Apple Podcasts Subscriptions to Add Subscriber-Exclusive Video
Apple says creators will soon be able to offer subscriber-exclusive video episodes, ad-free video, early access and bonus video through Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, as the company pushes further into video podcasts.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions launched in 2021, allowing creators to charge listeners for perks such as ad-free listening, bonus episodes and early access. Creators have since offered paid subscriptions to listeners in more than 170 countries and regions, and the addition of video extends that system rather than creating a separate one.
The move follows a broader shift by Apple toward video in its podcast app, 9to5Mac reported. Earlier this year the company introduced an HLS-based video podcast experience that lets users switch between watching and listening, view episodes full screen and download videos for offline viewing.
More recently, with iOS 27 and other software updates, Apple expanded video support in Apple Podcasts with read-along transcripts, chapters, media links, and playback on Mac and Apple TV.
In its announcement, Apple said creators have built direct-to-listener businesses around premium audio since subscriptions launched, and that video gives them new ways to reach audiences. The company said the integration lets creators deliver audio and video without maintaining separate offerings or workflows, and that audiences can find and watch premium video across Apple devices and the web.
Apple said it is working with hosting providers to make the integration seamless and that it will share more details in the coming months. The company did not give a date for when video subscriptions will become available to creators.