Apple Podcasts is now on the web… and Android

• Apple Podcasts is now available on the web at podcasts.apple.com. Users can access their Library and Top Charts; and they can buy premium podcast subscriptions on the website too. The website syncs with a user’s Apple Account, though you can browse and listen without having to sign in.

  • The website is “accessible to anyone with a web browser on any device”, and Apple say it is available on all major browsers including Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox. It’s supported in more than 170 countries and regions in their local language. It doesn’t support transcripts, chapters or downloads.
  • This means that Apple Podcasts is now available for the first time on Android devices. While it isn’t an app in the Play Store, it’s now easy to install Apple Podcasts on any Android phone. As a side-effect of being a web app, premium subscriptions aren’t subject to revenue share with Google.
  • You no longer need iTunes for Windows to access podcasts on Windows machines; and you can pay for premium subscriptions on that platform.
  • Existing Apple Podcasts URLs for shows - like this for Podnews Daily - take you directly to the new web experience.

• Statistics in your podcast host - We asked a variety of podcast hosts. Ausha, Buzzsprout and Spreaker will correctly list this as Apple Podcasts. Omny Studio lists this separately as an Apple Podcasts website play. Captivate, Podbean, Megaphone, Spotify for Podcasters and RSS.com will list this as a browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc).

  • OP3 will correctly list this as Apple Podcasts. (It’s free to add your podcast there).

• Statistics in Apple Podcasts Connect - we have asked Apple whether all activity in the web version will appear in Apple’s statistics. They’ve not been able to respond by press time.

• Megaphone has announced a number of new tools. Contextual Targeting means advertisers can now target specific episode-level topics. A Segment Editor allows podcast publishers to easily add more ad locations into a podcast; and Bulk Order Editing has been enhanced to improve the workflow.

• Paul Riismandel has been promoted to President at Signal Hill Insights. He succeeds Jeff Vidler, who will continue with the firm as founder and strategic advisor.

• All Chartable analytics have been down for the past week. A note on the website says the company is working to resolve the bug and restore service.

• Headliner’s Automatic Audiograms can now post to Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. They’re automatically posted whenever you post a new episode.

• Africa Podfest, the pan-African podcast festival, is to close according to co-founder Melissa Mbugua. For five years, the organisation worked with over four thousand podcasters in Africa, and advocated for African podcasting on the world stage.

Tips and tricks - with Ausha - Next Gen Podcasting 🚀

• On the Ausha stage at Podcast Movement 👉 Check out Ausha’s “Next Gen Podcasting” track tomorrow, featuring 8 powerful conferences on cutting-edge technology and strategies to grow your show and audience.

• Here’s how to install Apple Podcasts on Android. No, really.

Podcast News - with Airwave

From Airwave: Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast’s Brittany Gibbons says: “Joining Airwave has been such a positive experience for our podcast, not just financially, but from start to finish. We were escorted through set-up and ad sales, and feel so heard and cared for by the entire Airwave staff. Ad sales have increased, our revenue has increased, and the support from Airwave has enabled us to reinvest in our podcast, and massively grow our audience.”

The Projection Booth Podcast is celebrating its 700th episode. The show is celebrated for its deep-dives into cinema, and the 700th edition looks at Caligula: The Ultimate Cut, a controversial movie that was re-released after the re-discovery of 90 hours of raw footage.

Music podcast takin’ a walk is to release its first audiobook. The host Buzz Knight is to work with Happyland Audiobooks, and it will feature captivating stories and insights from renowned musicians and artists, offering listeners an intimate glimpse into their journeys and the music that shaped their lives.

Podcast 360 is back for a new season today, kicking off with Arielle Nissenblatt and plenty more in the season. Each host interviews a guest who returns next week as the new host of the show, and so on.

The housing market is wonky - according to the hosts of Housing Insiders, Jonathan Lawless and Jeremy Potter. The show launches today from MaxPodcasting, with developments and news about the housing industry, home building and home financing: and we learn how others can help the housing industry, too.