to stories without ads.
Listeners can also discover many subscriptions and channels that could be featuring brand new shows that may consist of different genres and formats, from daily news to comedy and from sports to true crime. It only offers a premium experience to the listeners by helping them in staying tuned, informed, entertained, connected, inspired, and motivated. These also include the subscriptions to the shows from necessarily independent voices like "Pantsuit Politics" with Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, "Birthful" with Adriana Lozada, "Snap Judgment" with Glynn Washington, and "You Had Me At Black."
Apple is not just a company but also a brand. How can I prove it?
The companies that are participating in Apple Podcasts Subscriptions are in a vast range. For example - Lemonade Media, Luminary, Pushkin Industries, Realm, Amazon's Wondery, CNN, NPR, the Washington Post, Sony Music Entertainment and Three Uncanny Four, QCode, The Athletic and Fox News, Bloomberg Media, Vox Media, Los Angeles Times, Politico, Campside Media, Tenderfoot TV, Radiotopia from PRX, The Athletic and Fox News.
Other studios and entertainment brands that are offering subscriptions through the Apple company include Audio Up, Betches Media, Blue Wire, Imperative Entertainment, Lantigua Williams & Co., Magnificent Noise, The Moth, and Neon Hum Media, plus channels from 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, Shonda Rhimes' Shondaland and Relay FM.
The Highlights
Apple is full of innovation and creation, and it has been estimated that it can soon launch its own in-app podcast subscription service. Apple has recently declared that it is aiming to get more and more premium subscribers through that one Subscribe button in the podcast app.
Spotify and Amazon Prime Music have also launched their paid podcast subscriptions. Meanwhile, the competition gets tougher.
Competition
The competition is getting quite tough for Apple as it has tried its luck in a new field. It has faced a lot of challenges in just a couple of weeks. Apple has undoubtedly started to make more money from its new business. There is one thing about the market that it criticizes a lot. Podcasters have repeatedly complained about Apple's latest podcast update; it has been popularly said that it is lacking in competing with other podcasts in the market because creators are facing issues regarding their content. Their episodes are being delayed, their analytics breaking, and the artwork is going missing.
At around the same time, Amazon Prime Music has also launched podcasts in the Indian market. Everyone knows how beneficial and profitable the Indian market is due to the country's population and tech popularity among the youth. The Amazon Prime Music & Podcast platform will be having a well-organized list of shows by popular creators. The content will be available in several different languages and genres, from love, action, and comedy to business, technology, and fitness. These podcasts are available for all Amazon Prime Music customers at no additional cost.
The Subscriptions for Apple Podcasts start at $0.49 U.S. per month, and it is priced high for some of the popular shows. It means around $2.99 per month. The price varies for different channels and shows. For example, for the channel, Luminary, the price is $4.99. But for apple Card users, there is a cashback of 3% on their subscriptions, which can be viewed in the Apple Wallet.
If it is subscribed once, you can listen across all Apple devices that you own, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, CarPlay, HomePod, and HomePod mini.
Is Apple delaying the launch of the podcast, or Is Apple redesigning its podcast?
Yes, You heard it right. The room for criticism proves to be good for people and their inventions because it helps in improving and sorting out things efficiently. Apple has decided to delay the launch of its podcast subscription service till the month of June. Some of the podcast creators have a lot of problems and issues with the functioning of the podcast, as it has some glitches or bugs.
The company said it was going to introduce a service in the month of April in order to let the podcast creators charge for their shows, with Apple keeping around 30 percent commission in the first year of the subscription and later dropping the commission to 15 percent.
Pricing and Availability
The Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will soon be available to the listeners of over 170 countries and regions in May. Some of the Specific software requirements for Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels will be shared for availability. Pricing for each one of the subscriptions will be set by creators and billed monthly. Creators can also additionally offer annual billing.
Now. Listeners will freely have access to the free trials and sample episodes offered by the creators. Sharing is caring. Through Family Sharing, around six family members can share a subscription, so no worry. Users will get access to the Search tab full of Top Charts and categories, new show and episode pages with the Smart Play button.
The Apple Podcasts are also available to all the creators in 170 countries and regions for INR1799 per year.
Apple Podcasts Connect
Apple Podcasts features have more than 2 million free shows and are also available for free on the Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod mini, CarPlay, iTunes on Windows, and other smart speakers and car systems.
Today, Apple is leading the world in innovation with unusual ideas for more and more developed technology. Apple Podcasts Subscription is just a new chapter of Apple's big subscription plan. We can see it's going to be a big deal for Apple Users soon. Apple's five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — provides the best experiences across all Apple devices and also empower people.
