Report: Apple Podcasts Favors Shows With Subscriptions - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Report: Apple Podcasts Favors Shows With Subscriptions

Apple favors podcasts in its "Browse" tab that participate in its subscriptions program, according to Semafor.

Podcasts Feature
To be featured at the top of Apple Podcasts' Browse tab, creators simply have to submit a form to Apple, but the report noted that, last week, five of the first seven shows in the "Browse" carousel in the ‌Apple Podcasts‌ app were participants in ‌Apple Podcasts‌ Subscriptions.

Apple launched podcast subscriptions in 2021, allowing creators to offer premium content to their audience, such as bonus episodes and exclusive segments, in exchange for a small subscription fee. Apple, in return, takes up to a 30 percent cut of the revenue generated from these subscriptions.

One executive at an independent podcast told Semafor that Apple explicitly said to them that podcast subscription enrolment would help their chances of being promoted in the carousel, while another remarked that ‌Apple Podcasts‌ Subscriptions was worth participating in simply for in-app placement advantages. An individual at Apple added that the ‌Apple Podcasts‌ app is now designed to offer more features to shows that participate in the subscription program, with several key slots reserved for this purpose.

Popular Stories

iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
duo aquarium

More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try

Friday November 6, 2026 3:27 pm PST by
When the iPhone Duo launched, we shared a list of some of the fun apps developers created for the new form factor. Two weeks out, developers are continuing to come up with fresh ideas, so we thought we'd share some of our favorites. Games Marbles Unhinged ($2.99) - Marbles Unhinged is a marble maze designed for the Duo. When you fold it, the floor turns into a ramp. If you stand the top...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Five New Products Today

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:59 am PST by
Apple is launching five new products on Friday, November 6, following pre-orders that opened last week, including its first touchscreen MacBook Pro models. The following new products will be available from today: iPad mini with OLED display and A20 Pro chip iMac with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip 14-inch MacBook Pro with OLED touchscreen 16-inch MacBook Pro with OLED...

Top Rated Comments

DMG35 Avatar
34 months ago
Man, Apple seems to do shadier and shadier things every day. I still love their products but they do raise my brows seemingly every other day.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
34 months ago

But those days are mostly gone. Podcasts started out as randoms in their basement recording on their laptop mics, now many of them are professional operations that people rely on to feed their families. There are still some of the former around, but we're kidding ourselves if we don't look at podcasts as a business.
I‘m okay that those exist, but Apple being hell-bent on taking an extra cut of every service and content you access through an Apple device is an abuse of their position. The bicycle for your mind turned into a vacuum for your wallet. It literally sucks.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
34 months ago

They don’t build and grow platforms for some charitable purpose. Apple is a business and it’s executives dutifully bound to maximize profits as much as possible in conjunction with maintaining the health of the company.
This is very American view of business. There is absolutely no necessity to maximize profits in order to have a healthy business. It’s also a myth that there would be a duty towards shareholders to maximize profits. And if there was, we should rally against it, because it’s not beneficial to customers and not healthy for society. Profits should be a means to an end, not the end itself.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
contacos Avatar
34 months ago
EU like: excuse me!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThunderSkunk Avatar
34 months ago
Last time I looked you could subscribe to every podcast on earth, bc that’s how podcasts work. Someone over there keeps making a continual effort to break up the beautiful simplicity of what podcasts fundamentally are & complicate it with groups, channels, stations, the inexplicable listen now/browse/library/search redundancy & Microsoft-bad screen wasting ui designs with minimized controls that take more and stupidly precise taps to operate, all still running on a backend that still can’t remember to keep your downloads current over Wi-Fi until it’s too late and you’re in the car & open the app trying to listen to something. And it still isn’t integrated into the home screen resume playback control.

Twenty years ago podcasts were a single simple ui screen in iTunes that showed you everything you needed to know and gave you clear accessible playback controls all in a single efficient layout. Apple should familiarize themselves with what a nice job they used to do.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
34 months ago
Any problems, he goes to Paulie. Trouble with the bill? He can go to Paulie. Trouble with the cops, deliveries, Tommy, he can call Paulie. But now the guy's gotta come up with Paulie's money every week, no matter what
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
Apple Announces Türkiye Expansion Plans as Tim Cook Visits
18 minutes ago
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
Singapore Saved Apple $2.7 Billion in Taxes This Year
23 minutes ago
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
Apple Music's 2026 Artist of the Year is Olivia Dean
43 minutes ago
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
This Could Be Your Last Chance to Pre-Order the HomeView at a Discount
1 hour ago
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
Some HomePod Mini 2 Buyers Returning Units Over Mac Speaker Issues
1 hour ago
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
MacBook Pro With PROLED XDR Display: Details You Might Have Missed
1 hour ago
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
Satechi Offers MacRumors Readers 30% Off Select Accessories in Early Black Friday Sale
2 hours ago
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
Leaker Envisions a Shorter iPhone With a New iOS Layout
2 hours ago
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
Apple to Give You More Control Over When Your Mac Passwords Lock
3 hours ago
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
Siri Is Getting a Better Memory
4 hours ago
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
iPhone 18e Could Feature Bigger Display and Battery
4 hours ago
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
Apple's Siri Boss May Leave - Here's Who Could Take Over
4 hours ago
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday
5 hours ago
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
13 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
23 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
1 day ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
2 days ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
3 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
3 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
3 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago