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On January 19th, Apple announced a new editing program called “Apple Podcasts Spotlight” aimed at spotlighting up-and-coming podcast creators in the United States. Every month, Apple’s editorial team selects new podcast creators to feature, display them prominently on the screen of the Apple Podcasts app, and promote them on social media and elsewhere.
This will allow podcast creators to reach more listeners, much like the App Store will feature a selection of recommended apps and games with a large banner at the top of the screen.
The first spotlight creator is film director Chelsea Devantez, who hosts the podcast “Celebrity Book Club.” Every Friday, Chelsea and screenwriter Emily V. Gordon, actress Gabourey Sidibe, Ashley Nicole Black, and Lydia Popovich. It has been announced that special guests such as Popovich will gather to discuss memories of “badass celebrity women”.
The idea for the show began a year ago when Devantes, who was reading a memoir of Jessica Simpson, introduced a summary on Instagram. In response to the feedback from her followers, she developed this concept into a podcast.
In upcoming episodes, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and producer Emily V. Gordon talks about Drew Barrymore’s autobiography, “Little Girl Lost,” and actress Stephanie Beatriz. (Stephanie Beatrice) talks about Celine Dion’s autobiography “My Story, My Dream,” and model, actress, and singer Leighton Meester talks about singer-songwriter Carly Simon. )’S album “Boys in the Trees”. And in a special Valentine’s Day episode, Chelsea and TikTok star Rob Anderson will read a memoir of the conflicting divorces of Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson.
“Apple Podcasts Spotlight helps listeners find the best shows in the world by shedding light on creators with extraordinary voices,” said Ben Cave, Global Business Head of Apple Podcasts. Cave) said in a statement about the announcement. “Chelsea Divantes has created a fun and vibrant space for listeners to get a new perspective on the celebrities we thought we knew in a show called Celebrity Book Club. We are pleased to recognize Chelsea and the Celebrity Book Club as Spotlight’s first selection, and look forward to introducing creators like Chelsea to our listeners every month. I will. ”
According to Apple, future Spotlight creators will be selected from a variety of podcast genres, formats, and regions, and will be announced monthly. He also often focuses on independent podcasts that haven’t been featured much before. Content is previewed to confirm quality prior to selection, but podcast size and reach are not particularly important.
Basically, Spotlight creators will be announced for the first week, but the specific dates are fluid for holidays and big cultural events. For example, the next Spotlight selection will be announced in mid-February 2021.
Spotlight creators will be listed at the top of the “Browse” tab on Apple Podcasts and will be promoted through Apple Podcasts social media accounts. In-app features will continue as long as creators are in the “spotlight.”
According to Apple, they may collaborate with featured creators on Apple’s own channels. In the future, promotions will be carried out on channels operated by Apple, such as outdoor advertising in major cities in the United States.
The news of the new editorial program was announced shortly after the tech industry media The Information reported that Apple plans to introduce a podcast subscription service. The expansion of Apple’s podcast platform would pose a threat to competitors such as Spotify, SiriusXM, and Amazon, the article said.
Apple Podcasts is still the market leader, but Spotify has $ 800 million to podcast companies such as Anchor, The Ringer, Gimlet Media, and more recently podcast advertising company Megaphone. It has been catching up with Apple, spending more than (about 83.1 billion yen).
Meanwhile, SiriusXM has acquired Simplecast, a podcast management and analysis platform, AdsWizz, an ad tech platform, and Stitcher, a podcast app. To avoid being left behind, Amazon announced a few weeks ago that it would buy podcast network Wondery.
According to Apple, the program’s main goal is not only to help grow its creator audience, but also to welcome a new audience across podcasts.
Podcasts are growing in popularity, but according to Edison Research, only 37% of people in the United States listen to podcasts per month. This means that it’s far from a popular activity for the majority of the US population at this time. In order for Apple to introduce a subscription service and monetize podcasts efficiently, it must first work to increase the number of people who listen to podcasts on a regular basis.
Apple didn’t say whether the program would later extend beyond the United States.
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