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Spotify Announces Podcasts Subscription Service to Rival Apple Podcasts

ArtOfWarfare said:
Every independent podcast I listen to relies on people paying for various premium features via Patreon. I've supported a few of them a few times, but I always stop because it's an awkward relationship... you listen to most episodes in one podcast app, but then you have to use the crappy Patreon app to listen to the paid content.
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I've subscribed to three podcasts via Patreon, and I've successfully added them to Apple Podcasts and Pocket Casts. (I use one for music podcasts, the other for talk, so that I can have different defaults / different use cases).

Most Patreons I've supported seem to expose an RSS feed, and you can simply add that to either system. (Finding the "manual RSS feed" in Apple Podcasts is a bit of a pain, you have to go to your list of podcasts and then find the Edit button at the top of the app, and the option appears.)

I agree it's not nearly as seamless as the Apple / Spotify solutions, but take another look at your Patreon subscriptions; you may be pleasantly surprised.

(Note that Apple, because of its App Store podcast model, doesn't actually share your email address with creators, so they can't send out any bonus content that's not embedded in the podcast.)
 
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Janak Parekh said:
I've subscribed to three podcasts via Patreon, and I've successfully added them to Apple Podcasts and Pocket Casts. (I use one for music podcasts, the other for talk, so that I can have different defaults / different use cases).

Most Patreons I've supported seem to expose an RSS feed, and you can simply add that to either system. (Finding the "manual RSS feed" in Apple Podcasts is a bit of a pain, you have to go to your list of podcasts and then find the Edit button at the top of the app, and the option appears.)

I agree it's not nearly as seamless as the Apple / Spotify solutions, but take another look at your Patreon subscriptions; you may be pleasantly surprised.

(Note that Apple, because of its App Store podcast model, doesn't actually share your email address with creators, so they can't send out any bonus content that's not embedded in the podcast.)
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I also pay for podcasts already, and I'm hoping they offer an Apple Podcasts option because I'd happily delete my Patreon account and eliminate one more opportunity to be part of a data breach.
 
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I'm a little bit surprised at the number of people in this thread who already subscribe to Podcasts or support them via Patreon, though perhaps I shouldn't be.

I probably have six to ten podcasts I'm subscribed to. Some of them I really enjoy. I wouldn't pay for them though, nor would I pay for 'additional content.' If a podcast I subscribed to went completely behind a paywall, I'd probably find a different one. That's not to say I don't think Podcasters shouldn't be rewarded for what they do - I'm just happy with the current, ubiquitous, ad-supported model.

Horses for courses I suppose.
 
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I love how others companies seem to play catch up with Apple.

You can say what you want about Apple, but it seems to always lead the industry in some regards.

Now I 100% expect other hardware manufacturers going arm-based for example.

Saturnine said:
I don't think Podcasters shouldn't be rewarded for what they do - I'm just happy with the current, ubiquitous, ad-supported model.
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I have never heard a commercial inside podcasts...is it perhaps because I already have an Apple Music subscription?
 
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Koni17 said:
Good move by Spotify, this would have made a lot of people rethink their subscription with Spotify, but since Apple already introduced this, they will receive less backlash.
I'm all for content creators getting their fair share, but in the end, us consumers are just paying more for the same content we are currently enjoying for free. Farewell to the era of free podcasts?
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Yup. The free podcast era has started to die, though this wasn't the first big end-of-er move. When Spotify acquired Gimlet Media and started making their podcasts free but available first/better on Spotify, it signaled the shift to a gated wall approach. Now there are podcasts from Gimlet only available on Spotify, and there's no tangible benefit for the listener.

Now, if it allows some of the struggling, but great podcasts to actually earn some revenue and stay around, I don't mind some degree of the consumer footing the bill. Especially if I don't have to listen to ad placements that honestly aren't beneficial to me.

But this is the death of the free-to-enjoy podcast market.
 
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I would never pay for a podcast, I would jump back into looking for a torrent if I really wanted to listen to it.

I love that all the old time radio shows are available for free, much better quality for entertainment.
 
somnolentsurfer said:
Maybe, but their timing and pricing could still be informed by having watched what Apple's done.
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Why would Apple's pricing impacted Spotify's choice to make this free for creators? If anything, Apple's pricing should have encouraged Spotify to go after a percentage.
 
MacRumors said:
According to Spotify podcast service lead Michael Mignano, the company is trying to show creators that Spotify has "the best terms" for publishing their podcasts.
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Except that you’re limiting your audience because you’re limiting to PAYING Spotify subscribers (And the podcast isn’t getting a cut of that).

I like using whatever app I want personally. I subscribe to a podcast via Patreon and a custom built service. Both offer RSS so I can use Apple Podcasts or Pocket Casts or whatever. Both Apple and Spotify’s services are things I’ll skip. If my podcasts move to one of these two platforms exclusively, I’ll probably stop listening.
 
I hope this means podcasts will become a separate app and spotify will go back to being just music. But they'll probably never do that.
 
Saturnine said:
I'm a little bit surprised at the number of people in this thread who already subscribe to Podcasts or support them via Patreon, though perhaps I shouldn't be.

I probably have six to ten podcasts I'm subscribed to. Some of them I really enjoy. I wouldn't pay for them though, nor would I pay for 'additional content.' If a podcast I subscribed to went completely behind a paywall, I'd probably find a different one. That's not to say I don't think Podcasters shouldn't be rewarded for what they do - I'm just happy with the current, ubiquitous, ad-supported model.

Horses for courses I suppose.
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That's kind of where a stand with this. I follow a couple podcasts that make additional content available through their own website if I pay a monthly support fee. I just enjoy the free content and leave it at that. This is also the reason why I'm not terribly concerned about this new move in the podcast realm.
 
If I were an independent podcaster, I’d keep away from this ugly fight and stay totally independent.
 
jamcgahey said:
That's kind of where a stand with this. I follow a couple podcasts that make additional content available through their own website if I pay a monthly support fee. I just enjoy the free content and leave it at that. This is also the reason why I'm not terribly concerned about this new move in the podcast realm.
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Guess it depends on your mindset-I’ve got a few that I listen to that I’m happy to pay for the extra content that you get.

No right or wrong either way.
 
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chucker23n1 said:
So, not 100%.

Also, this is hardly sustainable. Do they make it up in tracking? Will they raise prices?
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How do you say it's not sustainable? Anchor already hosts podcasts and charges them nothing on subscriptions, as they don't exist. So this will be an extra... Every other cost is the same
 
How is that sustainable? The only cost passed to the customer is the transaction fee? What about the cut that Anchor no doubt would want?
 
Depending on how the Apple Podcast subscriptions will go, do you guys think Apple will roll it into Apple One?
 
I am surprised that Spotify didn’t file a antitrust law suit, or at least a complaint, against Apple’s podcast service at the same time. To Spotify’s viewpoint, it’s unfair that Apple still stays in the market when Spotify has already entered it.
 
it's going to hard to for something that has been free for a long time. Content on the internet is like sitting down at a restaurant with 200 items on the menu - too much choice.
 
Miguelghs said:
How do you say it's not sustainable?
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Because they have operating costs. And because they probably want to turn a profit on this.

Miguelghs said:
Anchor already hosts podcasts and charges them nothing
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Yes, and you can bet your ass Spotify makes this up somehow. It's either subsidized, or there's tracking involved.

(It's weird how Anchor is referred to as a "partner" in this article. They are a Spotify brand. They haven't been a separate entity for years.)

 
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