How Much Is an Apple Podcasts Subscription and Is It Worth It?

At its spring event in 2021, Apple announced its plans to start offering Apple Podcasts subscriptions. With so many subscription services to choose from these days, you may be wondering how much an Apple Podcasts subscription costs and whether it's really worth it.

That's what we're going to take a look at today.

What Are Apple Podcasts Subscriptions?

Starting May 2021, Apple Podcasts users can sign up for additional premium subscriptions for their favorite shows in the redesigned Podcasts app. These subscriptions offer listeners exclusive access to new shows and other benefits.

Listeners are able to access premium subscriptions from independent and studio podcast creators that are on the Apple Podcasts platform. And since these subscriptions are an additional offering, regular listeners can still access their favorite free podcasts as normal.

How Much Does an Apple Podcasts Subscription Cost?

There's no easy answer to this question. Each subscription is set by the creators, rather than Apple. This means you won't be paying a subscription to Apple as you might do with an Apple TV+ or Apple Music subscription. Instead, the subscription goes straight to the podcast creator, similar to when purchasing an app on the App Store.

At its spring event, Apple said that it's likely that subscriptions will be starting from around $0.49/month. But the featured podcasts in Apple's promotional images show much higher subscriptions of $2.99/month and $5.99/month, indicating that these are the fees Apple expects most creators to charge.

Subscriptions are billed monthly to your Apple ID payment method, but creators can offer annual billing—just like in-app purchases. Listeners are also able to access free trials to premium shows and listen to sample episodes while deciding whether to subscribe or not.

And in case you're wondering, with Apple's Family Sharing you can share a subscription with up to six other members of your family.

What Do You Get From a Subscription?

Apple tells us that there are a variety of benefits creators can choose to offer with their subscriptions. Some of these premium benefits include ad-free listening, access to bonus content, unlocking a back catalog of episodes, and offering early or exclusive access to new shows.

The option to subscribe to a premium tier of a particular podcast is shown on the main page for the show.

You can access premium subscription benefits through the Apple Podcasts app as normal. Subscribers will find these benefits on the page for each show, where non-subscribers see an option to subscribe.

Is an Apple Podcasts Subscription Worth It?

It's hard to say if an Apple Podcasts subscription is worth it, as it depends on exactly what the show you want to subscribe to is offering. That's exactly what the free trial lets you judge.

Shows offering multiple premium benefits for a reasonable subscription cost are probably worth it for regular listeners. But if you're just listening to a show for the first time, stick with the free content while you work out if you're a fan of the podcast or not.

How Do Podcast Creators Set Up an Apple Podcasts Subscription?

In the Apple Podcasts Connect website, podcast creators can set up these premium subscriptions through the new Apple Podcasters Program. This new set of tools allows creators to choose what's on offer with a premium subscription. They can also get access to an analytics page.

A subscription to the Apple Podcasters Program will set creators back $19.99 a year. This isn't a huge cost for creators to pay, yet it offers the potential to boost their podcast earnings to a new level.

However, similar to the App Store, Apple does take a 30 percent cut of any first-year subscription fees, dropping 15 percent after that.

Premium Podcasting

Being able to offer premium podcast subscriptions on Apple Podcasts is a big leap forward in the world of content creation. Podcast creators are now able to expand their earning potential, which can help them take their shows to the next level.

It's also nice for fans to be able to get some premium content out of podcasts while supporting the creators at the same time.

Image credits: Apple

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