Apple Reportedly Looking At Adding Audio Stories To Apple News+

Apple is reportedly looking into adding an option to listen to audio versions of some stories in the future to its paid subscription news s...

Apple is reportedly looking into adding an option to listen to audio versions of some stories in the future to its paid subscription news service, Apple News+, according to publishers who spoke with DigiDay.

Publishing groups say that Apple has agreed to cover development fees and compensate publishers in the same way as the composed content posted on Apple News+. Noted that Apple pays publishers 50 percent of subscriber revenue on the basis of how much time those subscribers spend on publishers' content over a 30-day span.

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.

Publishers are also apparently displeased with the revenue that came from the magazine subscription service and worried that this could lead to even lower earnings. "A second worried that if Apple emphasizes audio for News+, it could further skew the picture of who gets compensated: Listening to a story, after all, takes longer than reading one," the report adds.

Apple News+ is a news magazine subscription service offered by Apple, ‌which provides access to more than 200 magazines as well as paywalled news from The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and more. Apple charges $9.99 per month for ‌Apple News‌+, however, it also comes with a 30-day free trial.