New Apple Podcasts Spotlight Feature Highlights Rising Podcast Creators

Tuesday January 19, 2021 8:15 am PST by Juli Clover

Apple today announced the launch of Apple Podcasts Spotlight, a new monthly editorial feature that's designed to celebrate rising podcast creators.

The first Podcasts Spotlight creator is Chelsea Devantez, who hosts Celebrity Book Club. In the weekly podcast, Chelsea is joined by co-hosts like Gabourey Sidibe, Ashley Nicole Black, and Lydia Popovic to discuss the memoirs of celebrities like Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, and Jennifer Lopez, to provide listeners with new insights into celebrities they thought they knew.

"Apple Podcasts Spotlight helps listeners find some of the world's best shows by shining a light on creators with singular voices," said Ben Cave, Global Head of Business for Apple Podcasts. "Chelsea Devantez has created a fun, vibrant space with Celebrity Book Club for listeners to gain new perspectives on the celebrities we thought we knew. We are delighted to recognize Chelsea and Celebrity Book Club as our first Spotlight selection and look forward to introducing creators like Chelsea to listeners each month."

Apple plans to announce new Spotlight creators on a monthly basis going forward, and the feature will represent a wide range of podcast genres, formats, and locations, with a focus on independent voices. Highlighted podcasts are featured in the "Browse" section of the Podcasts app and are shared by Apple on social media throughout the month.

Apple's Podcasts Spotlight comes following news that Apple is working to develop its own podcast subscription service, which has the potential to lure creators away from competitors with the promise of more money and give Apple more original podcast content.

Tag: Apple Podcasts

Top Rated Comments

satchmo

35 months ago

They blew the budget and couldn’t pay someone for a proper logo?

Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)

jonnyb098

Now if they could only make a better podcasts app. Still blows my mind that Apple pretty much pioneered podcasts 20 years ago and still has the most mediocre app around.

Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

DaSal

What is Apple’s obsession with (dated and uninteresting) celebrities, honestly?

Nobody listens to podcasts because they wanna listen to J. Lo.

Couldn’t they get creative, interesting and fresh voices that specialize in podcasting for this? You know: like Spotify does.

if this is a preview of their paid podcasting service I’m not interested

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

SirChristopher

I was thinking the exact same thing! What is that scribbled "o" supposed to be? I really don't love Apple's integration "handwritten" text in their marketing materials since the introduction of the Apple Pencil...looks cheap.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

hooptyuber

Think different...and we'll delete you.

applicious84

Apple's Podcasts Spotlight comes following news that Apple is working to develop its own podcast subscription service ('https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/15/apple-podcast-subscription-service/'), which has the potential to lure creators away from competitors with the promise of more money and give Apple more original podcast content.

Ugh, because that's more of what the podcast world needs. Maybe there are better ways to pay creators than subscriptions to cable tv and to network video channels and to music services and to newspapers and to podcasts, etc. I mean when the bills are coming from trillion dollar companies, it's all the more frustrating

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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