Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Photo: Apple
Apple is adding new audio features to both its free Apple News and subscription Apple News+ services, including a short daily podcast, produced and narrated by its own editorial staff.
Why it matters: Apple is doubling down on its commitment to human and editorial curation of news content, something its rival tech partners have mostly been slower to do.
- The podcast, called "Apple News Today," will be seven to eight minutes long, and offered free to Apple News users on weekdays.
- It will be hosted by two former journalists who now work as Apple News editors, Shumita Basu and Duarte Geraldino.
- "Apple News Today" will exist exclusively within the Apple News app, meaning Apple won't make it available on rival platforms like Spotify.
Apple will also produce roughly 20 audio stories a week for Apple News+ subscribers, based off narrations of mostly long-form stories from publishing partners.
- Most audio stories will be narrated by professional voice actors, selected in conjunction with publishers, though others may be narrated by the story's author if they have a compelling personal story to tell.
- Participating publishers include Essence, Esquire, Fast Company, GQ, New York magazine, Sports Illustrated, TIME, Vanity Fair, Vogue and Wired — as well as newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.
- The company will offer free audio samples to non-subscribers within Apple News, presumably to lure them into eventually becoming Apple News + subscribers.
The company says it's also adding a local news tab, curated by its editorial team and personalized with artificial intelligence.
- That will be available Wednesday in the Bay Area, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and will feature content on different local news topics, including sports, dining, weather and politics.
- Apple says it's added more local and regional newspapers to the Apple News+ catalog, including the Charlotte Observer, the Idaho Statesman, and the Kansas City Star, among others.
The big picture: Apple debuted Apple News+ last year, in an attempt to double down on the subscription services it offered to users around the globe, who are increasingly spending less on the tech giant's hardware.
- The app received some initial pushback from publishers that worried that the deal terms wouldn't help them monetize their content well enough. Last month, the New York Times made waves when it said it would leave Apple News.
- Apple's goal is to deepen its relationship with customers who use its other products, primarily its hardware.
Go deeper: Apple doubles down on news podcasts amid coronavirus pandemic