Podcasts are widely available on Androids and PCs, but the medium has a special connection to Apple; even the term "podcast," first coined in 2004, was born out of the overwhelming popularity of Apple's iPod, the best-selling MP3 player at the time.

Now Apple appears to be considering taking its relationship with podcasting to the next level, with both Bloomberg and The Information independently reporting that the company is considering a premium service that would charge to listen to original podcasts.

More details are accurate.

Details are not exactly clear, and while a straight subscription service is one option, The Information reports that the company may charge for individual podcasts, giving "creators a chance to make more money" and thereby entice them to offer exclusive distribution offerings, according to the report. Other possibilities include bonus content and scenarios in which paying subscribers get episodes before non-paying fans.

Whatever form it takes, it is far from a done deal; as Bloomberg first wrote, "it's unclear when (or if) Apple will launch the new service," and "Apple is mulling over a number of ideas for media services, but not necessarily not necessarily put them into action," he added. Since the announcement, the report has been updated to suggest a 2021 launch, so perhaps it is clearer than originally thought

. [But while Apple has been successful in launching other subscription services like News Plus, Arcade, and TV Plus, podcasting is a very different field, and paid offerings are increasingly rare.

Indeed, Spotify's exclusive podcasts (such as The Joe Rogan Experience) require a Spotify membership, but this model also covers all music that can be listened to. Amazon-owned Audible also has original podcasts for paying members, but this is more like an added bonus for those who like to get a new audiobook every month. So it might make sense for Apple to include their favorite shows in the Apple One pass, which comes bundled with all subscriptions.

Still, the news will alarm Spotify. According to Bloomberg, its stock price fell more than 7% on the advent of the news. The Swedish music streaming company has spent millions of dollars on podcasts in recent years, not only exclusively distributing Logan, but also network Gimlet Media (Reply All, Crimetown) and The Ringer (The Bill Simmons Podcast, Binge Mode) and Parcast (Crime Countdown, Unsolved Murders). In 2019, the company also acquired Anchor FM, a podcast creation and distribution platform.

If Bloomberg is correct, we should find out this year whether Spotify has anything to worry about.