Good news, podcast fans: Things are going to get slightly more unpleasant for you! Yes, you already have to put up with a lot of ads for companies that mail uncooked food to your house and the basic indignity of having to say the words “it’s a podcast” when someone asks what song you’re listening to, but those are going to seem like minor inconveniences when every podcast platform has a bunch of exclusive shows that you can only hear by paying subscription fees. A lot of companies do this, but the one that really matters is Spotify—which has recently been ramping up its position in the podcast game after buying Gimlet Media and a few other companies, not to mention working with the Obamas on a new podcast initiative. The reason that specifically matters is that Apple is now planning to follow Spotify’s lead by funding exclusive podcasts that you can only get through Apple’s podcast app, making this the latest volley in the streaming audio feud that the two of them have been waging for the last few years.
According to Bloomberg, executives at Apple have “reached out to media companies and their representatives to discuss buying exclusive rights to podcast,” which would be a shift from the company’s current (more or less) hands-off approach. We don’t know what companies or representatives talked to Apple, as this is all “preliminary,” but it does make sense considering that Apple has recently been working to upgrade its Podcasts app (with a dedicated desktop version now available as an off-shoot from the aging, rusted clutches of iTunes.
This could be a big deal, even as so many other companies have competing platforms and paid subscription plans, if only because Apple essentially created the podcast industry through iTunes and the prevalent availability of its Podcasts app. Bloomberg says it “still accounts for anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent of listening for most podcasts,” so it could be an easy way to compete with Spotify if it starts throwing in exclusive paid content to the platform that so many people are already using.
19 Comments
Luckily, podcasts aren’t something that anyone is forced to listen to.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a podcast in the world that could blow my mind so much I’d pay for it.Maybe if that Obama one just has him giving out state secrets or outdated nuclear launch codes for an hour… I’d think about it
Edit: oops! replied to the wrong comment and Kinja won’t let me delete.I don’t think David and Griffin would do it, but if they were to join this Apple-exclusive initiative, they’d be really testing this Blankie’s fidelity.
every podcast platform has a bunch of exclusive shows that you can only hear by paying subscription feesYouTube has fallen in love with this, and it’s one of the quickest ways to get me to Unsub a channel.
Speaking as someone with a long running podcast with pretty good listenership, I’m just wondering where my phone call or indeed my representation even is.
I listen to a lot of podcasts. I have a permanent backlog. The only one I pay for is the bonus content for Blank Check. That’s pretty much the only one I’m willing to pay for. If my other podcasts started charging, I’d listen to others. Unlike TV, the barrier to entry is so low that anyone can make one. It’s kinda tricky to make a podcast so essential people will pay for it. But then that’s me. I’m sure there are some people who would pay for exclusive access to serial season 4 or a Seinfeld podcast or whatever Apple buy up.
Same here. I would love to listen to Luminary’s podcasts, especially the podcast about the Gore/Bush weirdness in 2000. But I won’t pay for it.
The only times i ‘pay for a podcast’ is when im donating on patreon. I like to support creators not services.
The only podcasts I pay for (actually, donate to) are two smaller ones that I appreciate and, I think, need the backing: Stop Podcasting Yourself and The Constant. Other than those, naw.
I don’t think David and Griffin would do it, but if they were to join this Apple-exclusive initiative, they’d be really testing this Blankie’s fidelity.
It helps a lot that it’s Patreon, so I’m not paying money to some big corporation. Throwing 5 bucks for 10 hours plus of content a month is already a good deal, but knowing its going to Griff, David and Our Finest Film Critic pushes it over the edge. The calculus would be quite different if it was part of an Apple Podcasts subscription.
This means the golden age of podcasts is coming to a close, I think. It was good while it lasted. I’m still bummed that Steven Hyden’s Woodstock ‘99 podcast isn’t free.
Same, that woodstock one sounds interesting. Not interesting enough to pay though.
I thought that was a Ringer show?
I think most episodes of it are behind a paywall, though.
Are they actually gonna get people to pay for podcasts though? Most podcasts I know that have paid content usually just have bonus episodes, or there’s one I know that if you pay, you get everything ad-free.
Stitcher has a few you have to have stitcher premium to get access to though a lot of those will be released for free with a delay (wolverine is one of those)
I support a couple of podcasts on Patreon and probably will never go back to free Earwolf podcasts, as I’ve grown too accustomed to being able to ditch commercials. But I’ve also completely dropped podcasts when they went exclusive to one network and forced a new subscription. There’s a limit to what I’ll pay for (sort of like with music streaming services). If Apple goes the way of Hulu and makes me pay for a service AND listen to ads, I’ll pass. If I can get a commercial free service with enough interesting podcasts, I’ll be interested. I mean, hell, I just recently went back to the Apple Podcast app from PocketCasts because Siri integration is better (have yet to delete PocketCasts though). So if it all rolls together in a way that works for me, why the hell not?
90% of the podcasts I listen to come from NPR so they should be safe…I hope