The podcast industry has consistently been free to listeners over the past decade, but Amazon seems convinced that users will want to pay a monthly subscription fee for access to an entire podcast network.
On Thursday, Amazon’s Audible launched it’s own podcast network, Channels. The network will include audible news readings from publications like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, but will also include channels for topics such as sports, stand-up comedy and even channels for celebrities.
However, access to all of these channels will require a monthly subscription fee of $4.95, something that Apple has never done for its significantly larger network of podcasts. On the other hand, Audible’s podcasts won’t feature any advertisements, which are the main source of revenue for podcasters that post their shows on iTunes.
Amazon isn’t the only company trying to take away market share from Apple in the online podcast space. Other companies like Spotify and Google are also trying to find ways to stand out and differentiate themselves from the podcast giant.
However, Audible senior vice president for original content development, Eric Nuzum, believes that Apple’s large selection of podcasts is actually a problem.
“I’ve heard customers refer to podcasting as a flea market, where you’ll find some treasures, and it’s surrounded by a lot of junk,” Nuzum said according to Bloomberg. “You have to be in the mood to sort through the junk to find the treasure, and people don’t want to do that all the time.”
Amazon and Audible made a lot of noise with the addition of Channels, but only time will whether or not listeners want to pay for their content.
