Apple on Friday informed podcast creators that the rollout of a newly announced subscription service has been delayed until June.
The company failed to pin the delay on a specific issue, saying in an email to podcast producers that it is working to deliver the "best experience for creators and listeners." Both subscriptions and channels are impacted by the change.
Announced in April, Podcast subscriptions enables creators to sell access to shows, exclusive content, ad-free programming and more through the Podcasts platform. Podcasters can offer free samples and set subscription pricing, which defaults to automated monthly billing. Annual subscription options are also available.
System level support for subscriptions and channels rolled out with the release of iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6 and macOS Big Sur 11.4 this week, though the service is not yet live.
Apple in its newsletter goes on to acknowledge lingering problems with Podcasts Connect that held back publication of scheduled content. Those issues have been addressed, the company says.
Finally, Apple plans to introduce "additional enhancements" to Podcast's Library in the coming weeks, an apparent change spurred by listener feedback regarding the app's most recent update.
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