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Apple Launches Podcasts Subscriptions
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Apple doesn’t host podcasts. Podcasts already pay for that. Apple wants 30% just for providing a search bar and some lists.
I am not paying for any podcast no matter how good it is. I'd just stop listening to it if it's behind a paywall.
Exactly! I mean, I never thought that I would have paid to listen to at least some of my podcasts, but now I'm paying for some of my podcasts I listen to (Hello from the Magic Tavern and Comedy Bang Bang from Earwolf via Stitcher Premium) as well as Techmeme Ride Home+. Almost contemplating paying for another service that recently came out (TWiT's Club TWiT), since I listen to a lot of their podcasts as well and not having to listen to their ads plus get some bonus content would actually be kind of nice.
Depending on the podcast this is worth it if it means ad removal.. So many podcasts use the random ads inserted after the fact and the abrupt spots are really annoying. I will almost always pay for a service if it means no ads.
Oh yeah? Well I wouldn’t listen to one if it was free! In fact, I won’t listen to one even if they pay me!
HA! I not only didn’t add anything to the discussion I dumbed down the entire thread! Beat that!
when you ignore the upsides of the platform in your complaint, i wouldn't call that a valid complaint.
Patreon somewhat of a competitor in the context of Podcasters.
Many Podcasters use Patreon as a revenue source. Why not bring that up?
If the platform is more important than the content itself then why even bother subscribing to the content?
You could just stare at an Apple logo all day, or play around in the Settings.
Paying for podcasts is one aspect of the discussion..
I pay for only one - and I've yet to come across another I would pay for.
For me the bigger issue is the need to use Apple's podcast app -- which is horrible. (and that's being kind)
I pay for only one - and I've yet to come across another I would pay for.
For me the bigger issue is the need to use Apple's podcast app -- which is horrible. (and that's being kind)
What upsides? A fancy cover photo for your podcast home screen? Video content like Spotify? A nice dashboard to view metrics? Engagement features like mailing lists, so you actually know who your audience is?
All of these have been done, much better by other companies, and you pay less as a creator, overall.
What am I missing?
I'm also a longtime TWiT listener who is contemplating paying for Club TWiT.
But I wish they offered a yearly option. I hate little monthly charges.
Leo recently stated that they have 7,000 Club members. So that brings them $49,000 a month or $588,000 a year.
But in previous years they made $9 million a year in ad revenue. So Club TWiT is only a fraction of their revenue so far.
There's a lot of discussion in this thread about paying to support their favorite podcasts. Well it seems TWiT is doing fine even if they don't have a lot of direct paying subscribers. You'd be paying for ad-free podcasts and other exclusive features, which is nice.
For one, ease of IAP substantially increases the revenue for a podcast. Second, Apple Podcast is the biggest podcast listening platform in the world which again, increases the revenue.
I'm not doing the reading for you. Already see two user experience improvements that Spotify doesn't offer (along with ease of IAP). https://podcasters.apple.com/878-subscriptions
But yeah, thanks for making my prediction come true.
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Yeah no way in hell Apple should podcasts ever be anything but free
You have no evidence for either one of those claims
Does Apple Podcasts have these two fantastic features available in the Overcast app?
I bailed on the Apple Podcasts app when Apple unnecessarily completely reworked and improved it to an utterly confusing unintuitive mess, and never looked back. Is it any better now?
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"The potential upside for podcasters is huge. Apple Podcasts is the biggest podcast listening platform in the world, and listeners won’t have to leave the app to sign up."
Apple Podcasts #1
Podcasting Industry Stats
What podcast apps are the most popular? How many plays does the average podcast receive? Which countries listen to the most podcasts?
"One of the most common monetization models is through in-app purchases. An estimated 50% of non-game and 79% of game apps use it."
17 App Revenue Statistics You Should Know in 2025
In 2022, app revenue statistics are projecting a profit of $188.9 billion! Find out the top apps and how to make money on the market!
techjury.net
A simple internet search would have saved you time from falsely accusing me of not having any evidence.
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Does Apple Podcasts have these two fantastic features available in the Overcast app?
I bailed on the Apple Podcasts app when it reworked and improved it to an utterly confusing unintuitive mess and never looked back. Is it any better now?
Those are the reasons I switched to, and continue to stick with, Overcast.
And that's also why I hate having to use Spotify to listen to certain exclusive shows. So I don't. Their loss!
Club twit member here. I don’t mind the ads, don’t care to use the audio-only forums, just want to support them, so I subscribe. I listen to them all through Overcast 😀