![]() Most don’t understand that podcasts are not hosted by Apple, but rather that iTunes is a directory of RSS feeds hosted on servers all over the Internet. HTTP and SMTP, though, are not the only open protocols available to publishers: RSS is another, and it is the foundation of the podcast ecosystem. That’s exactly how the Stratechery podcast and Dithering work I explained last year: Yes, most of this paragraph is about the Spotify experience, but that sentence is a huge deal to the open podcast ecosystem: all Anchor subscriptions will include per-subscriber private RSS feeds so that you can listen to the podcast you paid for in the app of your choosing - it’s not locked to Spotify. And with paid subscription content clearly marked on your show and episode pages in Spotify, listeners can easily see how to support you directly, thus presenting a bigger potential paid audience. They’ll still have the option of listening on the platform of their choosing through a private RSS feed, so you don’t lose out on any potential subscribers. It starts with a straightforward subscription process for listeners that immediately gets access to paid episodes within your existing show feed in Spotify, meaning less friction and more supporters your audience won’t need to contend with RSS feeds or downloading a separate third-party app to listen. The most seamless discovery, subscription, and listening experience for your audience equals increased earning potential for you. This was the first big surprise in the announcement from Anchor’s blog post ( emphasis mine): That caveat is an important one, because after 2023 rates for long-time subscribers are more comparable than you might expect. Apple’s “Year One” and “Year Two” rates apply to subscribers, not podcasts even if your podcast has been available for two years, for example, new subscribers pay out at the 70/30 rate for the first year they are subscribed.Anchor’s rates are the same for all subscribers all $5 subscriptions earn $4.55 in 20, and then earn $4.31 in 2023, no matter if the subscriber signed up in 2021 or 2023.That “excluding payment transaction fees” is a pretty important parenthetical here is what the take-home amount is for $5/month and $10/month podcasts on both Anchor and Apple Podcasts: Starting in 2023, we plan to introduce a competitive 5% fee for access to this tool. Second, Anchor is charging less than Apple is the announcement states:įor the next two years, this program will come at no cost to the creator, meaning that participating creators receive 100% of their subscriber revenues (excluding payment transaction fees). Spotify filed a complaint to the EU two years ago, and the EU is expected to charge Apple with anti-competitive behavior this week. This is, needless to say, a rather stark example of Apple leveraging its control of the App Store to give itself an advantage in a new market the obvious analogy is Apple Music, which has the same advantage relative to Spotify itself. ![]() 1 Apple, meanwhile, can put a subscribe button front-and-center: Spotify can’t put a “Subscribe” button in its app due to Apple’s App Store rules, which means that Anchor podcasters have to hope a would-be subscriber finds their way to the Anchor website. However, Anchor is different in three important ways:įirst, subscribing to an Anchor show on Spotify is a clumsier process than it is on Apple note these images from the announcement: ![]() ![]() At first glance this seems similar to Apple’s offering: use their subscription service to offer paid podcasts on their app. The first implication of this is exactly what you might expect: podcasters who use Spotify’s Anchor service for hosting their podcasts can now create subscriber-only podcasts on Spotify. Spotify’s first announcement was teased during its Stream On event last month: paid podcasts via Anchor. Plus, a special announcement about Exponent.
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