Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

It’s easy to support your favorite creators and unlock premium experiences on Apple Podcasts. Here’s how.

In addition to following, listeners can subscribe to podcasts on Apple Podcasts to support their favorite creators and unlock premium experiences, including ad-free listening, exclusive access to bonus episodes, and early access to new episodes. There are multiple ways to subscribe to a podcast on Apple Podcasts, making it the best platform for listeners to discover and enjoy their favorite shows and for creators to grow their audiences and build their businesses.

Subscribe using Apple Podcasts Subscriptions

When creators offer a subscription using Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, listeners are just a few taps away from becoming subscribers. They can simply tap Subscribe or Try Free on any show or channel with a subscription, authenticate their purchase, and they’re subscribed. That’s it.

Listeners can take advantage of free trials and annual plans, if available, and easily access their subscribed channels from Listen Now. As listeners engage with podcasts using Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Listen Now will be updated with new, personalized recommendations based on their listening, including new shelves for top shows offered by the channels that listeners subscribe to. Subscriptions are managed using Apple’s simple billing and subscriptions system and can be shared with up to five family members using Family Sharing.

Subscribe using an RSS feed URL

For shows that do not yet participate in Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, listeners can access their subscription content in the Apple Podcasts app using an RSS feed URL. After subscribing to a podcast using a third-party subscription provider, listeners will receive a private RSS feed. They can follow these steps to add it to Apple Podcasts:

1. Open Apple Podcasts on iPhone or iPad and navigate to Library.
2. Tap the “...” button, then tap Add a Show by URL.
   
3. Navigate to the subscription service provider and copy the RSS feed URL provided.
   
4. Go back to the Apple Podcasts app and paste the RSS feed URL into the Podcast URL field.
   
5. Tap Follow.
   

The subscription show will then appear in Library and will be updated with new content as long as the RSS feed URL remains active and valid.

Keep in mind:

• Creators using third-party subscription providers cannot present subscriptions using channels and will not be able to distribute episodes using high-quality WAV or FLAC files.
• All account management and billing will be facilitated by the subscription provider. Apple will not be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management, and other issues that may occur.
  
• While listeners will be able to play subscription content from their Library, including using CarPlay and Siri, they will not be able to play or share subscription content.
  
• Listeners cannot use Search in Apple Podcasts to find subscriptions offered exclusively by third-party providers. They also cannot discover subscriptions offered by third-party providers in Listen Now or Browse, where the majority of discovery occurs.
  
• Listeners will not receive personalized recommendations based on listening to this content in Listen Now and will not be able to share their subscription using Family Sharing. Additionally, listeners may not be able to see all free and paid content in the same feed, depending on the benefits offered via the subscription.
  
• Creators can view listening for free shows available in the Apple Podcasts catalog. Listening for paid shows can be viewed through Apple Podcasts Subscriptions in Apple Podcasts Analytics. Listening via RSS is not displayed in Apple Podcasts Analytics.