today, and the company plans to expand it to other markets in the coming months. Spotify’s paid-podcast subscription platform launches in the U.S. To sign up for a Spotify podcast subscription, users will need to visit the company’s website. That’s to avoid the “tax” that the app stores levy on developer. It’s worth noting that Spotify podcast subscriptions cannot be purchased through the Apple App Store (or Google Play), just as Spotify Premium customers aren’t able to pay through in-app purchases. And unlike with Spotify’s approach, Apple Podcast Subscriptions will be available only on the tech giant’s own podcast-listening apps. Apple also is charging a $20 annual fee to use its podcast-subscription tools. As with App Store subscription purchases, Apple will keep 30% of podcast subscription fees in the first year, dropping that to 15% in year two and beyond. Spotify is beating Apple to the punch - Apple’s podcast subscriptions debut next month - and it’s promising creators more favorable business terms and wider distribution.

“We felt like rather than put the burden on creators, we should make a recommendation on what we feel are strong price points,” said Mignano. Podcasters will be able to select one of three price tiers for subscriptions through Spotify: $2.99, $4.99 or $7.99 per month.

Spotify podcasts keep restarting