Fans of the “Shameless” podcast will now have the opportunity to consume more content, with a paid subscription offering via Apple Podcasts.
Shamemore subscribers will receive a monthly bonus episode, as well as early access to the “Scandal” series, which revisits and details celebrity controversies of years gone by. In addition, Shamemore will offer ad-free listening across all episodes and early access to merchandise and tickets to live shows.
For now, the additional offer is only available via Apple Podcasts, however Shameless Media founders Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews said they will potentially look into alternatives in the future, including Spotify.
“A lot of work has gone into launching subscription content, and a decent chunk of ‘tech stuff’ is involved. For now, we are dipping our toe in the water with Apple Podcasts. There is absolutely a chance that down the track we launch Shamemore on other podcast apps, but just for now we’re starting here,” the duo said in an online Q&A.
Shamemore will cost $5.99 per month or $49.99 for the full year, paid upfront.
McDonald and Andrews added that Shamemore was inspired by listeners who wanted more.
“Shamemore is the subscription arm for the listeners who, well, want more,” they said. “We know that our community adores our “Scandal” episodes, so we’ve been busy rejigging our workflow to publish all parts of a series on one drop [for paid subscribers]. We also know that there’s demand for bonus content and VIP benefits (like early access to episodes, merch drops and live show tickets) – so finding a way to offer those to highly-engaged listeners was a no-brainer.
“It’s important to us that “Shameless” is accessible to everyone, so nothing changes at all for the typical listener – this is simply a ‘glowed up’ offering for anyone who wants a little extra.”
Shameless Media is an independent podcast company, however in the past it has partnered with SCA’s Listnr for an additional exclusive series “The Books That Changed My Life“.
McDonald also hinted at the return of “an old favourite” in 2023, likely alluding to the paused Shameless “In Conversation” series, which interviewed prominent people including Dolly Alderton, The Veronicas, Andy Lee, Grace Tame, The Inspired Unemployed and Julia Gillard.
Podcast heavyweights Hamish Blake and Andy Lee also struck a deal with Apple Podcasts last year.
Their deal involved putting the back catalogue of the “Hamish and Andy” radio show onto the platform, which would be available to fans for $2.99 per month. The current “Hamish and Andy” podcast remains aligned with SCA’s Listnr, and is available on all platforms.
