Industry newsletter Podnews reports that Apple Podcasts has stopped showing country-curated editorial views in its Home and New sections. Apple disputes the picture.
Apple Podcasts is no longer showing a country-based, editorially curated view in its Home and New sections, according to a 2 October report by Podnews. The newsletter says it learnt this "from multiple sources" and that Apple is instead showing "an algorithmic view for each user", built around what Apple calls user types.
Apple does not accept that account. Podnews says Apple gave it a statement on background "suggesting in effect that nothing's changed, and that the company's editorial approach remains consistent." Podnews adds that the statement is at odds with what Apple has told producers and with what is visible in the app. Apple has not publicly announced an end to country curation.
What Podnews observed
The evidence is a set of examples, not a measurement. Podnews says a reader in Canada sent a view of their signed-in New section with no Canadian-produced shows above the fold, and that the reader's colleagues and friends each saw different shows. Podnews's editor says his own New section contained no Australian content. Podnews states that it understands "all Apple Podcasts users now get an algorithmic view"; that is the newsletter's assessment, not a figure Apple has published.
The report also says Apple's feature request form, which creators use to pitch shows for promotion, changed in June or July and "no longer contains a way to target a geographical audience." One producer told Podnews: "It's all global now."
Apple's own editorial curation guide for creators still says it has editors "around the world" who recommend shows, with curation on Home, New and select category pages. It says a pitched show will be "considered for featuring in all countries around the world" and that creators are asked for the show's primary language. It also says creators "will not be notified" if their show is featured.
Why producers are worried
Producers quoted by Podnews describe two concerns. One is local discovery: one said Apple "becomes just another platform that serves each user's echo chamber of taste", while another said the algorithmic suggestions were fine but asked: "Why not show both?" The other is visibility. A UK producer told Podnews it is no longer possible to know whether a show has been selected for promotion.
What it could mean for African creators: analysis
Podnews's reported examples come from Canada, Australia and the UK.
If the reported change does apply in African markets, a pitch to Apple's editors may no longer be a reliable route to a country-specific shelf. Creators who relied on local featuring may need to lean more on their own channels, such as their audience, partners and other apps, to reach listeners at home. Stating a show's primary language accurately in a pitch, which Apple's guide asks for, remains a practical step.
For related reading, see Airtime's coverage of Apple's plans for video in Podcasts Subscriptions, and browse African shows in the Airtime directory.