Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts app is adding two new charts as it wants to make sure people know the shows and channels with the most subscribers. These charts are available for popular channel subscriptions in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Podcasting is back. You might be wondering: Did it ever leave? Yes, it did. A true podcast is based on an open protocol (RSS) that any player can use to subscribe to any show. The creator of the standard, Adam Curry (The Podfather) is back with Podcasting 2.0, which returns podcasts to their open nature built on protocols with new tricks and features (Value4Value, etc.) to take the industry to the next level while returning to its open nature. Read on to learn about Podcasting 2.0, Podcast Index, Satoshi streaming, and the future of RSS-based audio.

A new audio series called Project Unabom is joining Apple’s growing list of original podcasts. The true-crime podcast is based on new original reporting on serial bomber Ted Kaczynski. Listeners can look for the Apple Unabomber podcast to drop next week.

Apple has been upgrading its Podcasts platform as the iOS 15.5 RC revealed a new option to limit episodes stored on your devices as well as changes arriving to help podcasters better present the value of annual subscriptions. Now Apple Podcasts has announced its new “Delegated Delivery” service that will allow creators to “upload, manage, and distribute their premium audio through participating third-party hosting providers.”

Almost a year ago, Apple Podcasts launched a new subscription model, which allows creators to host bonus content and ad-free versions of their shows in exchange for a monthly or yearly subscription.

When it comes to listening to podcasts on iOS, there are so many great options. The Apple Podcasts app comes built into every iOS device with syncing. It’s undoubtedly a great app, but is it the best? On iOS, users have countless third-party options. My goal for this article is to break down some of the major podcast apps and help you determine which is best for what you want out of an app. What’s the best podcast app for iPhone?

Apple Podcasts improvements coming into effect next month include improved analytics and support for those wanting to take advantage of the opportunity for paid subscriptions.

Apple has also announced new marketing tools for shows …

We’ve been covering everything new in iOS 15.4 since the release of the first beta version in January, and Apple continues to add more features to its mobile operating system. In addition to enabling Face ID while wearing a mask and Universal Control, the update also lets Apple Podcasts users filter episodes by seasons, downloaded episodes, and more.

There’s a new way to discover new shows on Apple Podcasts starting today – a new “Listen With” editorial collection surfaces podcasts based on what artists, journalists, and podcasters recommend. Apple is also sharing new insight into how its recently launched paid subscription feature for podcasters is performing.

After releasing the Apple Music Awards early this morning, Apple is now celebrating the best podcast shows of 2021. This year, Apple Podcasts Best of 2021 features shows and creators that “provided listeners with a powerful sense of connection in a challenging and uncertain time, curated by Apple Podcasts’ world-class editorial team.”

Earlier this year, Apple rolled out the ability to rate and review its own applications on the App Store, including built-in apps like Podcasts, Music, News, and Stocks. One thing that quickly became clear when this rolled out is that the Apple Podcasts is a polarizing app, with an average rating hovering around 2.0 stars.

This week, developer and App Store watchdog Kosta Eleftheriou spotted that the Apple Podcasts app had mysteriously jumped from a 1.8-star rating to 4.6 stars in just over a month’s time. Apple has since confirmed to The Verge that it is now prompting users to rate and review the Apple Podcasts application.

A new Apple Podcasts BBC partnership gives Americans and Canadians access to a range of new shows previously unavailable in either country. The shows are available on the BBC Studios channel, but you’ll need a paid subscription after a seven-day free trial.

Apple first introduced paid podcast channels in June after a slightly delayed rollout…

After seeing a few reports earlier this year that Spotify was closing in on Apple Podcasts’ listenership, new data allegedly shows that Spotify has eclipsed Apple when it comes to US podcast listeners. If true, it looks like the shift may have happened as early as Q2 this year.

To celebrate International Podcast Day and the Apple Podcasts Subscriptions service, the company released the Top Subscriptions shows and Top Free Channels ever since the Podcasts subscription started three months ago.

Ever since Spotify introduced its own podcast platform, we’ve been seeing the Swedish streaming service surpass Apple Podcasts in some countries. Now, according to an analysis by eMarketer, Spotify is actually close to globally overtaking Apple Podcasts in number of users.

There are, however, some things to keep in mind with this report: subscriber-only channels and shows on Apple Podcasts don’t count towards RSS activity. eMarketer is also somewhat vague with its definition of “users” and doesn’t share clear methodology for some of its data.

SiriusXM and Marvel Entertainment just launched Marvel Podcasts Unlimited, a premium audio entertainment subscription for Marvel fans worldwide, available to listeners in more than 170 countries exclusively via the new Marvel channel on Apple Podcasts.

I’ve been listening to podcasts since 2004, and the industry has grown up a lot during that time in terms of variety, but also in production quality. While most people think of podcasts as non-fiction talk show style, but there is a fast-growing industry fictional storytelling that is rising to the level of being considered a “movie in your ears.” QCODE’s new show, Electric Easy, is quite possibly the highest level of audio production I’ve heard in my life, and it’s worth checking out.