Google had announced in October last year that it will soon bring Podcast to Play Music. Now, the new Podcast interface is going live for some users. Podcasters had already started uploading their content on Play Music since past few months.
5by5, HBO, Nerdist, StartTalk Radio, Dave Ramsey, Earwolf, Feral Audio, Gimlet Media, are some of the popular podcast and networks that will be available on the Play Music. As per the screenshots, the podcasts option is accessed via the sidebar menu on the left and is listed above ‘Browse Stations’. Users will be able to subscribe to podcasts and the app will automatically download the last five episodes of a show and they will even get notification every time a new podcast is live. Also seen on the screenshots is the Now Playing screen that now features 30-second skip and rewind buttons. Listeners can subscribe to podcast channels and listen to individual episodes.
Similar to various streaming services, Google Play Music is expected to offer contextual recommendations for listeners, suggesting podcasts based on their interests. It is not known when Google will bring the official rollout.