After a delay, Apple Podcast Subscriptions to officially launch June 15

Back in April, during Apple’s Spring Loaded event, the company announced a new feature called Podcast Subscriptions – the possibility for a paid subscription to a podcast that could give the listener an ad-free listening experience, alongside some exclusive content. However, the rollout of the new feature, expected in May, was delayed. Now, Apple will be rolling out the Podcast Subscription feature on June 15, reports TheVerge.

Apple Podcast Subscription coming June 15

Apparently, Apple had needed some time for the rollout of the new feature. In an email sent to podcast creators earlier, the company said the feature rollout will be delayed. This was to ensure the best experience for the users. This could possibly be linked with the fact that certain podcast creators have been complaining about issues with the app, introduced with iOS 14.5, that Apple started addressing with iOS 14.6.

Now, podcast creators and listeners can benefit from the Podcast Subscription starting June 15. The feature allows people to subscribe to their favorite creators and get perks like ad-free listening, bonus content, and exclusive access to new series.

Apple Podcast Subscription prices

As far as prices are concerned, they will be set by the creators for each subscription. However, you will still be getting a free trial and sample episodes to help you decide whether or not you want to sign up. Billing will happen monthly, but creators can pick an annual subscription option as well.

Podcast creators will need to pay $20 per year to participate in the program, and Apple will be taking a 30% cut of the revenue the first year and drop that to 15% in the following years. The new feature is expected to launch for the impressive count of 170 countries.

Spotify already launched a paid subscription

While Apple was refining the experience with the new feature and had delayed its rollout, Spotify has announced and released its answer to it. Spotify’s version is, however, not exactly the same to what Apple has announced. In Spotify, there’s no subscription in-app, but listeners have to navigate to an external Anchor page, where they can get access to the paid subscription and the extra content.