Apple announced on Monday, August 19 that its Apple Podcasts app is now available on all major web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari) in over 170 countries.  

The new dedicated web experience aims to make it easier for anyone with a web browser on any device to access podcasts. Web listening has been available for some time; however, in order to listen to an episode, users had to look up a show on a search engine and go to the show’s Apple Podcasts Preview page. 

Now Apple Podcasts on the web has launched a new interface, allowing users to access features that were previously only available on the app. These include browsing millions of shows, accessing sections like Library and Top Charts, purchasing premium podcast subscriptions, and more. Listeners can sync their Apple Accounts to be able to pause a podcast and save their play progress to listen to later, as well as see their followed shows and subscriptions. Users without an Apple Account can also use the web experience but can only browse and listen. 

The addition is likely to be well-received by podcast fans who prefer not to install another app but still want to access certain features. For podcasters, Apple Podcasts on the web allows them to share links to episodes, shows, and channels, thus reaching a wider global audience.

It’s no secret that podcasts have become extremely popular in the last few years; it’s estimated that over 500 million people will listen to podcasts this year alone. Since the term podcast was first used in 2004, combining the words “ipod” and “broadcast”, the industry has grown to 25 billion dollars. With podcasts becoming so popular, especially in the last ten years, Apple Podcasts is on the right track in making their platform and its features more accessible to all users worldwide.

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