Premium plans could hit you in the wallet

It will be interesting to see how charging for content will affect the listener relationship.

If you enjoy downloading podcasts for free on your Apple or Android app, listen up, because the future of podcasting could hit you in the wallet.

The days of listening to hostread adverts about Casper mattresses, Mailchimp email and Squarespace websites could be coming to an end.

The change was first signalled by music streaming giant Spotify acquiring boutique podcast company Gimlet Media for US$230 million (NZ$340m) in February.

Spotify has 87 premium music subscribers globally and will now provide exclusive podcasts featuring some of the biggest celebrities and podcast presenters, including Crimetown, Amy Schumer, Homecoming and Joe Budden.

The second company to move towards a paywall is Luminary Media, which last week announced it has launched a bid to become the Netflix for podcasts.

Luminary Premium subscribers will have access to more than 40 podcasts from leading creators and 1000 hours of ad-free exclusive content. New original podcasts will include Trevor Noah from The Daily Show, actress Lena Dunham, Conan O’Brien, and creator of Slow Burn, Leon Neyfakh.

Luminary’s premium offer launches in June and will be US$8 a month. Spotify premium is NZ$14.99, and both apps will still have a free podcast component.

The great thing about podcasting, so far, has been the relationship formed between creators and their audiences, not audiences and their favourite media investors.

It will be interesting to see how charging for content will affect the listener relationship, and whether celebrity and exclusivity are enough to drive purchase. I’ll be listening regardless, will you?