Spotify hints at subscription podcast service
Spotify appears to be interested in launching a subscription podcast service that would offer access to original shows or exclusive episodes for a monthly fee. The potential service was described in a survey sent out through Spotify’s app, which was reported on by Andrew Wallenstein, president of Variety’s Intelligence Platform.
The survey describes at least four possible subscription podcast plans, ranging from $3 to $8 per month. The cheapest plan would include “access to exclusive interviews and episodes,” but would still include ads. The most expensive plan would include access to “high quality original content,” early access to some episodes, and no platform-inserted ads. None of these plans would include access to Spotify’s premium music subscription.
A spokesperson for Spotify indicated that the survey should not be taken as concrete product plans. “At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of surveys in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of those end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as important learnings,” the spokesperson said. “We have no further news to share on future plans at this time.”
Looks like the premium podcast plan would be ad-free and some mix of exclusive extra content at price points somewhere between $3-$8. pic.twitter.com/ArK8xYg0CM
— Andrew Wallenstein (@awallenstein) November 6, 2020
That means there’s no guarantee that Spotify will follow through with launching any of the described services. Companies often survey customers about potential new products and may shape their plans based on the results. But the fact that Spotify is surveying users means that it’s likely considering launching some sort of subscription podcast plan, even if it doesn’t necessarily end up taking any of the exact forms described here.
Spotify has been making big investments into podcasting over the past two years. The company acquired several major podcast producers, including Gimlet, Parcast, and The Ringer; signed exclusive podcast deals with Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian West, and Joe Rogan; and has increasingly promoted podcasts inside its app. Podcasts offer a lucrative opportunity for Spotify because it doesn’t have to pay licensing fees and royalties to stream them, but it can still make money on subscriptions and app-inserted ads played around them.
Eventually, Spotify is going to want to make money off of the huge sums it has sunk into podcasting — and it seems we may have an early look at what that’ll be like. Whether Spotify can pull it off is another question, though. The podcast service Luminary signed a splashy roster of talent to make podcasts for its subscription service, but it frustrated the podcast industry in the process and seems to have struggled to get listeners to sign up.
Spotify appears to be interested in launching a subscription podcast service that would offer access to original shows or exclusive episodes for a monthly fee. The potential service was described in a survey sent out through Spotify’s app, which was reported on by Andrew Wallenstein, president of Variety’s Intelligence Platform.…
Recent Posts
- T-Mobile owns Mint Mobile
- Block reportedly greenlit transactions involving terrorist groups and sanctioned nations
- It’s getting way easier to join PS5 multiplayer games with a friend
- Major industries reported two critical security incidents every day in 2023
- Ditch Microsoft’s data-gathering and take control of your Windows 11 experience with the new Tiny11 Builder tool
Archives
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011