With the widespread boom of podcasting in recent years, it didn’t take long for the larger streaming platforms to see the amount of money that could be made in this new and exciting frontier of media.
Large companies like Spotify and Apple hopped on board, creating their own podcasts for subscribers to access.
Apple, in particular, developed dedicated apps for existing and new users to listen to and save their favorite podcasts on their smartphones.
But what exactly does Apple Podcasts offer, and does it hold up in the wider marketplace?
What Is Apple Podcasts?
Apple Podcasts is a specialized offshoot of Apple Music, allowing Apple users to access, listen to, and even download their favorite podcasts at the touch of a button.
Claiming to having the largest and ‘most talked about’ collection of podcasts on the market, Apple Podcasts is a prime example of how to make money through a podcast.
But how, if at all, has it changed podcasting (also see, ‘Apple Will Let Podcasters Keep Cut‘)?
Has Apple Podcasts Changed The Industry?
By and large, Apple – nor any other streaming corporation – has had any major impact on the podcasting industry on a broad scale, at least when it comes to the sheer amount of free content that still exists online.
There could be many reasons for this, but one probable answer is that podcasting existed for many years before the big industry players even began to take notice, and for a while, podcasts were considered merely a fad or passing trend that had no real legs in wider media.
Because of this, podcasts exploded everywhere, covering various genres. Podcasters built fan bases solely through appreciation and free content, outpacing larger corporations with their subscriptions and paywalls.
What Subscriptions Does Apple Offer?
When it comes to Apple Podcasts, there are a number of different options you can choose.
An Apple user can subscribe to an entire channel – featuring lots of shows – or they could simply subscribe to a single podcast within a channel.
Depending on your interests, and how many podcasts you want to consume at any one time, you might just want to stick to one or two at first – proceeding to whole channel subscriptions once you find your feet.
Each individual podcast episode then costs the Apple user upon subscription.
The price at which the podcasts are set tends to be determined by the creator of the podcast, but the general price tends to be around 49 cents a month.
Subscribing To A Channel
If you are subscribing to an entire channel, whether it’s to an independent show or multiple shows, you will see a Subscriber’s Edition label when viewing it.
To manage these subscriptions, you can go on your iPhone, head to settings, choose your name, and then click on either ‘subscriptions to view’, or ‘cancel subscriptions’.
The important thing to remember when doing this is to cancel at least one day before billing, otherwise you will have paid for another month.
Can Podcasters See Who Listens to Apple Podcasts?
With regards to pricing, you can also go to your subscription settings, to see if the specific creator you are subscribing to has options for annual payment plans.
These seem like a higher number, but when you do the math they usually work out a lot cheaper – something that is useful if you are a die-hard fan of a podcast and want to consume all the content they release.
Do All Apple Podcasts Cost Money?
Despite there being several premium content podcasts that do indeed cost money, this does not apply to all podcasts on Apple, and there are numerous free podcasts.
This is purely down to the discretion of the creator, and the deal they have signed with Apple.
Creators also have the option of charging for additional ‘bonus’ content, and these prices can vary depending on the amount of content and the podcast in question.
The Apple Podcasters Program allows podcast creators to charge for their podcasts, however they see fit. Creators can manage payment options through their Apple Podcasts Connect account.
They can choose to put their podcast on Apple Podcasts Connect for free, or set a fee for individual episodes and/or entire seasons. The fees are added to the customer’s Apple ID account and then credited back to the creator’s bank account at regular intervals.
Also, many companies like podcast hosting provider Buzzsprout or Transistor have built-in payments and subscription features that allow listeners to pay for premium content.
Do You Get More With Premium Podcasts?
Whether a podcast is free or not doesn’t have any bearing on whether you will receive more content or not.
This is something that is definitely worth being aware of, as many people might assume that premium podcasts are somehow better than their free counterparts.
The fact of the matter is that each podcast – and the price at which it is set – is entirely down to the podcast creator and their proposed business model.
Some prefer to have free content and make their money elsewhere, but there are many major, successful podcasts that choose to charge a small subscription fee to view or listen to their episodes.
Generally speaking, paid content has ad free listening, early access to new episodes, exclusive content, additional background information, and interviews whereas free podcasts usually have ads within the podcast.
Additionally, subscriber-only content can also include additional special features, exclusive access to “behind the scenes” content, and bonus episodes.
Do Subscriptions Support Family Sharing?
Subscriptions to Apple Podcasts will support up to six users, ensuring that the whole family has access to the various podcasts on your account.
This falls under the ‘Family Sharing’ function, and can prove useful for families who listen to different podcasts.
Is An Apple Podcast Subscription Worth It?
This really is the million dollar question isn’t it?
The fact of the matter is that the suitability of Apple Podcasts depends entirely on the rate at which you consume podcasts.
If you are already an Apple User, and you frequently enjoy listening to podcasts, then a subscription might just be what the doctor ordered.
However, if you are a fair weather podcast listener, then you might be better off purchasing single podcast episodes as and when you feel like it, or turning to YouTube and other sources.
Final Thoughts
And there we have it, everything you need to know about Apple Podcasts, their subscription system, and the impact on the wider podcasting industry.
Apple Podcasts are great for existing Apple users and represent the industry finally catching up with what the people want.
Luckily, however, there are still countless free podcasts in numerous genres that are still public access and accessible to all.
