Apple has slowly built its empire of subscription services for everything from news and fitness to TV and cloud storage. But Apple has ditched podcasts, which is odd considering the company’s podcast creation and distribution [checks notes] 16 years ago. Apple is reportedly dropping in on a podcast subscription service, but it could also cause more antitrust headaches for a company already plagued by it.
With reference to sources familiar with the subject, the information reported Friday that Apple is in talks to launch a paid podcast subscription service. It’s not clear how a subscription model would work, but the information noted that charging a fee for specific podcasts could fill the pockets of content creators and help attract talent, perhaps even away from existing platforms . If Apple were to charge for a premium version of its podcasts app – let’s call it Podcasts + for now – it could potentially group with its Apple One bundles and use it to secure subscribers to other premium apps in its portfolio, such as Arcade or Apple Music.
Apple declined Gizmodo’s request for comment.
The discussions may not be final and Apple could change its mind, the information said. But there is certainly enough reason to believe that Apple is moving in this direction. Apple has made services a big part of its product development in recent years, some with their own pipeline of original content, such as with Apple TV + and Fitness +. The company also reportedly ramped up its efforts around original podcasts last year, which was rumored to involve programming that draws on its TV + content, Bloomberg reported at that moment. It too snapped podcast curation tool Scout FM last fall, and Apple was said to have been among the companies that researched a Wondery acquisition, and that was eventually bought by Amazon.
But it would be a strange step for a company that is constantly engaged in anti-trust drama. Particularly when it comes to Spotify, which would be one of the main competitors of a Podcasts + service, the company may be considering a new years of feud, which is unlikely to help Apple’s position in other antitrust cases (although those focus mainly on the controversial App Store Policies). And Apple knows it’s in hot water here too. The company’s annual filing this month acknowledged in no uncertain terms that the board of directors reviews the company’s anti-trust risks “on a regular basis”.
A podcast subscription would be a massive reversal of Apple’s historically hands-off approach to podcasts, which podcast creators were worried about just a few years ago. But again, a premium podcast app would be a perfect fit for Apple’s own product portfolio and lure paid subscribers to its own app from its competitors. And the chance to launch yet another service may be too attractive for Apple to pass up.
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