Apple Podcasts are now available on Echo devices

Now we can ask Alexa to play Apple podcasts on Amazon Echo speakers

Apple has partnered with Amazon to launch support for Apple podcasts on Amazon Echo devices . The function is limited to the United States, but support for other countries should soon arrive.

Starting today, Echo owners in the United States can ask Alexa to play any of the 800,000 shows in Apple’s Podcast directory. To configure the integration, Echo customers must first connect their Apple ID in the Alexa app. In addition to asking Alexa to play a specific show, the playback progress will automatically synchronize with all Apple’s Podcast apps on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

Apple podcast integration is available across the Echo family, from the inexpensive Echo Dot to Echo Studio. On the same day, Spotify also announced the integration of podcasts with Alexa.

We can also set up Apple podcasts as a default podcast provider for Alexa. This means that you will not need to explicitly include the words Podcast Apple in the voice query. To set up Apple podcasts as the default podcast service, just start the Alexa app and go to Settings> Music and Podcasts> Connect / Manage New Services .

This partnership makes Amazon Echo the first third-party client for Apple’s Podcast service. Previously, the only smart speaker with Apple Podcast integration was the HomePod.