Apple on Wednesday launched its own news podcasts, a first for the iPhone maker which is wading into an already crowded field. Apple News will now feature daily audio news briefings along with “audio stories” — pieces from partners such as Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Time, Wired and the Wall Street Journal, as read by professional voice actors. “Apple News showcases so much great journalism, and we’re excited to help bring it to life in new ways with Apple News+ audio stories and a new daily news show,” said editor-in-chief Lauren Kern. The narrated pieces are available to Apple News+ subscribers in the US. Apple News Today briefings can be listened to for free. Apple said it has also begun curating local news collections in a handful of US areas, and that it had added “more top local and regional news outlets” to its roster of partners. “Our new local news feature highlights their work for readers who live, and are interested, in those communities,” Kern said. Apple News has more than 125 million monthly active users in Australia, Britain, Canada and the US. The subscription version, Apple News+, costs $10 a month in the US and offers access to content from hundreds of magazines and newspapers around the world.