Apple is getting set to take on Spotify with exclusive podcasts

Apple may be hard at work on bringing an additional source of revenue for the company to fruition, and it may come from a source that you weren't expecting. While we know Apple has been developing original programming for its upcoming Apple TV+ service, the company has apparently also been working on a set of other original content as well: podcasts. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Apple is looking to fund its own original podcasts and then offer them up for streaming on their own platform in an effort to compete with others offering the same services.

The report states that Apple has been approaching a variety of different podcasting companies seeking exclusivity rights to various different series. While there are no concrete plans to pore over to see what Apple's looking to get at, it sounds like it's angling to follow in the footsteps of music streaming platform Spotify, which also pursued podcast exclusivity earlier this year.

Spotify spent just over $200 million to acquire podcast production company Gimlet Media and the Anchor platform, which is designed to make it simpler for podcasters to create and share their shows online with its free iOS and Android app. According to Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek, this was done in an effort to bestow Spotify with its “best-in-class podcast studio with dedicated IP development, production and advertising capabilities.” It would make perfect sense for Apple to seek out its own premium options in terms of podcasters and successful shows with their own audiences.

This all comes as an intriguing move, especially following Apple's decision to discontinue its monolithic iTunes music platform earlier this year. Much to the surprise of users, it was split up into three different categories: Apple Music, Apple TV, and of course, Apple Podcasts. While it still functions similarly to the hallowed iTunes, the split was nevertheless a shocking move.

Now that Apple Podcasts is out in the wild, it's safe to assume that Apple is working to make it much more than just a home for podcasts that also live on multiple other platforms. It's likely that the company is working on giving some sort of added value for those who subscribe to Apple Music or an incentive for using Apple products in general.

Apple has remained mum thus far on its plans to create or commission any exclusive podcasts, but if there's any news to be announced, the company will certainly make sure we know about it – perhaps this fall, when the new series of iPhones are rumored to be announced. After some big shakeups over the past year with its strategies and introducing new versions of popular tech like the MacBook Pro, offering a series of original podcasts seems like the next logical step for a company that's always placed a high value on exclusive goods.

We'll have to wait and see what happens, of course, but the prospect of Apple bringing us both a slate of visual and audio programming is an exciting one, to say the least.