Amazon has added support for Apple Podcasts on Amazon Echo devices, enabling users to stream more than 800,000 shows.
Users can link their Apple ID to the Alexa app, giving them the ability to not only play, but pause and resume podcasts where they left off.
Users can now verbally ask for podcasts, such as, “Alexa, play The CultCast from Apple Podcasts.” After linking an Apple ID, the progress of a podcast’s playback will automatically sync with the Apple Podcasts app across all Apple devices.
Additionally, dozens of verbal commands to control podcasts are also available. They include “Alexa, skip forward 2 minutes,” “Alexa, pause,” and “Alexa, play the next episode,” to name a few. If users select Apple Podcasts as the default podcast provider for Alexa, they will not need to include the words “Apple Podcasts” in their play requests.
The move comes as podcasts continue to grow in popularity. The format got its start as the iPod took off, and Apple played a key role in the boom, adding a podcasts category to iTunes in 2005. Apple released a dedicated Podcasts iOS app in 2012 and brought the Podcasts app to Mac this year. Support for Apple Podcasts on Echo finally brings the app to the world’s most popular smart speakers.
How to play Apple Podcasts on Echo speakers
To set Apple Podcasts as the default service on an iOS device, open the Amazon Alexa app and go to Settings > Music & Podcasts > Services. Then, tap Link New Service and choose Apple Podcasts from the list, as shown below. Then tap Enable to Use. Confirm your decision by tapping Select Default Service and adding Apple Podcasts as your default podcast provider. (If you want to link your Apple ID for synced playback, go into the Settings for Apple Podcasts and click Link Account. Then enter your Apple ID and password, and confirm Alexa’s access by tapping Allow.)
Screenshot: Cult of Mac
Amazon and Apple play nice
Amazon made the announcement Friday, but many users found the added feature available Thursday evening, posting the news on Reddit.
The partnership makes Amazon Echo the first third-party client for the Apple Podcasts service.
The support for Apple Podcasts marks the continuation of an improving relationship between Apple and Amazon over the years. Amazon integrated Apple Music with the Echo in December 2018 and added the Apple TV app to Amazon Fire TV in October 2019. Apple brought Amazon Prime Video to Apple TV in December 2017.
