In a continued podcasting push, Apple earlier this year acquired Scout FM, a popular podcast app on iPhones, Android devices and Amazon Echo smart speakers. Scout FM’s goal is to make listening to podcasts more like tuning into radio stations.
While podcast apps, including Apple’s, traditionally work by letting users pick an individual podcast to listen to, Scout FM created podcast stations on various topics. For example, if a person is interested in sports, the app would create a station that mixed together a curated selection of sports podcasts.
Scout FM was popular among some users of Apple devices and could be integrated with CarPlay, the interface that appears on supported car screens when connected to an iPhone, and Apple’s Siri digital assistant. It was also optimized for devices based on Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa.
An Apple spokesman confirmed the acquisition, but declined to comment further. The company shut down the app after the purchase.
MacDailyNews Take: Expect an improved Apple Podcasts app somewhere down the line.
It’s for consuming only, not for producing.