After almost a month of delay, Apple will (finally!) launch the highly-anticipated Podcast subscription later this month. Apple sent a mail to popular podcast creators saying that the service will be live on Tuesday, June 15.
Apple first introduced the Podcast subscription at its ‘Spring Loaded’ event in April. Apple said that the feature would be rolled out with iOS 14.6 update, however, the feature’s release was pushed “to make sure that the best experience is being provided to creators and listeners.”
Podcast subscriptions will provide users will many perks including exclusive podcasts and an ad-free experience. Apple Podcast Subscription will also be shareable via Apple Family Sharing with up to six family members. Pricing of the Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will be set by creators and billed monthly by default. Creators will be able to charge yearly also.
Podcast creators can use Apple’s own proprietary software for creating the ‘best podcast experience.’ There’s also a separate program for creators, called Apple Podcasters Program. It includes all the offer premium subscriptions on Apple Podcasts, is available to creators in over 170 countries and regions for $19.99 (US) per year.