Spotify takes on Apple with new podcast subscription platform

A battle over podcasting is brewing between Spotify and Apple — and the Swedish streaming giant just launched the latest salvo.

Spotify said Tuesday that it is launching a new subscriber-only platform for podcasts, and said it will be more lucrative for creators than the platform Apple unveiled in a splashy presentation last week. Specifically, Spotify said it will give creators the option to make their podcasts subscriber-only when they publish them and that they will be able to keep 100 percent of the subscription fees until 2023. After that, the company will take a 5-percent cut.