Google Play Dials Up Podcasts for Android Users
Futuri podcast tools can boost engagement on Google Podcast
After a lengthy wait, Google is finally jumping into the podcast space – and its new app could be a game-changer. The tech giant’s Google Podcast app will allow the more than 100 million Android users in the U.S. to stream on-demand content simply by downloading the free app.
Google Podcast will offer personalized recommendations, easy-to-to-use search and navigation, and integration with other Google apps and devices, including Google Assistant and Google Home. Also, in a first, podcasts will appear in Google search results.
The debut comes as podcast listening is skyrocketing, as nearly 50-million Americans report listening to a podcast in a single week, according to the Edison Research study “Infinite Dial 2018.” Podcast listeners are avid users with the average listener streaming five shows per week, and more than three-quarters finish most, if not all of a single podcast, including advertisements and promotional messaging.
At the same time, advertisers are clamoring to jump into the podcasting space, creating enviable revenue projections. Podcast ad revenue is expected to eclipse $650-million in 2020, up from $402-million this year, per the IAB and PwC.
Just how big an impact could Google Podcast have on the podcast industry?
Consider this:
- Android is the leading operating system for mobile devices worldwide with a 69.8% market share, compared to 28.2% for Apple iOS. *Net Marketshare May 2018
- Android boasts 117-million U.S. smartphone users, or 53.2% market share, while Apple has 97.2-million iPhone users or a 44.2% share. *eMarketer 2018
- Android is expected to dominate smartphone usage through 2020. *eMarketer 2018.
Until now, Google had made podcasts available in its Google Play Music app, which limited the audience and discovery. Technology rival Apple, meanwhile, launched its podcast app in 2014 and is widely credited with bringing podcasts mainstream.
For its part, Google claims its new app can double podcasting listening over the next few years. “Google Podcasts is designed to make it easier than ever for Android users to discover and listen to podcasts,” explained Zack Reneau-Wedeen, Product Manager – Google Podcasts.
Google plans to use its AI technology to make content accessible to non-native speakers and people with disabilities. For instance, as voice technology improves, Google plans to add automatic subtitling for users with hearing impairments or listening in loud spaces. Also, using Google Translate technology, the company could add subtitles to podcasts in numerous languages, allowing users to read along while listening.
At Futuri Media, a global leader in SaaS technology for broadcasters, we believe Google Podcast will allow our broadcast partners to deliver their dynamic on-demand content to more engaged listeners and grow their audience.
Our POST system makes it effortless to produce podcasts for both Android and iOS devices. The in-studio, touch-screen system allows hosts and producers to quickly and easily capture audio and convert it into podcasts.
Transcription is also available to maximize search results and provides unlimited access to a fully-licensed image library. POST is designed to drive ratings and revenue with its PPM encoded transmitter enabling broadcasters to measure their digital listening in the same rating system as on-air audiences. POST also offers ad-insertion, allowing stations to deliver custom messaging inside podcasts.
Ready to hear how Futuri Media and POST can boost your podcasting? Contact Futuri Media here.
