Through Spotify’s podcast creation tool Anchor, podcasters of all sizes will now be able to mark select episodes as subscriber-only content, then publish them to Spotify and other platforms. Since launch, more than 100 podcasts have adopted subscriptions, Spotify says.
Spotify explained that its research found that creators wanted some sense of where to start with pricing, rather than offering a completely open-ended system.
In addition to the ability to set pricing and gain access to a private RSS feed that can be used by listeners who prefer using a different podcast app, Spotify will now offer podcast creators the ability to download a list of contact addresses for their subscribers.
Apple will take a 30% cut from podcast revenue in year one, dropping to 15% in year two — similar to other subscription apps.
With this first step into a marketplace model, it’s notable to see Spotify — a staunch Apple critic in the antitrust fight — taking such a small percentage of creator revenues.
Creators who choose to work with Spotify aren’t locked in — they can share private RSS fees with their customers and publish to other platforms, like Apple Podcasts.
Apple’s subscription podcast service works a bit differently, as creators can offer subscriptions to individual shows or groups of shows called “channels,” or even freemium access.
The news of Spotify’s broader launch for Podcast Subscriptions follows a growing chorus of complaints from podcasters that Apple’s own subscriptions service is off to a rough start.
The company says it will expand access to international customers soon.