Apple has announced that it will be delaying the launch of its upcoming Podcasts subscription. The company is delaying the launch till June, Apple announced n an email sent to creators Friday (via 9to5Mac). For context, the service was supposed to launch this month.
For the unaware, Apple Podcasts subscriptions will allow users to subscribe to participating podcasts. It will give them extra perks like ad-free listening or early access to episodes. Apple announced in April that the subscriptions would launch in 170 countries.
It is said that the delay in launch is caused because Apple Podcasts creators have run into some issues recently. They are being unable to log in to Apple’s Podcast Connect portal or seeing a delay in the availability of new episodes.
You can read Apple’s full email to creators below (via The Verge):
We’re writing to provide an update on the availability of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels. We’ve been delighted by the response to last month’s announcement and it’s exciting to see the hundreds of new subscriptions and channels submitted from creators across the globe every day.
To ensure we are delivering the best experience for creators and listeners, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and channels will now launch in June. We will communicate further updates on availability, and best practices to help you prepare your subscriptions and channels, through this newsletter.
Over the last few weeks, some creators have experienced delays in the availability of their content and access to Apple Podcasts Connect. We’ve addressed these disruptions and encourage creators experiencing any issues to contact us.
We’ve also heard from listeners and made adjustments based on their feedback with iOS 14.6, which was released on Monday. We will introduce additional enhancements to Library in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your understanding. We can’t wait to see your new subscriptions and channels and we are looking forward to launching them to listeners around the world soon.