What's your go-to podcast listening app on your phone, ?
I'm going to take a wild guess that if you're an Android user it isn't going to be Apple Podcasts. Mostly because you can't use it on Android phones.
Or can you?
As of now, yes you can.
The company's released a web based version of the app, and it's available on all operating systems, across all devices.
And yes, it works pretty much identically to the native app that iPhones have.
So here are five reasons you need to get as excited about this, as I am.
- Apple Podcasts has always been a bit of a walled garden for Android users, but now, with the web-based version, you've got a whole new audience to tap into. It’s like getting the best seats at a gig that was always sold out. Or finally getting that text with an invite to Clubhouse that you've waited 4 years for. Hopefully, Android users, this time you won't finally log in just to find everyone got bored and left! Just kidding. Apple Podcasts is still the most popular podcast listening app, and not by a narrow margin. And with Android being the most popular operating system with 70% of the market share, this is the perfect combo to expose your podcast to new listeners.
- There are loads of people who are forced to work in environments with strict IT policies that block or limit the installation of new software. Ugh. How booooring! So with the web version, Apple Podcasts is now accessible in these environments. If you're stuck behind a corporate firewall you can still listen to your fave podcast during the workday. This is a big win for podcasters targeting professionals. It's not such a big win for the evil corporate overlords who don't want happy staff listening to podcasts WHILE THEY SHOULD BE WORKING, GOTTDANG IT!!!
- As premium podcast subscriptions can now be purchased directly on the web, listeners don’t have to go through the hassle of Apple’s app ecosystem. Plus, since it’s a web app, you avoid sharing revenue with Google on Android, which means more pennies in your pocket. It's a smoother, quicker way for your fans to support you.
- The web app syncs with a user’s Apple account, so listeners can start an episode on their iPhone, pick it up on their work PC, and finish it at home on a tablet. It’s all about making life easier for your audience, and happy listeners are more likely to stick around and even recommend your podcast to others.
- With Apple Podcasts now accessible on every major web browser across 170 countries, your podcast is instantly more discoverable. Take that, YouTube gurus with your "YouTube is great for discovery!" nonsense! The global reach for audio podcasts now is immense, and you don’t have to worry about being constrained by app store territories or device ecosystems. This is an opportunity to reach listeners who might never have found your podcast otherwise.
How you should leverage this for your own podcast
You're probably realising by now that I'm just a little bit excited about this development. I mean, not only are there the five benefits I've listed above, but so many more reasons this is going to be cool for us podcasters. And I'll be releasing an episode of "The Podmaster" which will delve into this more, soon.
But here's one chunky nugget for you right now.
This means more listeners for your show with just one link and without any extra effort on your part.
When you're sharing links to your podcast on social media, you can now just share one link, and still get the biggest bang for your buck. All you need to do is start educating your followers that if they click to listen, they're no longer going to be sent to a dead end page, but instead will be able to listen regardless of what their own favourite app is.
And this means you get the benefit of the listen being logged in Apple Podcasts, rather than having to settle for a cruddy chrome or other browser listen in your stats.
So now that you have access to this new, bigger audience...
Why not ensure your podcast is firing on all cylinders, ready to attract these new, future fans?
My podcast audits will analyse every aspect of your podcast including not just the audio itself, but the packaging, and the SEO.
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