Apple Podcasts Adds Top Subscriber Lists, With ‘Morbid’ and ‘SmartLess’ Topping Chart
Apple Podcasts on Thursday added charts for the top 100 most-subscribed shows and channels available on the platform.
Though Apple is not releasing specific subscriber numbers for each show or channel, Morbid — the true crime show hosted by Alaina Urquhart and Ashleigh Kelley — is the top subscription show while Wondery+ is the top subscription channel in the U.S. and Canada, according to Apple, which bases these rankings on a mix of subscription numbers and listener engagement.
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For top subscriber shows, Morbid is followed by SmartLess, hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes; Something Was Wrong, hosted by Tiffany Reese; Fed Up, narrated by Casey Wilson; and Crooked City: Youngstown, OH, created by Marc Smerling.
In the U.S., Wondery+ is followed by the channels Sword and Scale +PLUS Light, Sony’s The Binge, Luminary and Pushkin Industries’ Pushkin+.
Apple first launched its paid subscription offering in June 2021. Creators could set prices as low as 49 cents per month, with Apple receiving a 30 percent cut of the revenue during the first year and 15 percent in subsequent years. Last September, when Apple disclosed its top subscriber channels, Wondery+ similarly topped the ranking. The subscription gives users early access to shows, exclusive subscriber content and ad-free listening for $4.99 a month or $34.99 a year.
The majority of the top five subscriber shows are also connected to Wondery. Both Morbid and SmartLess have exclusive ad sales and distribution deals with Wondery and Amazon Music, while Fed Up is produced by Wondery.
