Spotify launches paid podcast memberships with perks beyond bonus content

Spotify on Tuesday launched paid memberships, a new way for podcasters to make money from their biggest fans beyond paywalled bonus episodes. Creators can decide which perks to offer listeners, which could be bonus audio or video, fewer ads, early access to shows, or some combination of these.

The streaming service first previewed the idea at its Investor Day in May, where it also introduced AI capabilities that let listeners ask questions about what they’re listening to or watching and debuted new tools for managing creator sponsorships.

As the company explained at the time, memberships would help to “create a natural path to go deeper, unlocking new and exclusive experiences for fans and new revenue opportunities for creators.”

The feature is now rolling out to 34 markets globally, including the U.S.

The launch is the latest example of Spotify’s effort to make its platform more attractive to podcast creators,...

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