Google Play Music is finally getting into podcasting.
Starting today, Android owners can visit the Google Play Store and find a variety of podcasts, like Marc Maron’s WTF, Radiolab, and the Internet-centric Reply All. The podcast section, like the rest of the store, is also available on the Web, and it’s currently accessible in the U.S. and Canada.
“Similar to our contextual playlists for music, you can now listen to podcasts based on what you’re doing, how you’re feeling or what you’re interested in,” Ilia Malkovitch, Google Play Music’s product manager, wrote on Google’s Android blog.
The new platform offers comedy podcasts under the “Laugh Out Loud” banner along with sections urging you to “Learn Something New” and “Get Lost in a Story.” There’s also a way for creators to upload their podcasts to the platform.
Google Play Music
This rollout has been a long time coming.
Last October, Google said that podcasts were “coming soon.” In February, podcast star Bill Simmons tweeted that his podcast would be available on the platform when it launched later that month, but he quickly deleted that tweet and the late February launch did not happen.
Last week, NPR reportedly sent out an email to members alerting them of the impending rollout, writing that “NPR has worked with Google to ensure that public radio is represented in the Google Play environment.”
