Whooshkaa makes podcasts more accessible with Alexa

Podcasters hosting on the Whooshkaa platform now have access to a new skill to make listening easier on Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices.

Whooshkaa and Amazon have enabled podcast listeners to request podcasts and episodes directly from voice-activated Alexa devices without the need for a third party service like Tune-in.

The skill will be available for podcasts hosted by Whooshkaa, including Australian True Crime, Chat 10 Looks 3, SEN, The Betoota Advocate, The Health Code and all official AFL and NRL podcasts. Listeners simply ask Alexa to play the podcast or episode they want to hear. They can also give voice instructions to ask for more information about episodes, play, skip and resume from previously-played points in the episode.

More than 100 million Alexa-enabled devices have been sold worldwide.

“Our software engineers worked closely with the Alexa team at Amazon to be able to achieve this functionality for podcasters and listeners,” said Whooshkaa Founder and CEO Rob Loewenthal.

“We’re the first global podcast hosting platform to enable podcasters to deploy their own Alexa skill for their podcast.”

Instead of telling the smart speaker to use a third party skill to find and stream a podcast - the listener simply tells the device to play “the first episode of Australian True Crime” or “the most recent episode of The Health Code.”

Alexa is the brain that powers Amazon’s Echo devices, available on a wide range of third party devices by brands including Sonos, Bose, Harman Kardon and more. It is available with an Australian voice and personality.

“We’re delighted to work with Whooshkaa to make podcasts easier for listeners to enjoy, and easier for podcasters to publish,” said Kate Burleigh, Country Manager, Alexa Skills, Amazon. “This is great news for independent podcasters, who now have a way for customers in Australia and across the world to get their content just by asking for it.”

Whooshkaa is an audio-on-demand platform providing world class technology to broadcasters, publishers and podcasters.