Where has Apple Podcasts been?

is it too little, too late?

Author

Jessica Smalley
June 02, 2025

Hey Creator,

Nothing sets off the feeling of FOMO quite like the endless posts from people who attended the one event of the year you wish you could attend. 

The London Podcast Show just celebrated its 20th year, and it pulled its biggest crowd yet. One platform made a particularly loud entrance: Apple Podcasts, who showed up for the first time ever (after sitting out for two decades).

While I didn’t make it over to London, I have been keeping tabs on what went down and this week, I’m unpacking Apple’s surprise appearance, what they announced, and whether it’s actually enough to stay relevant in a fast-moving industry.

Because while everyone else is sprinting toward video, Apple’s digging its heels into audio, and I have thoughts.

If you want a more in depth experience, I hold 1:1 strategy sessions, which you can schedule here: https://calendly.com/smalleyjess/powerhour 

Here’s what you can expect in today’s newsletter:

  • Keep up to date with what’s happening in Quick Fire!

  • Where has Apple Podcasts been?

  • Social media Updates for this week

  • Check out my READ, LISTEN + WATCH recommendations for this week

    🫒by Jess Smalley

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“One way to stand out is to look for pockets of low competition. Wake up early—less traffic, fewer people. Go deeper or narrower in your field—less noise, more space.People are drawn to where it is crowded. Look for the quiet spaces inside your areas of interest. Excellence often hides at the edges."

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.

CREATOR NEWS

🧨QUICK FIRE

Where has Apple Podcasts been?

Until now, The London Podcast Show has been hosting the 20-year conference in the absence of Apple Podcasts. 

Yes, the platform that’s responsible for creating a portion of the industry has decided to attend the event for the very first time, and the statement was made very clear after painting the town with its iconic purple.

Why now? 

Today, the podcast platform pie is cut into several pieces: 

  • 31% goes to YouTube  

  • 27% for Spotify

  • Netflix has entered the chat 

  • Less people are using Apple Podcasts

Now is not the time for Apple Podcasts to remain complacent.

Yet, Apple Podcasts is seemingly doubling down on audio while everyone else is screaming video. 

Here’s what they announced at the event:

  • Auto-generated transcripts (finally catching up to Spotify and YouTube).

  • Improved search functionality, which they say is a big driver of discovery, 60% of follows apparently come from in-app search.

  • A dedicated “Series” category, aimed at surfacing narrative-driven shows like investigative journalism and fiction formats that often get buried under celebrity chat shows.

But here’s what surprised me. That’s it.

There’s still no real conversation from Apple around video, dynamic ad tools, or creator monetisation… the three things that are dominating industry talk right now.

Meanwhile, YouTube is positioning itself as the next home for podcasting, not just with video, but with improved podcast ingestion tools, dedicated playlists, and discovery powered by the algorithm. They’re merging podcasting into their creator ecosystem, which is already light years ahead when it comes to monetisation and recommendation.

Spotify is leaning into vertical video and dynamic ad insertion tools, and they’ve been transparent about how they’re building tools for creators, not just consumers.

Apple? Still acting like a distribution platform, not a creator partner.

It all makes me wonder, are they playing the long game we can’t yet see, or are they just moving too slowly in a space that’s evolving by the week?

If Apple wants to lead again, showing up is a good start. But if they want to hold the mic, they’ll need to do more than just show face.

SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES

Instagram 

  • announced it now supports 3:4 aspect ratio photos. If you upload a 3:4 image, it will now appear just as you shot it.

YouTube

  • announced the launch of side-by-side mid-roll ads during livestreams that can be displayed to viewers on their living room or desktop screen.

TikTok 

  • added an Instagram-style link-sharing sticker in Stories.

LinkedIn

  • announced new post analytics to help you see when a post drives profile viewers and new followers.

  • Video tab is now called Today’s Top Trends.

THE DIG

READ: I’ve never heard of influencer Jaz Smith, better known by her handle @justjazzyidk, until this week when her wedding caught the attention of the world. She pulled off something many content creators have tried (and been dragged for): the ultimate sponsored wedding.

LISTEN: Amy Poehler has a podcast, and I’ve finally gotten around to listening to it. It’s a great hang and, unlike other celebrity hosted podcasts, this works perfectly because the ego is not allowed in on the chat. This is comfort listening for those moments when you just need to chill out and listen to two friends have a Good Hang.

WATCH: Lady Gaga rose from a coffin and danced with Thing at Netflix’s Tudum, performing “Bloody Mary” and the viral Wednesday dance, and it was amazing.

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