Apple Podcasts Now Available in Any Web Browser
Apple has announced that Apple Podcasts is now available on the Web, joining last month’s release of Apple Maps (see “Apple Maps on the Web Appears in Beta,” 24 July 2024). It will be a boon to Apple users forced to use Windows at work.
The Web-based Podcasts client, accessible at podcasts.apple.com, looks and works nearly identically to Apple’s native Podcasts app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, depending on window size.
Those who don’t wish to sign in can listen to millions of free podcasts, browse Top Charts, and take advantage of Apple’s editorial collections. Signing in with your Apple ID gives you access to your Library, Up Next Queue, and subscriptions. Signed-in users can also follow shows and save play progress.
I must admit some curiosity as to why Apple has suddenly started producing Web versions of some of its apps and services. Nothing prevented Apple from doing this years ago—Google and Spotify have produced capable Web apps for ages. A few possibilities present themselves:
- Focus on the ecosystem: In the past, restricting services to Apple devices may have been seen as driving sales. Apple may now consider opening services up to non-Apple devices as a way to attract new users and keep existing cross-platform users in the fold.
- Future ad revenue: Although neither Maps nor Podcasts earns Apple much money now, some pundits have suggested that Apple plans to start displaying ads in both. Opening them up to non-Apple devices would increase the number of ad impressions if that occurs.
- Reduced regulatory pressure: Opening Maps and Podcasts up to non-Apple users may reduce the perception of Apple locking users into its platform and help with arguments against regulations aimed at increasing consumer choice.
Yup, clear sop to Windows users, of which I am one part-time. I think it’s a good thing, insofar as it reduces friction in a way that makes Apple’s most popular product more desirable. OTOH, it’s a bit depressing that it seemingly affirms their services play, and further deprecates the Mac as the computing platform of choice, despite Podcasts arguably being Apple’s best showcase of Catalyst. Guess we’ll have to see what impact this has on Apple’s continuing dominance in podcasts, though I suspect the impact will be positive and much to the disquiet of the more open podcast options.