New York Times expands podcast subscriptions to Apple Podcasts and Spotify
The New York Times is introducing paid podcast subscriptions on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, giving listeners the ability to subscribe directly through these platforms. This expansion builds on the success of The Times’ audio journalism efforts, which began with the launch of “The Daily” in 2017. The Times’ podcasts now reach millions of listeners, offering in-depth reporting and analysis on a range of topics.
In addition to The Times’ stand-alone Audio app and the Listen tab in The New York Times app, this partnership with Apple Podcasts and Spotify is aimed at making its subscription service more accessible. Users with an existing subscription through The Times app will have their accounts automatically connected when using Apple Podcasts. Those without a subscription can sign up through the New York Times channel on both platforms.
“Our audio journalism connects The Times with millions of people every day, and now we’re taking a significant step forward in transforming this powerful connection into a key driver of our subscription business,” said Ben Cotton, head of subscription growth at The Times. “We believe that our audio journalism, featuring the most authoritative coverage of the most important and interesting stories, is worth paying for. And working closely with Apple Podcasts and Spotify has allowed us to create a seamless experience that’s both intuitive to use and easy to understand. This collaboration allows us to expand our reach while making it easier than ever for listeners to not only engage more deeply with The Times but support our original, independent audio journalism by subscribing.”
“Our audio report has gotten much bigger over the past few years, and it has a lot more breadth. We now have several news programs, more shows in tech, politics, culture and lifestyle, and we’ve even expanded our shows in Opinion and Sports. We’re excited to get all our shows in front of more people,” added Paula Szuchman, The Times’s director of audio.
The podcast subscription will be priced at $6 per month or $50 per year. Existing New York Times All Access and Home Delivery subscribers will continue to have full access without additional charges.