Twitter is preparing to embrace podcasts with a dedicated section

Serial discoverer of Twitter secrets Jane Manchun Wong has come up Aces again, unearthing signs of another exciting new feature in the social app. The reverse engineer frequently delves into the Twitter codebase, and now has found references to a new podcast section.

Having already developed a taste for audio content in Spaces, helped to some extent by its acquisition of social podcasting app Breaker, it seems that Twitter is ready to take things further. It is not clear exactly what plans the company has for its Podcasts section, but it is something that will be welcomed by creators and consumers alike.

After burrowing into the depths of the Twitter app, Jane Manchun Wong shared an image of her findings in a tweet. It shows a microphone icon in the bottom navigation bar which is used to access the yet-to-be-released Podcasts section.

Unpopulated with content, the Podcasts tab looks a little spartan and uninspiring, but once the feature (hopefully) goes live for everyone, it should prove to be an exciting addition to the platform.

There are several directions Twitter could take this. It could be used for exclusive content which could in turn be used to boost revenue, be that through advertising or subscriptions. There is also the possibility of licensed content, or the ability for Twitter users to use the platform to start their own podcasts.

It could also be used as an extension of Twitter Spaces. Those on-Twitter audio sessions can already be saved as podcasts. As is so often the case with early discovery like this, the only thing we can do is wait and see how things pan out.

While it could be argued that fans of podcasts are spoiled for choice – or overwhelmed, depending on your point of view – when it comes to places to discover new content, it's important to remember a couple of things. First, there are still plenty of people who have yet to get on the podcast bandwagon. Second, new ways to discover and promote content should always be welcomed.

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Via The Verge