Apple Podcasts subscription, Apple Card Family launched

After successfully launching Arcade gaming, News+, Apple TV+, and Apple One bundle, Cupertino-based company announced new Podcasts subscription service.

Apple Podcasts will start in May and will be available in 170 countries. It promises to offer a lot of benefits including specially curated content by creators, ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new series.

Patrons will get access to podcasts from independent voices and premier studios, including Tenderfoot TV, Pushkin Industries, Radiotopia from PRX, and QCODE, to leading media and entertainment brands, including NPR, the Los Angeles Times, The Athletic, Sony Music Entertainment, and many more.

“Fifteen years ago, Apple took podcasts mainstream, offering creators a premier, open platform to inform, entertain, and inspire hundreds of millions of listeners around the world,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

“Today, Apple Podcasts is the best place for listeners to discover and enjoy millions of great shows, and we are proud to lead the next chapter of podcasting with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. We’re excited to introduce this powerful new platform to creators around the world, and we can’t wait to hear what they make with it,” Cue added.

The company says that subscribers will be able to discover channels, which are groups of shows curated by creators with unique titles, descriptions, and artwork. Just as they can with shows, listeners will be able to browse free channels, which makes it easy to find more shows from their favourite creators, as well as paid channels and channels that provide additional benefits for the patrons.

With iOS 14.5, the company will introduce the newly redesigned Apple Podcasts app. It will offer an enhanced Search tab that provides quick access to Top Charts and categories.
Apple Podcasts will also come with a visually appealing new page for every show and episode to make it easier to follow, listen, and share. The new Smart Play button helps listeners automatically start episodic shows from the latest episode and serialised shows from the beginning of each series. Listeners can also now save individual episodes, which are downloaded for offline playback, making it easy to bookmark podcasts to listen to later from Library.

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Also, Podcast creators can enrol in the Apple Podcasters Program starting April 20 through Apple Podcasts Connect.

In India, Apple Podcasts subscription costs Rs 1,799 per year.

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The company also announced a new Apple Card Family service. Initially, it will available in the US in May.

Apple Card Family allows more people to co-own an Apple Card, and share and merge their credit lines while building credit together equally.

Apple Card Family. Credit: Apple

Also, Apple Card Family enables parents to share Apple Card with their children, while offering optional spending limits and controls to help teach smart and safe financial habits.

For now, Apple Card customers can add up to five people to their Apple Card account by sharing Apple Card with them in Wallet. All users must be part of the same Family Sharing group in order to be invited to Apple Card Family, and be 13 years of age or older.

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