Exclusive: The Atlantic adding subscriber benefits through Apple Podcasts

Zoom in: Beginning Wednesday, The Atlantic will launch a new podcast feed on Apple Podcasts called The Atlantic Out Loud.

• The feed will feature narrated magazine stories as they are published, which complements the outlet's broader editorial strategy of expanded magazine features, said chief growth officer Megha Garibaldi. (Last year, The Atlantic expanded its print product from 10 yearly editions to 12 — a nod to its founding as a monthly magazine.)
• Subscribers will also get select ad-free episodes of popular Atlantic podcasts like "Holy Week" and "Floodlines."
• The new partnership will prompt listeners who discover The Atlantic on Apple Podcasts but are not currently subscribed to the publication via the iOS app. Existing subscribers will be prompted to connect their subscriptions via The Atlantic's website.

Zoom out: The Atlantic, one of the oldest magazines in the country, has successfully built a digital subscription business, thanks in part to strong editorial gets and partnerships with third parties like Apple.

• Executives told Axios The Atlantic had surpassed 1.1 million paid subscribers, which was aided by its partnership with Apple selling subscriptions through Apple News.
• "From an acquisition perspective, being in the Apple ecosystem and allowing for that seamless integration is something that we think will give us incremental upside from a subscriber acquisition perspective," Garibaldi said.

The big picture: The Atlantic's subscriber gains come amid a broader business and reputational turnaround.

• After losing millions of dollars for several years, The Atlantic finally turned a profit last year.
• In March, the outlet's explosive story detailing how Trump aides inadvertently invited the magazine's editor to a Signal chat with highly sensitive military information, became "one of the top subscription driving stories" for the magazine of all time.
• The company has hired a slew of big names over the past few months amid its winning streak, poaching several Washington Post star reporters like Ashley Parker, Alexandra Petri, Michael Scherer, Jenna Johnson and Dan Zak.

Between the lines: More news companies are finding audio is a successful venue for adding subscribers.

• The New York Times started selling audio subscriptions through Apple and Spotify last year.
• The Economist added a podcast subscription tier in 2023.
• Vox Media started to experiment with subscription podcasts that same year.