Author Topic: Charging a Fee for iTunes Podcasts  (Read 2022 times)

Roy Koch

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Charging a Fee for iTunes Podcasts
« on: July 11, 2016, 10:49:02 am »
I have a client (a minister) who has me posting podcasts on iTunes.  Up to now these have been free.   I have about 50 posted.  Now the client has some special podcasts that she would like to sell on iTunes.  I have no idea how to set that up.  Is there a way to use PowerPress to set up for fee downloads on iTunes?  if so, does anyone know how much of the download fee iTunes will take?

Thanks for any advice from this all-knowing board.

Shawn Thorpe

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Re: Charging a Fee for iTunes Podcasts
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2016, 02:25:43 pm »
There is no way to truly "sell" a podcast thru the iTunes Store. Apple doesn't allow for any pay-for podcasting services on the platform.

Your client has a couple options to consider. She can submit the pay-for episodes to the iTunes Store using a music-submission service like CD Baby. In this case, the episodes wouldn't actually be found in the iTunes Store as podcasts, but they'd be listed in the iTunes Music Store, most likely in the Spoken Word category. I'd only recommend this approach if she only wants to sell the files thru the iTunes Store.

The other option would be to add a premium content feature to your existing WordPress/PowerPress site. There are many ways to do this, and Blubrry has some information about it here:
https://create.blubrry.com/resources/powerpress/advanced-tools-and-options/premium-podcasting-content/

Roy Koch

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Re: Charging a Fee for iTunes Podcasts
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2016, 08:22:39 pm »
Thanks, Shawn.  I am already familiar with Easy Digital Downloads and could sell the podcasts from the website (www.hopeandpassion.org) using EDD.  My client thought that iTunes would be better since the free episodes on her podcast page are frequently downloaded and the interest in her ministry is building.  Too bad there isn't a way to direct people from the iTunes  podcast page to the website.  Sort of like a small advertisement among the free episodes.

Thanks again.

Shawn Thorpe

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Re: Charging a Fee for iTunes Podcasts
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2016, 02:38:45 pm »
There's really no way to do that from with the iTunes Store listing itself. But, if links are made available in the shownotes for the free episodes, those links will be available within many podcast listening apps. So, listeners who find the links can click thru to them. It's also a good idea to mention the premium content within the free episodes. Just don't be obnoxious about it, as that tends to make people upset and then they unsubscribe. :)