Apple to launch podcast subscriptions?

• Apple is planning a podcast subscription service ($), claims a story in The Information. The site also wonders whether Apple will kill the free podcast.

  • Bloomberg also reports on the story ($), saying that the product would be a “subscription service”, suggesting that Apple One subscription bundles could include some exclusive podcasts.
  • See our analysis below.

• Apple has been testing both Apple Music and Apple Podcasts apps for Microsoft platforms in a private beta, claims 9to5mac. (You’d wonder whether Pocket Casts, currently for sale, might be a quick route for Apple to get onto Android too).

• Spotify’s podcast pivot may not be working, according to a client note from Citi Research. The note, which Podnews has seen in full, says that “the pivot to podcasts has not (yet) materially impacted app downloads or Premium sub trends. The only thing podcasting seems to have influenced is Spotify’s valuation.” They suggest that clients sell the stock.

• More than half of US adults under 50 are now listening to podcasts, according to new data from YouGov. However, while streamed video has increased in time-spent-watching, that’s not reflected in podcast use.

• Last week, speakers from Stitcher, OTHERtone Media, iHeartMedia, Wondery, Cadence13 and Macmillan took part in a session at CES/Digital Hollywood. It’s free to watch, and includes discussions on talent, internationalisation, and intellectual property.

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• Michael Barbaro has apologised for attempting to silence detractors of Caliphate, and blocking people “who raised concerns about a Caliphate producer”. He has not addressed other criticisms. The Daily has now been dropped by four public radio stations: KUT in Austin, Houston’s KUHF, Marfa Public Radio and Santa Monica’s KCRW, who says “concerns we raised … were not fully addressed, such as transparency about potential conflicts of interest in its own coverage of these matters”.

• Extremists exploit a loophole in social moderation: Podcasts, says the Associated Press.

• When Dan Le Batard left ESPN, he retained rights to the RSS feed. Yahoo reports this allows him to keep his audience.

• The 2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards will be streamed live on YouTube this Thursday.

• In opinion, Jack Baty wishes podcasts would go away; Tom Webster wonders What If This Is All The Love Podcasting Ever Gets; and Adam Bowie has had enough of celebrity-driven podcasts.

The Tech Stuff - with RSS․com

• Daniel J Lewis has launched Podcast Industry Insights, a statistics and insights website for the podcast industry. It contains an API and insider data for subscribers. The Apple Podcast statistics page reports 1,788,031 current podcasts, and 43,887,770 episodes.
• The Podcast Index has also produced a stats API. If you’re logged in as a developer, it lives here, and says the index has 1,371,245 current podcasts, and 45,967,114 episodes.

This link is no longer available, as at Aug 31 2023
• At some point recently, Google Podcasts has switched its URL structure for individual podcast episodes. If you care, it’s now… /feed/:rssuri/episode/:guid where the two variables are BASE64-encoded. (What if every app and service supported this basic link pattern?)
• We also noticed last week that Google Podcasts (beta, Android) was, for a time, supporting individual episode images (yay!). That might have been a server-side test; it’s no longer doing that (boo).

Tips and tricks - with Buzzsprout

• How Wondery Makes Money (How They Make Money)

• Make Money With Podcasting in 2021 With These Proven High Margin Methods (DiscoverPods)

• 4 Ways to Attract New Listeners to your Podcast (Wesleyne Greer)

Podcast News - with Podcast Network Asia

From Podcast Network Asia: Boiling Waters PH is one of the top Spotify Exclusive podcasts in the Philippines that provides a wholesome take on love and health relationships.

Libsyn released some data in The Feed saying that 44.8% of its creators use Macs; with its publishing backend also being used by Windows (30.8%), iOS (20.3%), and Android (3.4%).

Libsyn has atttracted a big hitter: The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal were using SoundCloud since their break up with Spotify, but now appear to be hosting with Libsyn. It’s the #1 music show in Apple Podcasts in the US.

Analysis

Apple’s “podcast subscription service”, which it has apparently discussed with partners, seems a good fit within its existing Apple One subscription plan. US$14.95 a month gets you music, tv+, a games product called Arcade, and an increased storage capacity on iCloud; US$29.95 adds news and fitness products and more storage for a whole family.

Yet, one of the benefits of podcasting has been access to all. Audio’s relative ease of production fits well with a “anyone can be listed” policy: whether you’re a public radio station or book publisher, or just someone in their spare room with some free time, everyone’s been able to be listed on Apple Podcasts so far.

A level playing field seems incompatible with a premium subscription service of the type that is being contemplated here. If it’s similar to Audible, Spotify or other apps, commissioners would need engaging, contracts would need signing, and lawyers would need employing.

However, subscription revenue could mean freedom from having to carry advertising; and freedom, perhaps, from what some see as privacy violations in ensuring these ads are correctly targeted.

If a podcaster was able to sell a podcast at a set price, that may offer benefits to podcasters in the long run: and enable shorter-run podcasts to be more effectively monetised. A four-part fiction podcast is difficult to monetise with advertising, especially outside of a network.

Apple already has experience of selling digital products at low prices, through their app store. A developer can, after a US$99 initial payment, sell an app for as little as $0.99). Apple takes 30% and also deals with local taxes and any hosting cost; the developers keep the rest. This service is massively complex to set up in a way that is simple and easy for developers and customers alike; yet is already available in 175 countries.

By accepting one-off payments for podcasts - “Subscribe to this season for $2.99” - Apple could significantly change the revenue base of podcasting, and encourage less reliance on intrusive advertising.

Further, the revenue Apple could earn from this would make a business case for an Apple Podcasts app to join Apple Music and Apple TV on Android. And we also learn that Apple Podcasts is being tested on Windows: why would Apple be doing this if it weren’t planning to earn revenue from podcasting?

By allowing podcasters to choose whether they wish to continue with ad revenue for their podcasts or take payments through the existing Apple App Store ecosystem, Apple could offer significant opportunity for independent podcasters, remove the burden of advertising, and significantly threaten Spotify’s business by offering a music and podcast product across all platforms.

Is that to be welcomed?