Facebook will stop supporting podcasts on its platform on June 3rd. This week, users will be unable to upload new stuff, and Soundbites and the central audio hub will be completely shut down soon after.
Facebook shared this decision with its partners through a note, Bloomberg reports. As stated in the document, Facebook will not officially notify users of this change, leaving it to content creators to announce it.
In an interview with Bloomberg, a Meta spokesperson confirmed the details of all of this and reaffirmed the company’s long-term objective of “focusing on the most meaningful consumer experience.” Facebook jumped into the podcast market almost one year ago with a bunch of new audio services. Unfortunately, it did not last long.
Having initially received a lukewarm response to the new services and experiencing stagnation, Facebook has abandoned podcasting.
In reality, Facebook is in a difficult position to compete with services such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts without going the extra mile. Each of these services has made tangible efforts to enhance its market position over the years. Their platforms offer new features, let users discover podcasts in a new way, and encourage content creators to create exclusive content.
As opposed to this, Facebook instead relied on its already established brand name – a valuable asset, but not enough. Apple and Spotify will rule the podcast market once again when Facebook is gone, ensuring their dominance for good this time around.