Apple Podcasts algorithm drops country-specific curation
Apple Podcasts has shifted from country-specific editorial curation to a global, algorithmic approach based on user types. This change has caused frustration among creators who can no longer target specific geographic audiences for promotion.
Why it matters
This shift significantly alters the discoverability landscape for independent podcast creators and changes how global media platforms manage local content.
Apple Podcasts algorithm drops country-specific curation 4:34 play Listen October 2 2026 4.8 minutes to read You can also listen in your favourite podcast app Apple Podcasts has always had an impressive set of region-specific editorial content, ensuring that locally-made shows, among other relevant podcasts, have been promoted to audiences. Until now. Podnews has learnt from multiple sources - amid increasing industry frustration - that Apple Podcasts is no longer showing a country-based editorially-curated view to users in the "Home" and "New" sections in the Apple Podcasts app. Instead, Apple is showing an algorithmic view for each user, designed to follow what the company calls user types: and no longer containing content that has been targeted by country.
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