SiriusXM Canada ventures into podcasts, includes original, exclusive offerings

SiriusXM is now offering its subscribers access to podcasts, including original, exclusive, and popular shows. The service even gets access to "never-before-heard" original shows from Marvel Entertainment and Kevin Hart's first-ever, solo-hosted podcast, Laugh Out Loud Radio.

There will also be new shows from popular SiriusXM hosts including Jeff Lewis and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo, as well as podcasts from leading creators and providers including Stitcher, NBC News, CNN, NPR, ViacomCBS, The Wall Street Journal, HBO, ESPN, Barstool, TED, and many more. 

SiriusXM subscribers can access these shows via the SiriusXM mobile app or online at www.siriusxm.ca/podcasts. And if you don't have a SiriusXM subscription, you can listen to podcasts for free until December 1 with the Listen Free campaign.

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Google Assistant might let you play podcasts from third-party apps soon

Source: Google

It might soon be possible to use Google Assistant to play podcasts without launching the app on your phone. Android Police and its readers discovered that Google is looking to support third-party podcasts services, starting with Spotify. You can choose your podcast provider of choice in the podcast settings in Assistant. Google hasn't confirmed the rollout yet, but AP's writer Rita El Khoury can't get the feature to work at the moment. Engadget points out that this might be due to regional issues.

Spotify finally adds new podcast episode notifications

Spotify continues to build on its podcast offerings with this new small update. The streaming service is now rolling out mobile push notifications for new podcast episodes. If you've been waiting for this feature, head to the podcast you want and make sure you're following the program. You will then get the option to "get notified of new episodes." 

When you select this option, a notification will head your way every time the podcast you follow releases a new episode. The feature is available for both free and premium users.

Source: Engadget

Spotify introduces new podcast charts feature

You can now check out the "Top" and "Trending" Podcasts in the country with this new Spotify feature. The streaming service introduces these new podcast charts to 26 markets, including Canada. It's accessible through the Podcasts section. And that can be seen if you head to the Search tab on mobile. These charts are only available on iOS and Android to show you the latest and greatest podcasts. The Top Podcasts list the top 200 shows in the selected region or category, while Trending Podcasts show the 50 "rapidly rising shows." Some markets—including Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, the UK, and the US—can even separate the Top Podcasts by category. You can also check out the participating countries' rankings through the "Podcast charts by country option."

Source: Spotify