Apple halts new podcast episode submissions, fueling Podcasts Plus rumors

Browse Podcasts on iPhone 11 Pro (Image credit: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore)

What you need to know

Apple has temporarily halted new podcast episode submissions on iTunes Connect.
The move is another hint that the company could announce its own premium podcast service tomorrow.

Apple has temporarily stopped accepting new podcast episodes, fueling rumors that the company could launch Apple Podcasts+ at tomorrow's 'Spring loaded' event.

As reported by AppleInsider, Apple has stopped accepting new podcast episode submissions to iTunes Connect, the service that handles the upload of your podcast into the company's Apple Podcasts service.

AppleInsider has discovered a new error message in the My Podcasts section of iTunes Connect. Editing the HomeKit Insider podcast, uncovered an alert stating: "The ability to submit new shows for review is temporarily unavailable." There was no indication of when Apple would start accepting new shows for review again.While this may be some form of indication that a major podcast-related change could be on the way, such as a premium subscription option, it may also be an affect of scheduled maintenance. The Apple Developer System Status does list scheduled maintenance for today — however, it also states that this maintenance has been completed, and the error persists anyway. It's the same with other Apple services, including App Store Connect and Accounts, which may also interfere with its podcast-related tools. All say maintenance has been finished, but the issue remains.

Rumors of Apple Podcasts+ popped earlier today when Recode's Peter Kafka said that they are "pretty sure" the company will unveil the paid subscription service at tomorrow's event.

While we are here: Pretty sure Apple is prepping its own podcast plan - a paid subscription service - on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/w12tWqg0yoWhile we are here: Pretty sure Apple is prepping its own podcast plan - a paid subscription service - on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/w12tWqg0yo— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) April 18, 2021 April 18, 2021

Details about what kind of content will be featured on Apple Podcasts+ or what the cost will be are still unknown. Apple is also expected to announce new iPad Pros and AirTags at tomorrow's event.

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.