Introducing Audio Articles and Audio tab to Apple News: allowing millions of users consume and explore the most thought‑provoking articles from the News+ vast catalogue in a completely new way.
Lead Designer • 2021 • AppleThe Context.
Apple News+ Audio is a feature within the Apple News+ subscription service. It provides access to magazines, newspapers, and premium digital publications, now with professionally narrated audio versions of standout articles.
It lets users listen to journalism from top publications during commutes, workouts, or while multitasking. The feature expands the reading experience into an audio-first format and meets the growing appetite for podcasts and audiobooks.
The Problem.
Apple News+ has an extensive catalog of long-form articles, but the format is time-consuming and demands full attention. That limits how often users can engage and reduces the perceived value of the subscription. We saw this in high tap rates paired with low completion rates.
Audio enables long-form journalism to fit into daily life. It creates a low-pressure, more accessible way to consume stories while driving, exercising, or multitasking.
Reading companion
We designed the feature to stay out of the way while preserving full audio controls. The mini-player docks at the bottom of the screen, keeping the viewport clear for the imagery and rich layouts of the News app.
Controls appear only when audio is active, allowing users to manage playback or dismiss it from anywhere. Smart sync between audio and text lets listeners switch seamlessly between listening and reading.
A new tab for all your audio content.
We introduced a brand-new Audio tab where users can browse the full backlog of professionally narrated stories. Recommendations adapt to usage patterns, and editorial curation helps surface standout pieces.
The tab is also home to “Apple News Today,” a daily audio briefing curated by Apple News editors, with reporting, interviews, and original content.
Truly integrated.
We created consistent audio entry points that can be dynamically added to any story card, helping users discover audio anywhere in the app.
The experience extends to CarPlay for a seamless transition between devices, and between reading and listening.
Impact.
Millions of monthly users for the audio feature within the first year.
Higher app retention among audio listeners.
Significantly higher completion rates versus long-form text alone.
A meaningful share of trial starts originated in the Audio tab.
Audio listeners were significantly more likely to convert than text-only readers.
