Apple leads the next chapter of podcasting with Apple Podcasts Subscriptions 20 Apr 2021
- Apple Podcasts Subscriptions will be available to listeners in over 170 countries and regions in May. Specific software requirements for Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels will be shared ahead of availability.
- Pricing for each subscription is set by creators and billed monthly by default. Creators can additionally offer annual billing, which subscribers can manage from their Apple ID account settings, now accessible from Listen Now. Listeners will also be able to access free trials and sample episodes offered by creators.
- Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share a subscription.
- Listeners will be able to access the enhanced Search tab with Top Charts and categories, new show and episode pages with the Smart Play button, and Saved Episodes on iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and macOS 11.3. Saved Episodes are also available on watchOS 7.4 and tvOS 14.5. These software updates will be available next week.
- The Apple Podcasters Program, which includes all of the tools needed to offer premium subscriptions on Apple Podcasts, is available to creators in over 170 countries and regions for £17.99 per year. Creators can enrol in the Apple Podcasters Program today through Apple Podcasts Connect.
- Apple Podcasts features more than 2 million free shows and is available for free on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod mini, CarPlay, iTunes on Windows, and other smart speakers and car systems.
NEWS & PRESS
Brits spend over £580 a month on entertainment and leisure, but 61% regret social media-driven purchases
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Noctil leverages The MLC’s public musical works database
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Impala warns of risks to cultural diversity posed by UMG/Downtown deal
A crucial element in reviewing mergers in the music sector is what’s at stake for the ecosystem and cultural diversity. A new paper published by IMPALA predicts that the proposed UMG/Downtown acquisition carries significant risks for both the quantity and...more
Latest PPL Momentum Music Fund and PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator grantees announced
10 talented UK artists in genres including pop, folk, R&B, jazz and rock receiving PPL Momentum Music support These selected grantees mark the 50th round of the landmark fund, supporting 623 artists at a career tipping point since its launch in 2013 4...more
Best performing National Album Day to date
Vinyl LP sales rose 54% over the National Album Day weekend, and were up 23.9% year-on-year A third of the Top 100 Official Vinyl Albums Chart was made up of titles released exclusively for National Album Day 2025, also accounting for...more
Sony Music Publishing UK Renews Exclusive Global Deal with Daecolm
Sony Music Publishing today announced it has renewed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with British artist and songwriter Daecolm. The deal renews the company’s long-established partnership with Daecolm, which began in 2016, and covers his existing catalogue and future recordings. In 2024, Daecolm achieved global success with the international hit “I Adore You”...more
KiTbetter Opens First North American Manufacturing Facility for KiTalbums in Los Angeles, California
KiTbetter, the company behind the patented hybrid KiTalbum format that bridges physical and digital music, has opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, California. The new site marks a major milestone in KiTbetter's global expansion. It will...more
Concord Music Publishing signs songwriter-producer Nickname Jos
Today, Concord Music Publishing announced the signing of artist, songwriter, and producer Josef Kuhn, known professionally as Nickname Jos. The universal co-publishing deal, effective immediately, includes Nickname Jos’ full catalog and future works. Nickname Jos is a multitalented performer, songwriter, and producer that has...more
Wear the music, share the joy: Music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins launches Christmas jumper collection
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IMPF establishes key targets across tech, data and emerging markets at Global Music Summit
Record 650 delegates attended 2025 event.Dates set for 2026 event. The IMPF established a number of key targets and priorities for the independent music publishing community across tech, data and newer markets at this year’s Global Music Summit Palma. Dates have also...more
Sophie Ellis-Bextor features on episode 4 of ‘The Red Carpet Treatment - On The Road Presented by Mastercard’
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Mercury rises for Sam Fender
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Industry Organisations Sign Groundbreaking Seat at The Table Inclusion Pledge
ATC Live and Ginger Owl Among First to Sign Pledge, with The Royal Albert Hall, AEG and The O2 Becoming Industry Champions New Live Sector-Wide Pledge Aims to Achieve Gender-Balanced Leadership and Measurable Progress by 2030 Following the release in April of the ‘Seat...more
EJAE signs with WME
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Blue Raincoat Music/Reservoir strikes publishing deal with Molly Drake Estate
Nick Drake Publishing Agreement Renewed Blue Raincoat Music Publishing, in conjunction with Reservoir, have signed a global publishing deal with the estate of songwriter and poet Molly Drake and have renewed their existing publishing deal with her late son, the seminal...more
hmv goes Dutch with new store in The Hague to open before end of the year
Music and popular culture retailer hmv is planning to open its first store in The Netherlands with a new site in The Hague in the latter stages of development. The new store will open its doors before the end of...more
Building on the momentum of its inaugural landmark edition SXSW London Announces it is Open for Business for 2026
SXSW London builds on the success of its inaugural year with its 2026 programme. Passes for access across the festival are now available to purchase on the SXSW London website. The leading European platform for the convergence of technology and the creative...more
Independent Venue Week announce Nova Twins as 2026 Artist Ambassadors
The UK’s annual celebration of independent venues, music and culture will run over 7 days and nights from Monday 26th January to Sunday 1st February Nova Twins will perform an exclusive live show as part of the week’s activities More than 200...more
Leading Entertainment Execs Launch Unit1 Studio, The World's First Independent Avatar Concert Producer
Headed by Barney Wragg (AEG, EMI, Really Useful Group, Universal) Breakthrough CGI and AI technologies deliver digital humans virtually indistinguishable from the artists themselves Unlocks potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs and improved time-to-market Partnership with KT Tunstall ahead of...more
PPL announces Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE as new Chair
PPL has appointed Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE as its new Chair. He will succeed John Smith OBE, effective 5 January 2026. Burgess will lead the PPL Board as the organisation continues to grow as a global leader in neighbouring rights...more
2AM introduces Lenny, the first AI agent redefining audience engagement in live entertainment
After a successful large-scale deployment at Rock en Seine, the Paris-based startup brings AI-native communication to festivals and venues. 2AM unveils Lenny, the first AI agent purpose-built for audience engagement and live event operations, covering the full audience journey - before,...more
Tickets For Good bolsters international growth with appointment of veteran ticketing executive Henk Schuit as European board advisor
The ADE Conference Startups alumni reveals latest Netherlands expansion news. TfG boasts almost 600k registered healthcare workers, teachers, and charity workers across UK, EU and U.S. It's distributed 1million+ free and discounted tickets from 1,000+ live event partners, including Dua Lipa, Idles,...more
KiTbetter and Duran Duran Deliver First-Ever Dolby Atmos Upgrade to a Physical Album
Groundbreaking upgrade to 2023's 'Danse Macabre: De Luxe' KiTalbum marks a new era for physical-digital music formats KiTbetter, the company reshaping physical music for the digital era, today announced a world first: the upgrade of a previously released physical album to...more
Yoto Launches David Bowie Card: Introducing the Legendary Artist to a New Generation
Yoto's latest addition to its growing popular music offering is filled with the immortal icon's classic songs Yoto, the award-winning audio platform for kids, today announced the launch of a new Yoto card featuring the timeless work of David Bowie. With...more
The Other Songs announce team expansion
Global independent music and entertainment company The Other Songs have announced the exciting expansion of their team as they recruit music industry executives Louis Brown, joining as General Manager, and Raju Watts, joining as Financial Director. Speaking on today’s news, founders...more
Day Fever partners with Ticketmaster’s Universe
Day Fever, the acclaimed daytime clubbing brand, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Ticketmaster’s white-label ticketing platform Universe, making the company its exclusive ticketing partner.Through the partnership, Day Fever will tap into Universe’s all-in-one ticketing and marketing platform, delivering...more
Simon Dunmore Partners with Armada Music to Launch New Label, NBT Records
The imprint will operate from Armada’s brand-new creative hub in London Acclaimed industry figure Simon Dunmore and Armada Music, the world’s biggest independent dance music label, have partnered to launch NBT Records – a brand-new label dedicated to soulful, dancefloor-driven records. Formed...more
Moises and Cory Henry Launch Global Music Competition with $50,000 in Prizes
Jam Sessions Invites Musicians Worldwide to Reimagine GRAMMY Winner's Track Through AI-Powered Tools Moises, Apple's 2024 iPad App of the Year, today launched Jam Sessions, a global music competition connecting artists, producers, and creators through AI-powered music technology. The inaugural edition...more
rightsHUB unveils tool to transform data ingestion process, signs Artist Theory alongside deal renewals with Believe, Defected and others
- New tool, rightsDROP, allows labels and publishers to optimise collection of metadata and resources via single point of entry or releases - rightsHUB now provides a fully end-to-end solution to streamline flow of rights data and assets- Artist Theory (Sam...more
Madi Diaz signs global co-publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and Crush Music Publishing
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s new album, ‘Fatal Optimist,’ out now First signing to Crush’s newly-launched publishing division Warner Chappell Music (WCM) and Crush Music Publishing (CMP) today announced a global co-publishing deal with acclaimed singer-songwriter Madi Diaz. She is the first signing to Crush’s newly-launched...more
THE HEADLINES
The “forever” stakes of generative AI ownership (see Comment)
Lyor Cohen: AI won’t replace artists — it will make them unstoppable (see Opinion)
Omdia tips music publishers’ revenues to hit $10bn this year (see Reports)
Unit1 Studio launches offering potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs (see Digital)
Are we still in the music business? When your POV is worth more than your mp3s (see Opinion)
Is rock’n’roll dead? (see Features)
Book extract: Body Of Work: How The Album Outplayed The Algorithm And Survived Playlist Culture (see Comment)
With MTV channels switching off, is the music video under threat? (see Features)
Spotify partnering with multinational music companies to develop ‘responsible’ AI products (see Digital)
Sam Fender wins 2025 Mercury Prize (see News)
Spotify working on ‘SongDNA’ feature that showcases the people behind tracks (see Digital)
How far should cultural boycotts go? (see Features)
How Subvert is building a co-op owned Bandcamp alternative (see Digital)
Lucian Grainge outlines UMG’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development (see News)
The future of music streaming: Change or be changed (see Comment)
Sam Altman: the man who stole the rights from copyright. If he’s the future, can we go backwards? (see Features)