Subscription launch checklist

With Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, you can offer a premium experience while growing your audience and revenue. Offer shows with paid subscriptions, and give fans additional benefits when they subscribe. Designed to be flexible and creator-friendly, Apple Podcast Subscriptions lets you set your own prices provide monthly or annual plans, and offer free trials to make it easy to start listening.

You receive 70% of the subscription price at each billing cycle, minus applicable taxes. After a subscriber accumulates one year of paid service, your net revenue increases to 85% of the subscription price, minus applicable taxes. Your other podcast revenue—including any ads—will stay 100% yours.

1. Consider your strategy.

• Think about which benefits will work for your audience and your production schedule. You can offer:
  
• Ad-free listening. Let subscribers focus on the story, uninterrupted.
• Additional episodes. Give subscribers more to love with additional episodes.
• Early access. Offer subscribers new episodes before everyone else.
• Subscriber-only shows. Give subscribers shows that are only available to them.
• Archive access. Unlock access to all the past episodes.
• Review your production schedule. Apple Podcasts provides long-term subscriber content, so consistency is key. Make plans for any recording breaks to continue providing value to listeners, and avoiding churn.
• Brainstorm a name for your subscription and think about how you will message the benefits to your listeners both in and out of audio. 
  

2. Take ownership of your show.

Unless your subscription is part of a larger network agreement, we recommend setting it up in your own Apple Podcasts Connect account from the start. You’ll have full control and visibility over your business, your audience stays with you, and you can grow your subscription without limitations.

• Sign in to Apple Podcasts Connect. If you don't have an account yet, you can create one.
• Submit a new show: Choose this option if your show is new to Apple Podcasts
• Claim an existing show: Choose this option if your show is on Apple Podcasts, but it's not in your Apple Podcasts Connect account.

3. Join the Apple Podcasters Program

• Join the Apple Podcasters Program and pay the annual fee.
• Complete your agreement, including the tax and banking sections.
• If you plan to sell your subscription in the European Union, enter DSA compliance information.
• Consider who else might need access to your Apple Podcasts Connect account. You can invite people to join your account as long as they have a valid Apple Account. There are a variety of roles, each offering differing levels of access to shows and information.

4. Design your artwork.

• Review the artwork guide to see where your art shows up and understand best practices.
• Download templates and place design elements within the art safe areas. This ensures they won’t be cropped or obstructed by Apple Podcasts user interface elements overlaid on top of the artwork.
• Consider partnering with Canva to easily create stunning artwork. Canva has many tools and Apple Podcasts templates that help you create a cohesive brand system.
• Upload your artwork, including a Subscription Icon and a Subscription Promotion. If you're creating a subscription channel, you'll need to supply channels artwork as well.

5. Set up your subscription.

• Add a subscription to one show, or create a channel with a subscription for multiple shows.
• Choose a price which is appropriate for all countries where you'll offer your subscription. You can adjust your price as needed over time.
• Write a compelling promotional message.
• Add subscriber benefits to your episodes. If you’re offering ad-free or early access benefits, make sure the free and paid versions link together on Apple Podcasts by using the same episode number, season number, and episode type on your RSS and subscriber episodes.
• Ensure you adhere to the content guidelines.
• Submit your subscription for review. Make sure any benefits you include in your promotional message are available, otherwise your subscription will not be approved. This process can take one full working day, so don’t leave it to the last minute.
• If your hosting provider supports Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, you can publish subscriber episodes from their dashboard by generating and sharing an API key.