Adding podcasts to WordPress sites just got a lot easier

Automattic acquires Pocket Casts
(Image credit: WordPress,com)

Startups, small businesses and content creators will soon be able embed podcasts on WordPress websites with ease following parent company Automattic's acquisition of podcats app Pocket Casts.

In a WordPress.com blog post, Automattic said: "We’re thrilled that we can continue to give our users a multitude of ways to tell and engage with stories that matter.

"As part of Automattic, Pocket Casts will continue to provide you with the features needed to enjoy your favorite podcasts (or find something new)."

Podcast app on WordPress

Automattic seems to already be pressing ahead with integrating the multi-layered podcast app into its blogging platform, with the aim of making it easier to distribute and listen to podcasts online.

Pocket Casts co-founders Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson will remain in charge of the app's team under Automattic.

Owned by a consortium of public radio stations in NPR, WNYC Studios, WBEZ Chicago and This American Life, Pocket Casts says it can offer podcast fans more control of their listening experience through features that make it easier to discover and organize podcasts, alongside powerful tools to customize the listening experience.

Pocket Casts has built-in features like variable speed playback, trim silence option, volume boost, a sleep timer, personal media storage, and standalone playback for Apple Watch, which contributes to the delivery of a streamlined and customized listening experience.

Automattic did not reveal how much it spent on the acquisition of Pocket Casts, but the deal is the latest from the company in a series of purchases this year.

In June 2021, the firm expanded its portfolio further with the acquisition of personal journaling app Day One, and has also recently bought web analytics firm Parse.ly to make it easier for users to add analytics to their WordPress sites.

Abigail Opiah
B2B Editor - Web hosting & Website builders

Abigail is a B2B Editor that specializes in web hosting and website builder news, features and reviews at TechRadar Pro. She has been a B2B journalist for more than five years covering a wide range of topics in the technology sector from colocation and cloud to data centers and telecommunications. As a B2B web hosting and website builder editor, Abigail also writes how-to guides and deals for the sector, keeping up to date with the latest trends in the hosting industry. Abigail is also extremely keen on commissioning contributed content from experts in the web hosting and website builder field.

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