Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels are now available worldwide

Rhea-AI Summary

Apple has launched Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, enabling users in over 170 countries to subscribe to individual shows and channels for premium content. The subscriptions offer benefits like ad-free listening and early access to new episodes. The platform includes shows from various genres, including news, sports, and comedy, featuring independent creators and major brands like CNN and NPR. Subscriptions start at $0.49 per month, allowing listeners to support creators and enjoy a premium listening experience.

Positive

• Launch of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions enhances user engagement and monetization for creators.
• Availability in over 170 countries increases potential market reach.
• Subscription model starts at a low price of $0.49 per month, appealing to a broader audience.

Negative

• None.

Apple today announced Apple Podcasts® Subscriptions, the global marketplace for premium podcast subscriptions, is now available. Starting today, listeners in more than 170 countries and regions¹ can purchase subscriptions for individual shows and groups of shows through channels, making it easy to support their favorite creators, enjoy new content, and unlock additional benefits such as ad-free listening and early access, directly on Apple Podcasts.

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels are available for listeners starting today. (Photo: Business Wire)

Listeners can discover thousands of subscriptions and channels featuring brand new shows that span many genres and formats, including news, comedy, sports, and true crime, offering listeners premium experiences that help them stay informed, entertained, connected, and inspired. These include subscriptions to shows from essential independent voices like "Birthful” with Adriana Lozada, “Pantsuit Politics” with Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland, “Snap Judgment” with Glynn Washington, and “You Had Me At Black” with Martina Abrams Ilunga; premier studios such as Lemonada Media, Luminary, Realm, and Wondery; and leading media and entertainment brands, including CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, and Sony Music Entertainment.

With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, listeners can experience never-before-heard stories on Luminary’s “The Midnight Miracle” with Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle, and Pushkin Industries’ “Revisionist History” with Malcolm Gladwell; the next chapters of QCODE’s apocalyptic thriller “Blackout,” starring Rami Malek and Aja Naomi King, and Realm’s “Orphan Black,” featuring Tatiana Maslany; the unrivaled chemistry and insightful commentary driving CNN’s “The Handoff,” and Politico’s “Playbook: Deep Dive”; and many more.

“Listeners can’t get enough of their favorite podcasts and want a simple way to support the extraordinary creators who make them possible,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats. “Now, listeners can enjoy new content and additional benefits for thousands of new and popular podcasts, alongside millions of free shows, with more arriving every week. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will help creators grow their businesses and continue to make podcasting an important source of information, entertainment, connection, and inspiration for hundreds of millions of listeners around the world.”

Discover Subscriptions and Channels

When listeners purchase a subscription to a show, they automatically follow the show and the page is updated with a Subscriber Edition label so they know they have access to the premium experience. Listeners can discover channels for their favorite podcasts from each show page and through Search, explore recommendations from the Listen Now and Browse tabs, and share channels using Messages, Mail, and other apps. As listeners subscribe to channels, the Listen Now tab expands with new rows that provide easy access to all of the content included in the channel and with their subscription. Listeners who subscribe to two or more channels will see a My Channels row in the Listen Now tab, where they can browse and follow all of the shows offered.

New Shows and Seasons, Available with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions

Listeners can hear new and original shows and get early access to new seasons of critically acclaimed and fan-favorite series, all ad-free, including:

“Chameleon: High Rollers” with Trevor Aaronson, from Campside Media: Last year, Josh Dean and Vanessa Grigoriadis told listeners the remarkable true story of the Hollywood Con Queen scam. This summer, the critically acclaimed series returns with a new story about a doomed FBI sting operation in Las Vegas. Trevor Aaronson investigates what happened and how it all went off the rails. Subscribers enjoy new episodes first starting today, plus exclusive bonus episodes throughout the season.

“The Handoff” with Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo, from CNN: The love viewers witness between Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo in the handoff between their evening broadcasts is real. Now, Lemon and Cuomo are stepping out from behind the anchor desk for a weekly conversation where nothing is off limits. “The Handoff” is available today exclusively to subscribers on Apple Podcasts.

“The Midnight Miracle” with Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle, from Luminary: A groundbreaking original series that uniquely blends the salon and variety shows formats, recorded during Chappelle’s legendary 2020 Summer Camp in Ohio. “The Midnight Miracle” is available exclusively to Luminary subscribers today.

“Revisionist History” with Malcolm Gladwell, part of PushNik from Pushkin Industries: Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood moments in history continues. In this new season, Gladwell races autonomous vehicles, rewrites one of America’s most beloved fairy tales, falls in love with a small college in New Orleans, and dives into dirty laundry.

“To Live and Die in LA” with Neil Strauss, part of TenderfootPlus+ from Tenderfoot TV: After revealing the truth about the tragic death of an aspiring Hollywood actress, the award-winning series returns to uncover the baffling, tragic, and mysterious disappearance of Elaine Park. Neil Strauss investigates — along with his wife, neighbors, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, and concert violinist Ann Marie Simpson — to advance the investigation and provide closure for her loved ones. TenderfootPlus+ subscribers will gain early and exclusive access to upcoming bonus episodes.

New Subscriptions and Channels from Premier Studios

Lemonada Media: Sort through the messiness of life and get inspired by high-quality shows with all-star hosts focused on important causes. Subscribers to Lemonada Premium join an incredible community, support meaningful, world-shaping content from a women-run network, gain early access to new series, and unlock bonus episodes from leading shows.

Radiotopia from PRX: Home to podcasts from extraordinary, independent creators, including “Ear Hustle,” with Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, and Rahsaan Thomas, “Criminal” with Phoebe Judge, “Song Exploder” with Hrishikesh Hirway, “The Stoop” with Hana Baba and Leila Day, “Passenger List” starring Kelly Marie Tran, and more. Subscribers to Radiotopia Uninterrupted support the work they do and gain access to ad-free listening across the award-winning network.

Pushkin Industries: Listen to revelatory shows from world-class writers and thinkers, including “A Slight Change of Plans” with Dr. Maya Shankar, “The Last Archive” with historian Jill Lepore, “The Happiness Lab” with Dr. Laurie Santos, “Against The Rules” with author Michael Lewis, “Broken Record” with legendary producer Rick Rubin, and more. PushNik subscribers can hear these shows and more with no interruptions and access exclusive bonus content.

Tenderfoot TV: Dive into gripping true-crime narratives, documentaries, and anthology series from the award-winning, independent, Atlanta-based production studio behind “Up and Vanished” and “Atlanta Monster” with filmmaker Payne Lindsey, “Whistleblower” with sports journalist Tim Livingston, “Radio Rental,” and more. Subscribers to TenderfootPlus+ enjoy ad-free listening and gain early and exclusive access to upcoming bonus episodes.

Beginning today, listeners can find additional subscriptions from other premier studios and entertainment brands, including Audio Up, Betches Media, Blue Wire, Imperative Entertainment, Lantigua Williams & Co., Magnificent Noise, The Moth, Neon Hum Media, Sony Music Entertainment, Three Uncanny Four, and Wondery, 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, Shondaland, and Relay FM.

New and Emerging Formats Powered by Subscriptions

Scripted Fiction: Subscribers get early and exclusive access to immersive original narratives with uninterrupted listening experiences from award-winning storytellers, produced by Meet Cute, QCODE, Realm, and more.

Mindfulness and Sleep: New shows featuring calming meditations, soothing music, and relaxing stories from WaitWhat’s “Meditative Story” with Rohan Gunatillake, Frequency’s “Drift” with Erin Davis, and “Sleep by Headspace” help listeners practice mindfulness and support a good night’s rest.

Kids and Family: Introduce kids to their new co-detectives, downtime companions, and study buddies with premium subscriptions featuring curated collections of age-appropriate, ad-free original stories spanning mysteries, comedies, musicals, and more from GBH, Gen-Z Media, Pinna, Wonkybot Studios, TRAX from PRX, and others.

News Providers Offering Subscriptions and Channels

The Athletic: Join the conversation on every sports story that matters. With breaking news, expert commentary, insightful analysis, and unrivaled narratives, The Athletic is powered by hundreds of full-time local writers to deliver exclusive sports coverage built around fandom.

FOX News: Hear from Dana Perino, Bret Baier, Shannon Bream, Trey Gowdy, Martha MacCallum, and other signature voices — all without commercials. Subscribers receive early access to seasonal series from FOX News Investigates, bonus episodes from FOX News Radio’s talk shows, audio versions of popular FOX News Channel programs, and a variety of long-form interviews.

Los Angeles Times: Enjoy the engaging, informative, and diverse journalism and storytelling the L.A. Times is known for with access to ad-free versions of “The Times,” a new daily news podcast hosted by columnist Gustavo Arellano; the new season of “Asian Enough” with reporters Jen Yamato, Johana Bhuiyan, Tracy Brown, and Suhauna Hussain; “Chasing Cosby” with Nicki Weisensee Egan and other narrative series; plus subscriber-exclusive bonus episodes for the all-new “The Trials of Frank Carson” from Christopher Goffard, host of “Dirty John” and “Detective Trapp.”

NPR: Enjoy sponsor-free versions of leading NPR shows across news, business, culture, and more, including “Fresh Air” with Terry Gross, “How I Built This with Guy Raz,” “It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders,” “Planet Money” with Jacob Goldstein, Karen Duffin, and Sarah Gonzalez, “Short Wave” with Madeline Sofia, and the Apple Podcasts 2020 Show of the Year, “Code Switch,” with Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby.

The Washington Post: Listen to ad-free editions of The Post’s award-winning podcasts spanning daily news, documentaries, investigations, and deep discussions around specific topics and moments in history, including “Post Reports” with Martine Powers, “Moonrise” with Lillian Cunningham, “Canary” with Amy Brittain, and “Cape Up with Jonathan Capehart.”

This month, listeners can also find subscriptions from Bloomberg Media, Los Angeles Times, Politico, and Vox Media, plus channels from other leading newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, radio stations, and digital publishers, including ABC News, Axios, Billboard, Bravo, CNBC, CNN, Crooked Media, Dateline, Entertainment Weekly, Futuro Media, The Hollywood Reporter, LAist Studios, National Geographic, MSNBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, New York Magazine, The New York Times, SiriusXM, SB Nation, Southern Living, The Verge, TODAY, VICE, Vogue, Vox, and WBUR.

Even More Subscriptions and Channels

Notable international subscriptions and channels available beginning today include ABC, LiSTNR, and SBS from Australia; Abrace Podcasts from Brazil; CANADALAND and Frequency Podcast Network from Canada; GoLittle from Denmark; Europe 1, Louie Media, and Radio France from France; Der Spiegel, Podimo, and ZEIT ONLINE from Germany; Il Sole 24 Ore and Storielibere.fm from Italy; J-WAVE from Japan; Brainrich from Korea; libo/libo from Russia; Finyal Media from the UAE; and Broccoli Productions, The Bugle, Content Is Queen, the Guardian, Immediate Media, and Somethin’ Else from the UK.

Creators interested in offering subscriptions and channels are encouraged to visit Apple Podcasts for Creators.

Pricing and Availability

• Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels are available to listeners in more than 170 countries and regions on Apple devices running iOS 14.6, iPadOS® 14.6, and macOS® 11.4 or later.
• Customers can play subscription content on Apple Watch® with watchOS® 7.5 or later, on Apple TV® with tvOS® 14.6 or later, and with HomePod®, HomePod mini®, and CarPlay®.
• Pricing for each subscription is set by creators and starts at $0.49 (US) per month. Listeners can manage their subscriptions, and switch from monthly to annual billing if offered, from their Apple ID Account Settings, accessible from the top of the Listen Now tab in Apple Podcasts.
• Apple Podcasts Subscriptions can be purchased and gifted using Apple Gift Card™.
• Apple Card™ customers receive 3 percent Daily Cash with each Apple Podcasts Subscription and can view itemized receipts for each Apple Podcasts Subscription in the Wallet app.
• Each Apple Podcasts Subscription can be shared among six family members through Family Sharing.
• For recommendations on shows to follow and what to listen to next, follow @ApplePodcasts on Twitter.

¹ Subscriptions and channel availability and pricing vary by country and region. Some features are not available in all regions and for some languages.

About Apple Podcasts

Apple took podcasts mainstream. With iPod® and iTunes®, listeners could enjoy thousands of free shows from the best radio stations, news publishers, and independent creators instantly. For more than 15 years, podcasts have informed, entertained, and inspired hundreds of millions of listeners with gripping stories and fresh perspectives. Today, Apple Podcasts is the best place for listeners to discover, enjoy, and support their favorite podcasts, now featuring millions of shows with programming in more than 100 languages. Apple Podcasts is available for free in over 170 countries and regions on iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac®, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod mini, CarPlay, iTunes on Windows, and other smart speakers and car systems.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom (www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

© 2021 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Apple Podcasts, iPadOS, macOS, Apple Watch, watchOS, Apple TV, tvOS, HomePod, HomePod mini, CarPlay, Apple Gift Card, Apple Card, iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615005485/en/

FAQ

What is the launch date of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions?

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions was launched today.

How much do Apple Podcasts Subscriptions cost?

Subscriptions start at $0.49 per month.

In how many countries is Apple Podcasts Subscriptions available?

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions is available in over 170 countries.

What are the benefits of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions?

Benefits include ad-free listening, early access to new episodes, and exclusive content.

How can I access Apple Podcasts Subscriptions?

Listeners can access subscriptions on Apple devices running iOS 14.6 or later.