Apple Podcast Subscriber Count Has Grown Over 300% Since June 2021

Apple's paid podcast subscription service has been seeing notable growth, increasing more than 300 percent since June 2021. The metric was shared today by an Apple spokesperson who spoke to Digiday about a new Dateline subscription podcast offering.

Podcasts Feature
More than 25 percent of the top 100 shows from the "Top Shows" chart offer a subscription option more than a year after subscriptions first debuted. Apple introduced Apple Podcasts Subscriptions in April 2021, with the feature designed to allow users to unlock benefits like ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new podcast series.

Podcast subscriptions earn Apple a 15 to 30 percent cut of revenue, similar to how App Store subscriptions work. Apple takes a 30 percent cut during the first year a user is subscribed, and a 15 percent cut for each subsequent year.

Apple's latest subscription addition comes from Dateline, which is introducing an ad-free listening experience across nine podcasts and shows, one-week early access to episodes, and monthly bonus episodes. The subscription is priced at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with podcasters able to set their own subscription pricing terms.

Top Rated Comments

flashflood101 Avatar
14 months ago
So, there are now 3 subscribers instead of only 1? ?
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erikkfi Avatar
14 months ago
300% from what base?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleTO Avatar
14 months ago
I forgot podcast subscriptions exist.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
belvdr Avatar
14 months ago

300% from what base?
Per the article:
Apple declined to share exactly how many subscriptions or subscribers it has on Apple Podcasts.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sayewhat Avatar
14 months ago

300% from what base?
Now we know where all the Twitter bots migrated to. ?????
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boss.king Avatar
14 months ago
People know that no one is making them use Apple Podcasts, right? Someone tell them that Overcast is free.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Lineup Feature

iPhone 15 Models Feature New Setting to Strictly Prevent Charging Beyond 80%

Tuesday September 19, 2023 2:04 pm PDT by
All of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models feature a new battery health setting that prevents the devices from charging beyond 80% at all times when enabled, as confirmed by The Verge's Allison Johnson during a Q&A session today. The new setting is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more...
iOS 17 and iPhones Feature

iOS 17: 10 New Features That Just Launched

Sunday September 17, 2023 12:35 pm PDT by
In June, Apple announced iOS 17 with a wide range of new features and changes for the iPhone. Following over three months of beta testing, the free software update will be released this Monday, September 18 for the iPhone XS and newer. Below, we have recapped 10 key features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17, with additional features coming later this year. The update should be released to...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
emojipedia 15 1 emoji

Emoji Coming to Future iOS 17 Update Include Shaking Head, Brown Mushroom, Lime, Phoenix and More

Tuesday September 19, 2023 12:43 pm PDT by
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...