Apple Podcasts Revamped in iOS 17
Apple has improved its podcast app with a new design and features in the iOS 17 update. The update includes:
- Full-screen artwork
- More organized queue
- Episode art
- Interactive widgets
- Search Filters
- Compatibility with iPhone’s StandBy mode.
Apple Music, Apple News+, Calm, and Lingokids subscribers will now access over 60 original podcasts. Moreover, a new API enables other apps with subscriptions to integrate their premium audio content into the platform, broadening the range of available shows for paying users. This move strengthens Apple’s position as a preferred podcast platform for iPhone users.
Apple Podcasts has launched a new API enabling third-party apps to merge their content into the platform. Users can sign in to their accounts from the Podcasts app, allowing streaming across various Apple devices. Several apps have already embarked on this feature, including Bloomberg, Curio, The Economist, and The Washington Post. Apple also gives its narrated audio news articles from Apple News+ publishers, now accessible in both Apple Podcasts and Apple News, strengthening its offerings for subscribers.
Apple Podcasts will now provide subscribers coverage of the 2024 Apple Music Halftime Show. This includes shows hosted by anchors like Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, and Kelleigh Bannen and artist-hosted programs. 42 shows from Apple Music and four from Apple News, such as “Apple News Today” and “Apple News In Conversation,” will be accessible. Adding app subscriptions requires iOS 17, iPadOS 17, or MacOS Sonoma, and is subject to support from the app’s developer. Apple News+ is available in select regions, including the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, while Apple Music is accessible in more than 67 countries and regions.
