Apple's Podcasts app will soon spawn a new wave of titles, to be published by new partner brands such as the Washington Post and Sony Music and also by independent creators. These new streams will require monthly or yearly fees, for which bonus or early-access content, as well as an ad-free experiences, are thrown in. The new subscriptions are to be available in 170 countries from May 2021.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Apple-Podcasts-Subscriptions-a-new-marketplace-for-creators-available-from-May-2021.533432.0.html