Spotify has opened its podcast catalog to third-party apps, but not for streaming, writes Sarah Perez for TechCrunch. A new version of the company’s Podcast APIs (application programming interfaces) allows third-party apps to manage and perform searches for users.
“The launch is significant as it taps into the wider developer community to help Spotify grow its podcast user base,” Perez explains. “More importantly, it offers access to Spotify’s exclusive shows outside of Spotify’s own app for the first time.”
Exclusive podcasts will still be available for streaming only through the app, Perez confirms. Third parties aren’t meant to directly present the goods. “Instead, the new API is focused on podcast discovery, search and managing shows.”
In an article for CBC Arts, Mari “Dev” Ramsawakh details how Canadian true crime has become “a source of compassion and empathy for podcast listeners.” The subgenre is producing thoughtful shows where the “entire purpose is to make sense of the terrible things that happen.”
At Podcast Movement 2019, Uncover: The Village host Justin Ling realized “for the first time that there was something distinctive in the storytelling and reporting of these podcasts.” Ramsawakh and Ling discuss the cultural and environmental reasons why.
Instead of relying on “gruesome details,” shows like Missing & Murdered and Canadian True Crime “choose to focus instead on empathy and respect for victims.” Ramsawakh explores how ethical accounts “can help us find comfort in the chaos and connect us through the darkness.”
Abner Li of 9to5Google confirms that following a “significant redesign” the Google Podcasts app on Android is delivering wider functionality. The update “is now beginning to roll out for some users and it brings highly-awaited features like episode auto-downloading.”
Instead of recommended podcasts they’re not following, users are now shown a list of subscribed episodes. “It includes two lines of show notes and the ability to start playback, as well as ‘add to queue’ and initiating a download for offline access.”
Li observes that “this latest version of Podcasts offers meaningful playback management,” but “the real power features […] start at “Settings” from the overflow menu.” However, the update “is not yet widely rolled out — even on the Google app beta channel.”
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