What you need to know
- Apple is reportedly talking to partners about creating a subscription service around podcasts.
Apple is working with its partners to bring a subscription service to podcasts, according to a new report.
Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg reports that Apple is adding a subscription service to its podcasting business at some point this year as it considers funding new original programming.
Apple has discussed the plan to create a subscription service with its partners, said the people, who asked not to be identified because of nondisclosure agreements. The company also has talked about stepping up funding for new shows and marketing, the people said.
While it isn't known what the service would be named, the obvious option would be Podcasts+, following Apple's existing naming convention for other services like Apple TV+, News+, and Fitness+.
While Apple reportedly declined to comment when asked about the plans, Podcasts+ wouldn't be the first premium podcast experience on the market. Competitor Spotify already offers something similar. However, a similar report comes courtesy of The Information, with that one suggesting Apple could charge for podcasts on a case-by-case basis rather than an all-you-can-eat subscription.
Apple—long considered the sleeping giant in the podcast space—is waking up. The company, which runs the most widely used podcasting app in the industry, is discussing launching a new subscription service that would charge people to listen to podcasts, according to people familiar with the matter.Talks between Apple and production companies about the new subscription offering are underway, although it's unclear when—or whether—Apple will launch the new service. People caution that Apple mulls over many ideas for media services and doesn't always proceed with them.
