Facebook to Pull the Plug on Podcast Platform in Less Than a Year of Its Launch
Social media giant Facebook has planned to shut down its podcast platform less than a year after its launch. According to a report, the audio podcast platform’s closure is confirmed and it is speculated that the closure will altogether close on June 3.
The move is part of a broader re-evaluation of Facebook‘s audio products. The company is also shuttering the site’s Soundbites and Audio hubs, and integrating its live-streaming Live Audio Rooms feature (essentially a clone of once-buzzy audio app Clubhouse) into its broader Facebook Live suite, reports The Verge.
The modifications, according to Facebook spokesperson Adelaide Coronado, will’simplify’ the company’s audio offerings. “We’ve decided to simplify our array of audio capabilities on Facebook after a year of learning and iterating on audio-first experiences. We’re always evaluating the things we provide so that we can focus on the most important ones “Coronado stated.
Faced with existing audio podcast platforms such as SiriusXM, Amazon, and Clubhouse, Facebook has recognized the challenges of breaking into this extremely competitive sector. As a result, with Facebook focusing on its Meta platform, the decision to shut down its podcast program is unsurprising.
In June of last year, Facebook released podcasts and live audio streaming in the United States in order to keep users engaged on the network and compete with newcomers. Facebook said that public personalities with verified accounts will be able to launch live audio rooms and invite others to talk.
Soon after the app launched, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who had previously appeared on the video streaming app Clubhouse, held his own live audio room on his Facebook page. During the debut, Fidji Simo, the head of the Facebook app, commented, “Live Audio Rooms and podcasts rolling out in the US is just the beginning of our audio adventure.”
Podcasts and live audio have also been an outlet for racism, misinformation, and extremist material. Live audio is particularly difficult to moderate, compared with traditional social media posts.
