Apple is looking to snap up exclusive rights to some of your favourite podcasts – report

Apple is reaching out to media outfits with the aim of securing exclusive rights for podcasts, if reports are to be believed. 

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is hoping to bring exclusive original shows and content to its own podcast-listening platform, citing unnamed sources. This is a substantial change for Apple, which usually allows shows on Apple Podcasts to make their episodes available elsewhere. This will definitely change if these Apple exclusivity claims turn into something tangible, meaning you might only be able to listen to certain podcasts on Apple’s app, but it is also possible the exclusivity could be a timed deal, meaning Apple has the latest podcasts first for a time-window before they become available everywhere. 

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Apple’s podcast app has always been phenomenally popular, with the lion’s share of podcast listeners. However, the podcast industry and its global audience has grown massively over the last few years, with more competitors for Apple’s throne appearing each year. All of them are trying to take some of Apple’s audience, eating away at their dominance in the space. This could mark the first time Apple has flexed their muscle in keeping the lead. 

Still, now that the company is facing competition from Spotify, Google and a host of other smaller outfits that have also made in-roads into the podcasting space, every provider is now being forced to evaluate what they can bring to the table.

However, if this does turn out to be true, it mirrors what Apple are doing with their TV+ streaming service which, in case you’ve forgotten, has a host of TV shows planned to come from a wide variety of stars, including the most exciting team-up since The Avengers, a series about mental health produced by the dynamic duo of Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry.