Didn’t Facebook only recently begin podcast supporting and promoting on its platform? Yes, that’s correct.
It’s been less than a year since this social media platform began offering support for the audio files that millions of people love to listen to. Whether they are driving down the road, making dinner at home, or chilling in their rooms, podcasts are a way for people to tune in and gather information from the experts they trust or to hear the opinions of those people they relate to. Now, Facebook is ending this support.
The End is Closer than You Think
The end of podcast support on this social media platform is much closer than you might expect. As of June 3, these audio files will begin to disappear from Facebook and will discontinue entirely not long after that. The Soundbites feature of this platform will be gone, and users that tune in for a daily, weekly, or monthly podcast will need to find it elsewhere. This platform has only begun to support these files a year ago, but it seems the company is ready to move in a different direction.
What has the Benefit Been to Current Users?
Since Meta, the new name for Facebook, launched podcast support; users have had a seamless experience. Instead of being sent to another site to listen to the audio file, users can hear the audio on the app and never leave it. Podcast support was launched with various partners that helped make this experience seamless for many users. With the end of this support, listeners will need to find their favorite audio files on other apps. This doesn’t mean Facebook is turning its back on audio altogether but removing support for these files.
This Isn’t the First Time for Meta
Whether you want to call it Meta or Facebook, this platform has sewn distrust among creators and marketers for several years. The company is well-known for pulling the proverbial rug out from under creators, brands, and companies. They often ban users for 30 days or more for little to no reason. These actions create a platform that makes many companies select other social media sites for their advertising. Unfortunately for most companies, Facebook has the users and network to create the rules and changes, and most companies will deal with the headaches.
How Will This Change Impact Podcasters?
Because the move away from podcast support comes less than a year after Facebook began offering it, most audio generators won’t be impacted much. While those sending out audio files will lose the broad reach of this social media platform, many audio listeners likely found the podcasts they love on other platforms before they were ever offered on Meta. Of course, some new podcasts have started and grown on this platform, which will be negatively impacted. They will need a new place to go to offer their audio files.
Other Platforms Offer Excellent Podcast Support
Podcasters who have put their audio files on Facebook in the past year will need to revert to their old ways of advertising their audio files. This means they will offer the podcast on a hosting site and then put a link to that site and their page on the Facebook profile. This means listeners will need to leave the social media site page to hear the latest podcast, but they can still find the file link on Facebook as long as the podcaster shares it there.
Will Users be Notified?
No, Meta announced the platform would not take responsibility for informing listeners that podcasts are no longer offered on the site. Instead, it will be the responsibility of the podcaster to inform the audience the audio files have moved to the supported platform. Those offering podcasts on Facebook already have a hosting site that offers the file support and links needed to allow users to listen in. The transition shouldn’t be too difficult for most listeners, but taking this feature away from podcasters and their audience is another way Facebook shows it can’t be trusted to be consistent or continual in any aspect.
Why Are Podcasts Ending on Facebook?
A recent announcement on the earnings calls hints at why this change is happening. The pandemic caused an immediate need for better connectivity and e-Commerce across this platform, but that need has since lessened, and the company needs to make changes to its current growth levels to slow things down. This means more minor new features and the deletion of support for podcasts. We are only speculating, but Meta must not have seen the growth or advertising revenue expected from this investment.
Where Can You Find Many of the Podcasts You Enjoy?
If you’ve relied solely on Facebook for the audio files you like to listen to, you’ll need to find them on other sites. Podcasters can use hosting sites including:
- Buzzsprout
- RSS.com
- Transistor
- Fusebox
- Blubrry Podcasting
- Audioboom
Most of these podcasts are likely broadcast to you through your smartphone if you’re a listener. There are several apps you can download and access the audio files you want to enjoy. Both iPhones and Android smartphones offer ways for you to download apps and gain access to the podcast you want to enjoy.
Where Does This Leave Us With Facebook?
That’s a good question? Renamed Meta, this platform is supposed to take us into the future of technology and entertainment, but without podcasts, is this the platform that’s truly embracing the future? What will Meta offer that could make us regain trust and faith in this platform? We know they are adding AI tech to many of the features, which is undoubtedly a big part of the future of social media and marketing. If you relied on Meta for your podcasts, they would be gone soon, and you’ll have to find them elsewhere. Hopefully, this platform will bring enough for the future to make it easy for you to enjoy what it offers going forward.
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