
Tumblr wordpress buys app pocket casts verification#
Please confirm your subscription to Verge Deals via the verification email we just sent you. Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. It’s possible Automattic could push people toward content from its WordPress users. Although Pocket Casts is a listening app, it’s also well-known for its discovery features and curation. Presumably, it’ll keep building on that vision with its Pocket Casts acquisition. Although the feature relies on text-to-speech technology, which isn’t as personal and human-sounding as, well, a real human, the broad idea clearly speaks to WordPress’ interest in helping bloggers communicate through podcasts. Interestingly, the Spotify-owned app Anchor announced a partnership with in February this year, which allows people to turn blog posts into audio content with a few clicks. We’ve reached out to Automattic for comment on how it plans to monetize the app, as well as to learn more about whether it’s keeping all of the Pocket Cast employees on full-time.
Tumblr wordpress buys app pocket casts free#
The app, which is free to download, was losing money, and NPR reportedly lost $800,000 on it last year. Pocket Casts initially went up for sale in January after its board of public media members voted to do so. It started monetizing through a program called Pocket Casts Plus, which charges users a monthly subscription fee for features like desktop app access and a standalone Apple Watch app, in 2019. It’s been well-received, particularly from sites like The Verge, because it’s available across platforms. Pocket Casts launched in 2010 and sold to NPR and a group of other public media groups eight years later. “We will explore building deep integrations with and Pocket Casts, making it easier to distribute and listen to podcasts.”

“As part of Automattic, Pocket Casts will continue to provide you with the features needed to enjoy your favorite podcasts (or find something new),” the post states.

The blog post announcing the purchase didn’t offer much in the way of a preview, but it did tease potential future integrations. Automattic, which runs and recently purchased Tumblr, announced today that it’s acquired Pocket Casts, the well-regarded podcast app. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019.īy choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. However, the app will likely need to experiment with more premium features NPR alone lost 800,000 on Pocket Casts when it owned 34.6 of the app in 2020. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
