Amazon in talks with producers to incorporate free podcasts in Amazon Music, Audible

Amazon will soon add free podcasts into its Amazon Music and Audible products. The incorporation of podcasts in Amazon Music and Audible could soon allow Echo smart device users to stream podcasts directly, instead of relying on third-party skills and apps.

The e-commerce giant reached out to top podcast producers with an offer to submit their show’s feed before the feature becomes available to its 55 million users across Amazon Music and Audible, reported The Desk. 

After submitting a feed for consideration, the podcast producers were required to agree to certain terms laid down by Amazon, including one that said shows could not include comments that disparage Amazon or its products.

It is unknown when would Amazon roll out the feature to its Music and Audible users. Once rolled out, users can subscribe, download and stream free podcasts using either service. The podcasts will be available to both categories — free and premium — of Amazon Music.

Consuming of podcast content has been on the rise in recent times. Amazon’s rival Spotify has been partnering with several popular podcasters for exclusive content. The free podcasts could be Amazon’s attempt to get more users onboard. 

Although Amazon Prime has 55 million users, it has a long way to go to compete with the likes of Apple and Spotify. The latter has over 248 million users, of which 113 million are paid subscribers. Apple, on the other hand, has 60 million users, which isn’t too distant from Amazon’s user base. However, the biggest advantage Apple brings along with it is its ecosystem.