Unlike other podcast subscriptions, Spotify from creators offers users the chance to listen to shows from a wide variety of creators. In fact, you’ll find a wide range of music from genres such as rock, hip hop, and even a variety of styles of comedy. The playlists are updated regularly, so you’ll never run out of new music.
Amazon Music
During Q4 2015, Amazon Music’s subscriber base was 18% of Spotify’s. However, Amazon Music is growing 25% faster than Spotify. And its subscriber base is set to increase by 40% in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Amazon Music is available for Fire tablets, smart watches, iOS, Android, Mac/PC apps, Fire TVs, Sonos Wireless Speakers, and BMW in-car entertainment systems. It also offers a free tier that allows users to listen to music on a single device at a time. Its free plan is limited to select playlists and doesn’t offer offline playback.
Amazon Music offers two subscription options, one free and one paid. The free plan is available for anyone, but the paid plan requires a Prime membership. The unlimited plan costs $8.99 per month for Prime members and $9.99 for non-Prime members. The unlimited plan offers a growing selection of tracks in Ultra HD audio. It also offers a growing number of tracks in spatial audio.
Amazon Music’s interface features a drop-down menu that provides quick access to many functions. It also has a navigation bar and links to your personal library. The sidebar also offers links to podcasts, music videos, and live performances.
Amazon Music is available for Alexa-enabled devices, including Fire TVs, smart watches, and Fire tablets. However, it isn’t available on Google Nest devices.
Spotify is the 800-pound gorilla in music streaming. It has over 50 million songs, a free plan, and a paid subscription plan. It also offers auto-generated radio stations and mood playlists. Its Discover Weekly feature uses patented AI to curate playlists.
Amazon Music’s Discover feature is less sophisticated than Spotify’s. However, it’s 90% accurate and can help listeners discover new music. The Discover mode also gives artists the chance to influence listeners’ recommendations.
Earlier this week, Spotify announced the release of its podcast subscription service. The company said that it had received thousands of sign-ups. The service is designed to provide a direct connection between listeners and creators.
The new tools will allow creators to set pricing for their shows, download a subscriber list, and share private RSS feeds with their subscribers. The tools will be available through Anchor, the company’s podcast hub. The company plans to add email subscriber functionality in the future.
Anchor’s tools are designed to help podcasters publish their show directly to Spotify. The company also plans to integrate premium feeds with the service in the near future. Anchor also plans to create technology that will let listeners hear content on Spotify using their existing login credentials.
According to a press release, Spotify’s new podcast subscription tools will allow creators to keep 100% of the subscription fees. Anchor’s tools also let creators embed payment links. The company has also promised that it will soon expand to international markets.
The new tools are expected to roll out in the U.S. over the next several months. The company also plans to introduce a 5% platform fee for the service in 2023. The company has also spent over half a billion dollars on podcast networks.
According to the press release, Spotify’s new subscription service is designed to provide the widest possible reach. The company says that it recommends podcast episodes based on stream counts. It also claims that its player is a social discovery tool. It also has added all audio content to its app.
Apple’s subscription podcast service was also unveiled last week. Unlike Spotify’s, Apple’s subscription tool is not available from day one. In addition, Apple takes a 30% cut of podcast creators’ revenues every month.
Xiaoyuzhou FM
Xiaoyuzhou FM is a podcast-centered platform. It offers a number of features including RSS feeds for subscription. The platform also caters to creators. One of its recent collaborations is with Tencent’s QQ Music app.
The platform has become home to entertaining propaganda content for Chinese youth. A recent example is “Red Tales of Pujiang River,” a podcast about the history of the Party in Shanghai. This is part of a series of events to celebrate the centennial of the Chinese Communist Party.
One of the most popular podcasts in China is Story FM, produced by Kou Aizhe. He began the podcast with friends in the music industry. It’s the most popular podcast in the country. He hosts several podcasts on the platform.
The podcast industry in China has been growing independently. The country’s technology ecosystem has helped fuel the growth. However, censorship has encroached on the spaces where subcultures used to thrive. Many podcasters have complained of censorship over the past three years.
Spotify has begun testing paid podcast subscriptions. Its paid subscription feature is similar to Apple Podcasts’, but it’s not available to all creators. Unlike Apple Podcasts, however, creators can keep all of the revenues. They will also have to adhere to certain regulations and laws. They may also have to open an account with a payment service provider. In the future, Spotify may require additional verification information.
The paid subscription feature will also allow subscribers to view searchable episodes. Paid episodes will appear with a lock icon on the Play button. Users can subscribe for $2.99 per month. The platform will then route users to a website where they can buy the subscription.
Ximalaya
Ximalaya is a podcast platform with a big market share in China. Their mobile app boasts 450 million users – a big chunk of which are younger demographics. The platform allows for Apple Pay transactions and accepts user-generated content. Their website provides a slew of top notch content to choose from. Their website is not only informative, but also features a top ten list of paid shows, which is a nice touch.
There’s no doubt that Ximalaya is the top dog when it comes to podcasts in China. The site has a big user base and offers a variety of services to its users. The platform has a user demographic that’s split a bit more evenly between mobile and desktop users. The website offers a wide selection of content, including news, music, and sports. The website also has a comprehensive list of top ten paid shows, which can be sorted by genre and content type.
Their website also features a podcast-specific app that’s worth checking out. It allows users to create, upload, and promote podcasts, as well as purchase music and other digital goods. The site’s mobile app offers a similar experience, but with a distinctly mobile focus. The app’s content is also a mix of professionally produced content and user-generated content. It also allows users to select which content to show off. It’s also a good spot to show off some English-learning podcasts. In total, Chinese consumers are paying $60 for audiobooks. Despite this, the site’s top content creators aren’t all about pop culture, with a good number of young professionals making the most of the platform.
The site has a top ten list of the best paid shows, along with a list of the best free shows. You can also sign up for a free account and download the aforementioned app.
Apple Podcasts
Until now, Apple was considered the savior of the podcasting ecosystem, but Spotify has challenged its dominance. Apple has announced Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, a service that allows creators to sell subscriptions for their shows.
The company has signed exclusive deals with major podcasters including Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Michelle Obama. These deals allow the creators to maintain free access to their shows and charge a fee for additional content. The company also allows podcast creators to customize subscriptions for their shows. The service is billed monthly and includes ad-free episodes.
Podcasts hosted on Apple’s platform are protected by Digital Rights Management. Apple preserves the order of episodes. It does not offer a transcript for every show.
The interface of the Apple Podcasts app looks similar to the Apple Music app, with a Browse tab, a Search tab, a Library tab, and a Listen Now tab. Each tab provides recommendations based on the shows’ listening history, popular episodes, and genre. Users can also browse by Apple-curated collections.
A show’s home page features a description and audio trailer. Users can also browse by topics, categories, and people mentioned in the episode. The Shows tab provides a list of recently released shows, while the Channels tab provides a grouping of podcasts. The Listen Now tab provides personalized recommendations based on listening history and the genre of the episode.
In the future, podcast creators will be able to sell subscriptions to individual shows or groups of shows. In the first year, Apple will take 30% of all subscription fees. In subsequent years, Apple will reduce its cut to 15%. Apple will also allow podcast creators to set their own subscription prices.
