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.

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.