Small Change = Big Impact. Changes Coming To Apple Podcasts.
A small change with a big impact: no more “subscribe” as podcasting moves to “follow.”
Apple Podcasts will no longer be using the word “subscribe” in a few weeks. The new wording will be in iOS 14.5, which should be released later this March.
Listeners will be encouraged to “follow” their favorite podcasts instead. Apple, as usual with any changes they make in Apple Podcasts, will communicate with creators, and listeners, when this version of iOS is released.
It may seem like a small change, but it could dramatically affect the podcast industry. Tom Webster from Edison Research says 47% of people who don’t currently listen to podcasts think that 'subscribing’ to a podcast will cost money.
Other larger podcast apps have already changed: Spotify and Audible use “follow”, Stitcher uses “+ follow”, and Amazon Music uses “♡ follow”. Meanwhile, Google Podcasts and Castbox use “+ Subscribe”, and Overcast and Castro uses “Subscribe”.
For fifteen years, the term, the action to 'subscribe’ has been confusing potential listeners. I still have people ask me about that to this day.
But that was the action we needed to encourage for listeners to understand how to “follow” our podcasts in Apple Podcasts. Hopefully, every podcast app to copy Spotify, Stitcher, Apple and Amazon by using 'follow.’
And it’s time for every podcaster to follow their lead.
I would suggest as time goes on to edit any written reference using the term “subscribe” in blogs, show notes, etc. And moving forward, as of March 2021, use only the term “follow” with any reference to any podcast app.
Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you.
Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants business website at circle270media.com
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Recorded in conjunction with Channel 511, in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH.
Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients.
Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.
Transcript
Hey there, wanted to update you really
Speaker:quickly on a small change that's happening in Apple podcast here in the next few
Speaker:weeks, they're going to be no longer using the word subscribe.
Speaker:The new wording will be in the iOS fourteen point five update,
Speaker:which is scheduled to be released a little bit later this month of March.
Speaker:Listeners are going to be encouraged to
Speaker:follow, quote unquote, their favorite podcast.
Speaker:Instead, Apple, as usual, with any changes they make.
Speaker:An Apple podcast will probably communicate that with us, with creators and listeners.
Speaker:When this version of iOS is released, it may seem like a small change initially,
Speaker:but it could dramatically affect the podcast industry.
Speaker:There's a quote from Tom Webster from
Speaker:Edison Research that says that 40 percent, 47 percent of people who don't currently
Speaker:listen to podcasts think that subscribing to a podcast actually costs money.
Speaker:So this could be a big game changer, knowing that Apple holds most of the
Speaker:listenership, at least here in the United States.
Speaker:Other larger podcast apps have already changed.
Speaker:Spotify inaudible use the term follow
Speaker:SICHER uses, plus follow Amazon music uses the icon heart follow.
Speaker:Meanwhile, Google podcasts, Kasprzak and cast box excuse me use plus subscribe and
Speaker:overcast and Castro still uses the word subscribe.
Speaker:Those to podcast platforms I'm sure will change very quickly too.
Speaker:That's not very a heavy lift for them.
Speaker:You know, for 15 years, the term the
Speaker:action to subscribe has been confusing potential listeners.
Speaker:I get those questions still a lot today because they're afraid of making the
Speaker:click, thinking there's going to be some kind of charge.
Speaker:But that was the action we needed to
Speaker:encourage listeners to understand how to follow our podcasts and Apple podcast.
Speaker:Hopefully every podcast app is going to
Speaker:start to copy Spotify, Stitcher, Apple and Amazon by using follow.
Speaker:And it's time for every podcast to follow their lead as well.
Speaker:To what I'm suggesting is as time goes on to edit any written reference using the
Speaker:term subscribe and blogs, show notes and ET, I would not change any audio.
Speaker:That's a heavy lift.
Speaker:I think just utilizing that that that
Speaker:space that you've written and change over time to to follow rather than subscribe
Speaker:and then moving forward as of this month, March twenty twenty one, use only the term
Speaker:follow with any reference to any podcast app.
Speaker:You getting questions obviously.
Speaker:Give me a call, an email podcasts at Circle270Media Dotcom.
