Apple has officially launched Apple Podcast Subscriptions across 170 countries, announcing deals with Australian organisations LiSTNR, the ABC and SBS.
The ABC and SBS have been producing podcasts for a number of years, while SCA’s LiSTNR launched earlier this year. In May, they netted 10.9 monthly streamers.
Podcast Subscriptions is Apple’s ‘premium podcast’ service, allowing users to purchase subscriptions to both individual shows, and to groups of shows through channels.
In a statement on the company’s website, Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, “listeners can’t get enough of their favorite podcasts and want a simple way to support the extraordinary creators who make them possible.”
“Now, listeners can enjoy new content and additional benefits for thousands of new and popular podcasts, alongside millions of free shows, with more arriving every week. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will help creators grow their businesses and continue to make podcasting an important source of information, entertainment, connection, and inspiration for hundreds of millions of listeners around the world.”
Apple has partnered with a number of international organisations for the launch, including: Abrace Podcasts in Brazil, CANADALAND and Frequency Podcast Network in Canada, GoLittle from Denmark, Europe 1, Louie Media and Radio France from France, Der Spiegel, Podimo, and ZEIT ONLINE from Germany, Il Sole 24 Ore and Storielibere.fm from Italy, J-WAVE from Japan, Brainrich from Korea, libo/libo from Russia, Finyal Media from the UAE and Broccoli Productions, The Bugle, Content Is Queen, the Guardian, Immediate Media, and Somethin’ Else from the UK.
A number of US subscriptions are also being offered, including ones with Bloomberg Media, Los Angeles Times, Politico and Vox.
