Apple considering new Apple News+ audio stories
Apple is reportedly approaching select Apple News+ publishers to pitch a new audio stories expansion to its paid subscription news service, where it is believed voice actors would read articles in a podcast format to be listened too in the News app.
Speaking with Digiday, publishers says Apple has offered to handle production costs, and compensate publishers in the same way it compensates them for the written content available on Apple News+.
Apple pays publishers 50% of subscriber revenue based on how much time those subscribers spend with publishers’ content in a 30-day period. It has previously been reported that publishers are largely unhappy with the revenue generated from Apple News+ and the performance of the service so far.
Over the past several months, Apple has been asking the publishers participating in its year-old premium program for permission to produce audio versions of the stories distributed there, according to sources at four different publishers that have heard the pitch. – Apple will handle production costs, and compensate publishers in the same way it compensates them for the written content available on Apple News+, two sources said; Apple metes out 50% of subscriber revenue to publishers based on how much time those subscribers spend with publishers’ content in a 30-day period.
Apple News is still largely unavailable across the globe. Apple CEO Tim Cook touted that the service has 125 million monthly active users, although no specifics where given as to how many of those subscribers pay the $9,99 monthly fee for the News+ service.
It is unknown when the audio stories feature will arrive to Apple News.