Apple has a new show! It’s called ‘Time To Walk’ and you’ll find it on your Apple Watch next time you find time to go out for a walk.  It’s brand new! It’s revolutionary! It’s available on demand! There’s a new episode every week!

To me it looks like Apple has implemented a really weak version of podcasting that manages to ignore all the benefits of the open world that has been built up over more than sixteen years.

My audio of choice (when I was allowed out the house to visit a gym) has always been a curated list of music from the Eurovision Song Contest – not only can I easily choose the tempo I need from the tens of thousands of songs available, but each track must be a maximum of three minutes long to enter. That predictability and built-in counter worked wonders for my routines.

And yes, there are times where I’ll turn to a podcast, and I’ll choose one that fits my mood at the time. That could be the weekly UK political chat of ‘For The Many’, a laid back look at the classic sitcom in ‘M*A*S*H Matters’, or the cinematic sage that is ‘The Orphans’.

I love the idea that your Apple Watch will download serialised audio for you in the background; it will make sure that it is available for you where you need it; and you can double up your time by listening to audio while you are doing another activity, in this case some gentle cardio.

But I do have some observations that leave me going “Hmm…”. Why only this show, Apple? Why is this tied so tightly to something that Apple has produced? Because it does feel like you have re-invented podcasting but managed to build a Cupertino sized wall around it.

Perhaps the answer lies in the exclusivity of it, because this is a show that is published by Apple that is only available to those with Apple’s Fitness+ subscription service. If you want this show, you’re going to need to pay Apple, use Apple’s equipment, and trust the show’s editorial judgement on the guests.

With ‘Time To Walk’ I have to listen to the audio that Apple has decided is suitable for my routine.

I’d rather decide myself, thank you. That’s the beauty of podcasting.

Ewan Spence

Ewan is the editor at Phone Buzz News. For over 30 years he has been covering the worlds of media and technology, from the early days of the first smartphone through to their essential role in today's society.