Podcasts Coming to Amazon Music and Audible

Amazon will add podcasts to its Amazon Music and Audible services, according to a confidential email obtained by The Desk.

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Amazon said in the email that it would soon allow Amazon Music and Audible users to subscribe, download, and stream free podcasts on the services. Podcasts will also be available to customers of Amazon Music's ad-supported free tier, in addition to its premium paid service. The launch date of podcasts in Amazon Music and Audible was not stated in the email.

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The email was reportedly sent to some podcast producers on Monday, with the offer to submit a podcast feed before the feature becomes publicly accessible. This is needed to allow the new podcasts feature to launch with popular shows already available.

During submission of a podcast feed, producers are required to agree to terms and conditions. Strikingly, one term in particular stated that podcasts on the platforms could not include comments that disparage Amazon or its products.

amazon podcast agreement excerpt

Podcast features would allow users of Echo smart speakers and Fire TV devices to stream podcasts through Amazon's default apps, rather than via third party apps. Amazon Music had 55 million subscribers as of January, just five million less than Apple Music's 60 million.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple is working on original podcasts that will be exclusive to its Podcasts app. Podcasts are increasingly becoming an area of competition between major tech companies, with Apple, Spotify, Google, and now Amazon heavily investing in the sector.

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Top Rated Comments

russell_314 Avatar
59 months ago
I hope this isn’t more proprietary crap like Spotify podcasts. I’ll stick with Overcast and traditional non-DRM non-proprietary podcasts
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Analog Kid Avatar
59 months ago
I always felt like podcasts, even after being named for the iPod, never got the level of respect they deserved from Apple. It seemed like a movement they should have supported more strongly. I'm not sure how exactly, but at least a better app to manage them and more public mentions and support for podcasters.

Trying to tie podcasts exclusively to Apple, or making it feel like an Apple only medium would have doomed them, so there's a line to walk, but it feels like a revolution that didn't get the attention it should have. I hardly ever listen to live radio anymore.

Of course, with so much less driving these days, I hardly ever listen to podcasts anymore either...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
happyprozak Avatar
59 months ago

I always felt like podcasts, even after being named for the iPod, never got the level of respect they deserved from Apple. It seemed like a movement they should have supported more strongly. I'm not sure how exactly, but at least a better app to manage them and more public mentions and support for podcasters.

Trying to tie podcasts exclusively to Apple, or making it feel like an Apple only medium would have doomed them, so there's a line to walk, but it feels like a revolution that didn't get the attention it should have. I hardly ever listen to live radio anymore.

Of course, with so much less driving these days, I hardly ever listen to podcasts anymore either...
The only problem I have with Apple is that I dislike their podcast app. Other apps like Pocket Casts and Castbox are so much better for management.

I do like that podcasting is an open platform but that is now dying with podcasts now commonly becoming exclusive to platforms. In hindsight, the podcast market was Apple's to lose. They could have developed a subscription service where ads were removed or helped podcasters monetize their work. They started the podcast scene and they could have become the dominant platform.

The open platform was a good ride while it lasted.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TrevorR90 Avatar
59 months ago
Spotify is probably where most users will flock to.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Appleman3546 Avatar
59 months ago
If podcasters don’t like the amazon term about disparaging it’s products, at least there are plenty of other competitors like Spotify for podcasters to turn to
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmilo Avatar
59 months ago
Everyone doing podcasts these days and here I am with an attention span of a fish loosing the plot after 5 minutes ?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)