Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter

After being acquired by Amazon in December last year, Wondery are showing no signs of going exclusive to Amazon Music.

Publishing popular shows such as Spy Affair, Dr. Death and The Vaping Fix, American podcast network Wondery was acquired in December 2020 by Amazon under their Amazon Music division, after speculation the previous month over Apple purchasing the network. The deal was completely by Amazon for an estimated amount over $300 million. Last month, Apple announced plans for their premium podcast plan, designed to help creators monetize their content. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions is set to launch later this month. Wondery’s move to open Wondery+ to Apple Podcasts Subscriptions is interesting, as we presumed the intial purchase from Amazon was to bolster content on their own Amazon Music service.

Wondery+ gives subscribers exclusive, early-access and ad-free listening via the Wonder app for $4.99 per month or $34.99 per year. The pricing is said to be the same when it comes to Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. Wondery’s ad-supported podcast will still be available for free on Apple Podcasts. This is great new for Wondery listeners who use Apple Podcasts, as unlike Spotify’s exclusive podcast acquisitions, it’s one less app to switch to.

We’re excited to join with Apple on the next chapter of podcasting and are encouraged by the opportunities this subscription offering opens up for the podcast industry as a whole. Through this opportunity, we’ll be offering our listeners on Apple Podcasts easy access to Wondery+ while bringing them the same immersive listening experience they’ve grown to know and love.

Jen Sargent, CEO, Wondery