Last month, Apple announced their plans to launch a podcasts subscription program. Unfortunately for creators, it seems that the service has been delayed. The service was originally intended to be launched in May, but it seems that Apple has decided that they will be pushing it to June.According to Apple, “To ensure we are delivering the best experience for creators and listeners, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels will now launch in June. We will communicate further updates on availability, and best practices to help you prepare your subscriptions and channels, through this newsletter.”
The company does not mention when exactly in June it will launch, so we’ll just have to wait and see. For those unfamiliar, the podcasts subscription program will not be similar to Apple Music or Apple TV+. These subscriptions are up to the creators of podcasts to implement themselves, meaning that some creators will be able to put their podcasts behind a subscription paywall so that they can earn some money.
Naturally Apple will get a cut from this, but it will give creators a chance to make money off their work in a more official way instead of relying on donations or tips. Not too long ago, Apple also launched an affiliate program for podcasts where you can earn money by getting people to sign up for paid podcasts.