Apple is slowly building its empire of subscription services for everything from news and fitness to TV and cloud storage. But Apple dragged on podcasts, which is strange, considering that the company popularized the creation and distribution of podcasts about [checks notes] 16 years ago. Apple is reportedly coming up with a podcast subscription service, but that could also create more antitrust headaches for a company already plagued by them.
Citing sources familiar with the subject, the information reported Friday that Apple is in talks to launch a paid subscription service for podcasts. It is unclear how a subscription model would work, but Information noted that charging a fee for specific podcasts can fill content creators’ pockets and can help attract talent, perhaps even away from existing platforms. Alternatively, if Apple charges you for a premium version of its podcasts app – let’s call it Podcasts + for now – it could potentially bundle it with your Apple One groups and uses it to help secure subscribers to other premium apps in your portfolio, such as Arcade or Apple Music.
Apple declined Gizmodo’s request for comment.
The discussions may not be final and Apple may change its mind, according to the Information. But there are certainly many reasons to believe that Apple is moving in that direction. Apple has made services a big part of product development in recent years, some with their own original content flow, like Apple TV + and Fitness +. The company had also reportedly stepped up its efforts around the original podcasts last year, which was rumored to involve programming based on its TV + content, Bloomberg reported at the time. This too grabbed podcast curation tool Scout FM last fall, and Apple was said to have been among companies that explored an acquisition of Wondery, which was eventually bought by Amazon.
But it would be a strange move for a company constantly involved in antitrust drama. Particularly when it comes to Spotify – which would be one of the main competitors for a Podcasts + service – the company is potentially looking to rekindle a feud of years, which is unlikely to help Apple’s position in other antitrust cases (although those were primarily aimed at its controversy App Store Policies) And Apple knows it’s also in trouble here. The company’s annual report this month, in no uncertain terms, acknowledged that its board of directors “regularly” reviews the company’s antitrust risks.
A podcast subscription would be a major reversal of Apple’s historically independent approach to podcasts, which podcast creators were concerned with just a few years ago. But then again, a premium podcast app would fit perfectly into Apple’s own product portfolio and could attract paying subscribers to its own app from competitors. And the chance to launch another service may be too attractive for Apple to put aside.
G / O Media can receive a commission