Spotify to Launch Subscription Plans for Premium Podcasts

Spotify is reportedly eyeing at subscription for its premium podcast service. The service was hinted at in a survey sent through the Spotify app on both mobile and desktop apps.

As The Verge reported, Variety's President and Chief Media Analyst Andrew Wallenstein took to Twitter to describe the possible service.

"Sure looks like ⁦@Spotify⁩ is considering launching a premium podcast plan based on the survey I was prompted to fill out when I opened its app this morning," Wallenstein tweeted.

The subscription plans will range from $3 to $8. All give access to premium podcasts, including Spotify's exclusives with Michelle Obama, Kim Kardashian, and Joe Rogan.

The cheapest, however, may still include platform-inserted and host-read ads. On the other hand, the most expensive plan gives users early access to some high-quality content with no ads.

Read the full thread here.

Spotify's Venture In the Podcasting Space

Over the last couple of years, Spotify has been throwing big bucks to sign exclusive deals in the podcasting industry, and the company seems to be ahead of its competitors.

As mentioned above, former FLOTUS Michelle Obama signed an exclusive contract with Spotify last year. Still, her podcast was recently made available on other platforms last September. Joe Rogan and Kim Kardashian were the next superstars to follow Michelle Obama and sign the lucrative deal.

Wall Street Journal reported that Rogan's exclusive contract was worth more than $100 million. As the podcaster stroke the deal, full episodes will no longer be available on his YouTube channel.

Asides from her status as a supermodel, Kim Kardashian is also a vocal voice for criminal justice reform. As The Verge reported, Kardashian's newest podcast centers around her involvement with the Innocence Project and the investigative work of co-producer Lori Rothschild Ansaldi.

If these deals do well, Spotify may announce a couple of names later, and A-star celebrities could go on-and-on.

Will It Affect My Music Subscription?

However, the plan is still in talks and is yet to be confirmed. A spokesperson told The Verge that Spotify shouldn't be 'taken as a concrete product plan.'

"Some of those end up paving the path for our broader user experience, and others serve only as important learnings," says the spokesperson.

However, if the product plan goes through, it will not affect users with premium music subscription. There are still many free podcasts to listen to, although a couple of extra bucks to listen to high-quality podcasts may not be a bad deal.

Spotify is a freemium streaming service available on mobile for iOS and Android and on desktop for Windows, macOS, and many others.