Apple Podcasts Premium Subscription, Podcast Channels Now Live: Everything You Need to Know

Apple Podcasts premium subscriptions and Podcast channels have now rolled out for all creators. The Apple Podcasts Subscriptions feature will enable them to activate paid subscriptions for shows and channels or free shows with additional episodes just for subscribers. The freemium model can also include other perks, like unedited footage, archives, and so on. These features were announced in April and rollout was expected to commence in the same month. However, that got delayed due to creators having issues with uploaded shows.

Apple sent out emails to creators earlier confirming that Apple Podcasts subscription and Podcast channels will be rolled out on June 15. The pricing for subscriptions will be decided by creators and they can pick between annual or monthly billing. Creators can decide whether they want to offer a free model with no payment, a freemium model that allows users to listen in for free and offer additional benefits for a charge. Podcast creators can also opt for a paid model that will require subscribers to pay for listening to content.

Creators will have to sign up for the Apple Podcasters Program to access the tools needed to manage premium subscriptions and that costs Rs. 1,799 per year in India and $19.99 in the US. Podcast creators can sign up via the Apple Podcasts Connect website. There are no other requirements such as having a minimum number of subscribers, so anyone can start using these new features.

Creators can decide a fee for their content, a slice of which will go to Apple. They can decide whether they want to offer sample episodes or free trials for subscribers to make a better purchase decision. Alongside subscriptions, Apple Podcasts also get channels, with both paid and free options. With channels, podcast creators can group their content with a unique logo, artwork, and description.

With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, podcast creators receive 70 percent of the subscription price at each billing cycle, minus applicable taxes. After a subscriber accumulates one year of paid service, the net revenue increases to 85 percent of the subscription price, minus applicable taxes. Other podcast revenue — including any ads — will be received by the creator in full.