It looks like podcasts will finally make their way to Google Play Music this coming Monday, nearly six months after the firm originally announced that it would be adding the format to the service.
An email sent by NPR to its members sheds light on the launch date. Although they specified that the information was under embargo and should not be shared, it seems to have leaked out anyway. The email said in part:” Google will launch podcasts on Android and other platforms next Monday, April 18, inside of Google Play Music, a streaming service similar to Apple Music.” NPR has been working together with Google to give public radio a presence on the platform.
Although accidental disclosures have not always panned out in the past, such as tweets by Bill Simmons saying that podcasts were coming in February, many experts believe the NPR emails are indeed credible.
Podcast fans expected to welcome the new addition
Bringing podcasts to the service will give Google Play what many people believe has been its biggest missing feature. While serious fans of podcasts have been managing to listen to them without support from Google until now, this should be a welcome addition nevertheless, particularly to those with Android smartphones.
The Google Play Music app is also available for the iPhone. It allows users to upload MP3s to the cloud and play them through the app or on the web, and it functions like a traditional music player. Google Play has not been performing as well as its competitors, but this could be a step in the right direction and signal the advent of even more features in the near future.
The feature’s interface has been tested for several months and will reside natively within the Google Play Music app. Some users have reported seeing a new podcast section in Google Play over the past few months as well as listening functionality. The interface will allow users to automatically download podcasts, and they can opt to receive notifications any time a new episode is released. One section will be devoted to highlighting featured podcasts, while another part of the app will spotlight curated collections.
If the news turns out to be true, users will likely receive a software update on or before Monday, which could also bring about a new icon as part of the firm’s proprietary app redesign. This will be the first time Google will have a podcast app since Google Listen was shut down back in 2012.
