Paying for podcasts might seem like a pretty strange idea. After all, we have grown so accustomed to the idea of them just being, well, free. But if Apple has anything to do with it, all of that might just be about to change.

If you missed Apple’s recent Spring Loaded event, where the tech giant announced a host of new gadgets and tech, like the new 24-inch iMac, AirTags, Apple TV 4K, new iPad Pros, and a purple iPhone 12, there is certainly plenty of new tech to get excited about from Apple.

But new tech wasn’t all they announced. Yes, one of the most interesting announcements from the event was Apple Podcast subscriptions. You are reading that correctly: paying for podcasts.

So, what does this announcement mean to the world of podcasting? What does it look like for podcasters? And how will it impact listeners?

Would you pay for podcasts?

I was lucky enough to be a guest on Download This Show with Marc Fennell to chat all about what paying for podcasts might look like.

If you are a podcast creator, Apple will now graciously allow your podcast to be on their network, selling subscriptions to individual podcasts, and all they want in return is a 30% cut. Isn’t Apple just such a generous bunch?

While you may be used to getting your podcasts through paid services like Spotify and Audible, Apple Podcasts is only podcasts. We already all subscribe to multiple video-on-demand services. Is Apple’s latest announcement the beginning of us going down the same road for podcasts, with different podcasts only being available on certain platforms.

Is Apple getting involved simply because everyone else is? Yeah, probably.

And it makes a whole lot of sense. I mean, just look at how audio has exploded in recent memory. Clubhouse is hands down the most interesting and exciting thing to happen to social media in years.

Is paying for podcasts the future? Only time will tell.