Apple leads the next chapter of podcasting with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions

Creators Share Their Enthusiasm for the Next Chapter of Podcasting with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions

Podcasts have made it possible for creators to share their voices with listeners around the world. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions takes this unique relationship to the next level by offering creators a way to tighten the bond with their most engaged listeners:

Martina Abrahams Ilunga, CEO and chief editor of You Had Me at Black: “As an independent show that started five years ago, we’ve always been powered by our community. And our community is hungry for more! More stories and more episodes — sooner. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions empowers us to deliver that. With our subscription, listeners can hear new seasons and episodes first, before anyone else, while also supporting our growth and sustainability.”

Donald Albright, president and co-founder of Tenderfoot TV: “With TenderfootPlus+, we’re able to provide our listening community with even more of what they want — exclusive, early-access, and ad-free listening for our tentpole titles and new shows. Launching this subscription on Apple Podcasts, where the large majority of our listeners engages with us each week, makes it easy for the Tenderfoot audience to seamlessly upgrade to the best experience.”

Alex Mather, founder and CEO of The Athletic: “Our team loves bringing deeply immersive storytelling to maniacal sports fans around the world, and our listeners tune in to over a million hours of sports news, analysis, and storytelling each week. We know true sports fans are always looking for stories about their clubs and teams told through a new lens, and with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, we can deliver even more great stories in an all-new way, ad free, directly through Apple Podcasts.”

Podcasts have also become an important way to understand what’s happening in the world. Listeners turn to podcasts to make sense of major moments in news and culture. With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, listeners gain a simple and intuitive way to support quality programming from newspapers, magazines, digital publishers, local radio stations, and more, directly from Apple Podcasts:

John F. Lansing, president and CEO of NPR: “Apple has been a valued partner to our podcasting work since it all started back in 2005, and we support their plan to enable a new revenue source for content creators on their platform. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will provide another opportunity for listeners to support their favorite podcasters at NPR and our Member stations in our mission to create a more informed public.”

Chris Argentieri, president and chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Times: “Subscriptions have always been an important source of support for our business, and podcasting has established itself as a powerful medium for large audiences to engage with our brand of journalism and storytelling. The ability to marry the two with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will allow us to expand our audio offerings to cover new formats, stories, communities, and more.”

Stefan Ottlitz, co-CEO and head of Product for Der Spiegel, one of the top news publishers in Germany: “Audio is a uniquely powerful medium that provides Der Spiegel an opportunity to deeply engage audiences so they can form a meaningful relationship with our brand. We’re pleased to see this significant investment in podcasting from Apple, which will open doors to new, long-term revenue opportunities that will further empower us to pursue even more ambitious independent audio journalism.”

With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, the freedom to develop and enjoy entirely new audio storytelling experiences will redefine podcasting in ways that are surprising and gratifying for creators and listeners alike:

Maggie McGuire, CEO of Pinna, an on-demand audio entertainment service for kids: “Apple Podcasts Subscriptions empowers Pinna to deliver the very best storytelling for kids and their families. Our ad-free subscriptions will feature a collection of award-winning original series, including action adventures, mysteries, comedies, game shows, musicals, and much more. We couldn’t be more excited to connect kids around the globe with their next favorite podcast.”

Dennis Kooker, president of Global Digital Business and US Sales at Sony Music Entertainment: “Apple is putting creators first with their approach to the subscription model. Offering subscriptions provides new flexibility and options for consumers, and is an important addition to helping creators better monetize their works. All of this will lead to more investment and even better shows for podcast fans.”

Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg, co-founders of Pushkin Industries: “Podcasting totally changed my approach to storytelling, and Apple Podcasts Subscriptions is a mind shift,” said Gladwell, who also hosts Revisionist History. “Our producers and I have so many ideas that don’t fit into existing models but will now have an outlet. This is a big step forward in the evolution of the audio content business, and we are excited about it.” Added Weisberg, “Podcasting exists, and thrives, today because of Apple. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will help us connect more deeply with our listeners and build a healthy business. We strongly believe that paid subscriptions are what independent creators like us need to succeed and thrive over the long term, and we’re thrilled that Apple is taking the lead.”