This adds to the growing list of Alexa podcast skills and comes hot on the heels of Amazon's announcement to release podcasts exclusive to the Amazon Music platform.
Alexa users have been able to access Apple Music for a while, but the addition of Apple Podcasts will be a welcome change for those who want to keep all of their podcasts in one place. Previously, the only way to play Apple Podcasts through Alexa devices was through a regular Bluetooth connection, somewhat missing the point of voice activation.
You can add the Apple Podcasts skill by searching for it on the Amazon website or through the Skills menu in the Alexa app.
After linking your Apple Podcasts account, you can start your favorite podcasts by saying:
“Alexa, play [Title of Podcast] on Apple Podcasts“
Alternatively, if you set Apple Podcasts as the default Alexa podcast service, you may miss the last three words:
"Alexa, play [Title of Podcast]"
Every country with the Apple Podcasts Competency also has native language support, allowing you to listen to and control podcasts in your native language via Alexa.
The addition of Apple Podcasts highlights a shift in attitude from major media providers. Historically, Google, Amazon, and Apple tried to keep their users locked into their platforms. This never made sense for podcasts, which are usually independently created and freely distributed across multiple platforms.
That all changed recently with Spotify's high-profile acquisition of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Shortly after, Amazon announced that the Amazon Music service will now offer podcasts. The company itself is adding exclusive shows including Disgraceland, formerly from iHeartMedia, and new series like The First One with hip-hop DJ Khaled.
This new trend in platform-exclusive podcasts opens the doors to more leniency on the services available on smart home devices. While there have always been ways to play whatever media you want on Alexa or Google Home devices, this will hopefully make it a smoother process.
Apple has always been one of the top podcast providers, and native Alexa support is a great addition. Now that Amazon and Spotify are releasing podcasts exclusive to their platforms, it would be surprising if Apple didn't follow soon.
What does that mean? We'll have to wait and see, but given Roku's somewhat unorthodox decision to add the Roku Channel to Amazon Fire TV, it seems likely that there will be more cross-platform services to come over the next few months. P>
