While it looks like many of us will be spending some more time at home, if you’re an owner of an Amazon Echo device you’ll be able to do so in comfort of your favourite podcasts played through Spotify.
Alexa customers in the UK are now able to listen to podcasts available on Spotify through the Echo devices. To ensure that the Echo device prioritises podcasts from Spotify, head to Settings in the app, select Music & Podcasts, and then link/manage new services. From then on, each time a podcast is requested, it’ll prioritize playing it from Spotify.
With Alexa functionality it should be easy to find and play podcasts you’re interested in, with the ability to ask Alexa for the podcast you want to hear. Functionality also extends to being able to pause what you’re listening to, and if you have another Echo device elsewhere in the home, continue where you left off, or on Spotify (web, mobile, desktop) by asking Alexa to resume the podcast by name.
Spotify has continued to push podcasts as an area of growth in the streaming market, signing up The Joe Rogan Experience on a multi-year deal (available whether you have a free or premium Spotify account), as well as inking deals with the Obamas for audio content, as well as an exclusive multi-year deal with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for a podcast show, the first of which will be a Christmas special.
There have also been rumours that Spotify is looking to further capitalise on its position in the podcast market, creating a subscription plan aimed specifically at podcast listeners after an option was spotted in a survey Spotify sent out earlier in 2020. The subscription price is mooted was $7.99 (likely if £7.99 in the UK if it were to happen).
What else can we expect from Spotify going forward? We’ve always hoped they’d add a lossless streaming tier…
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.