Spotify is upping its podcat game in a big way with the launch of paid subscriptions. This news comes just a few days after Apple announced it was bringing subscriptions to the Apple Podcasts app, meaning the podcast market is quickly heating up in a big way.
Podcasts first launched on Spotify in October 2018. Since then, Spotify has worked hard to make sure podcasts are just as much of a focal point as music is. In addition to hosting third-party podcasts from anyone that wants to upload them to Spotify, the streaming giant has also built up an impressive collection of first-party content that's only accessible via the Spotify app and nowhere else. All of these podcasts are available to Free and Premium users alike, and while that won't be changing any time soon, Spotify is launching a new monetization model that'll allow podcast creators to offer premium subscriptions to its most loyal fans.
As of April 27, Spotify has confirmed that it's launching a paid subscription platform for its podcast creators. It's initially exclusive to users in the United States and is being tested with a select group of 12 creators, but Spotify will roll it out to more countries and additional podcasters in the coming months. Podcasters can easily choose certain shows/episodes to be locked behind a subscription, and as of right now, Spotify has three price tiers they can choose from: $2.99, $4.99, or $7.99/month. Rather than subscribing directly through the Spotify app, users will be asked to subscribe via the Anchor website (likely in an attempt to skirt past app store fees from Apple and Google). Paid podcasts will appear throughout Spotify just like regular episodes do, but instead of showing a play button next to them, there will be a lock icon. When tapping on that icon, users will see a pop-up message directing them to the Anchor page, where they can subscribe and gain access to it.
How Podcast Subscriptions Will Change The Way People Use Spotify
Introducing the ability to lock podcasts behind a paywall might sound scary on paper, but this doesn't mean every single podcast on Spotify will instantly require a monthly fee to listen to. Spotify says that the 12 creators it's selected will use the subscription model to offer "subscriber-only bonus content in their existing podcast feeds." While some creators may eventually decide to block entire shows behind a subscription, the most common model will likely see existing shows remaining free while deleted scenes, extra commentary, or other miscellaneous content requires a subscription.
Podcasters will also likely use the subscription model to offer sponsor-free versions of their shows. Many podcasts have sections where they read various ads for companies sponsoring their content. While that's important for creators to make money, it can also break up the listening experience. In the case of NPR's Planet Money, for example, there will be a Planet Money Plus version of the show that gets rid of those sponsor sections for a monthly fee. The regular version will still be there for people to listen to for free, but for anyone that can't stand listening to ads, they now have an option to get rid of them. Finally, for anyone that listens to a lot of first-party Spotify podcasts, the good news is that none of these will use the subscription feature — at least for now. As noted by The Verge, "no Spotify-owned shows will go behind a subscription wall at first."
All-in-all, the experience of listening to podcasts on Spotify is and isn't changing. Most shows that are already available for free will more than likely remain that way, but thanks to this subscription option, creators now have a new way to offer additional content or versions of their shows without pesky ad breaks. Assuming the system doesn't get abused and works as intended, this should be good news for everyone.