Facebook pulls the plug on podcasts

Reporter

Facebook plans to pull the plug on podcasts.

Radio Today reported just a few months back that Facebook was inviting podcast creators to share their work on the platform, allowing hosts to distribute their audio via RSS feeds on their Facebook page.

But it appears that’s been short-lived.

From June 3, podcasts will no longer be available on the social media platform.

Bloomberg reports that as of this week, Facebook – part of Meta Platforms Inc – will stop letting people add podcasts to the service, according to a note sent to partners.

“It will discontinue both its short-form audio product soundbites and remove its central audio hub.”

The Bloomberg report goes on to say “Facebook announced various audio efforts last April during a hot market for podcasting and audio in general.”

Bloomberg News reported last month that the company’s interest has waned, and it’s now focused its attention on other initiatives.

“We’re constantly evaluating the features we offer so we can focus on the most meaningful experiences,” a Meta spokesperson said an email.

In the note to partners, Facebook said it doesn’t plan to alert users to the fact that podcasts will no longer be available, leaving it up to the publishers to decide how they want to disclose that information. Live Audio Rooms will be integrated into Facebook Live, meaning users can choose to go live with just audio or audio and video.

The company changed its name to Meta to emphasise its interest in building the metaverse and is also now pushing users toward short-form videos called Reels to compete with TikTok.”

Comment Form

Your email address will not be published.

Recent comments (0)
Post new comment

Jobs

See all