Apple today announced that it will lower the commission rates for the publishers who are committed to publishing their content through Apple News. The new News Partner Program lowers the tech firm’s cut of commission from 30% to 15%.

To have lower commission rates, a publication must have a significant presence inside the Apple News app. Currently, Apple takes a 30% commission from the publishers’ in-app purchases. If a publisher is select, the News apps will collect 85% of the revenue from in-app subscriptions.

“Providing Apple News customers with access to trusted information from our publishing partners has been our priority from day one” “For more than a decade, Apple has offered our customers many ways to access and enjoy news content across our products and services. We have hundreds of news apps from dozens of countries around the world available in the App Store, and created Apple News Format to offer publishers a tool to showcase their content and provide a great experience for millions of Apple News users.”

Publishers may apply for the program starting today. To qualify for the scheme, a publisher must maintain a “robust” Apple News presence in Australia, Canada, the US, and the UK.  Moreover, the publishers must maintain an Apple News channel and publish all content in the Apple News Format. You can read more about Apple News Format and Apple’s new program on Apple’s website.

Do you use Apple News? How’s your experience been? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!