Apple Podcasts Subscriptions take aim at Spotify — everything you need to know

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions take aim at Spotify — everything you demand to know

(Image credit: Apple )

Apple announced its new premium podcasts subscription service at its Spring Loaded event this calendar week, along with a revamped app for iOS fourteen.5 listeners. The news has proven the rumors that were floating around earlier this twelvemonth truthful, with the tech giant looking to take the fight to Spotify.

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions goes live next calendar month, with the format appealing to both creators and avid fans alike. The idea is that listeners can sign upward for benefits, like an ad-gratuitous experience, additional content, and early (or exclusive) access to episodes. Apple CEO Tim Cook describes it as "the biggest change to Apple Podcasts since its debut."

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Side by side month will also see the rollout of channels, which will make information technology a lot easier to notice content from your favorite creators. Channels is Apple's proper name for "groups of shows curated past creators with unique titles, descriptions, and artwork." Y'all'll observe a combination of free and paid content here, so you can peruse what's on offer and decide if yous want to sign up for a subscription.

If you lot're listening on iOS 14.five (due next week), the redesigned Apple Podcasts app will sport new pages for shows and episodes. The Search tab has besides been improved, giving quick access to categories and Top Charts.

Managing your library and active podcasts should be significantly easier with the introduction of the Smart Play button. For episodic shows, Smart Play will automatically play the latest episode. For serialized content, Smart Play will start at the beginning of each serial.

For those of yous with patchy internet access or limited data, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will allow you to salvage episodes which are downloaded to heed to offline.

Podcast creators can set up pricing and availability, and then in that location'south no blanket subscription cost. The changes should give the app a much-needed refresh and offering more intuitive options for listeners. The revamp rolls out in May, so there'due south just a couple weeks left to wait before you tin can dive in.

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Shabana is T3's News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). Too as contributing to Tom's Guide, she'southward had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of piece of work, she besides plays video games and should actually retrieve well-nigh expanding her hobbies.