Podcasts are coming to Google Play Music on Android

Google today announced that it will start offering podcasts in the Google Play Music service.

The addition will “give podcasters access to millions of new listeners on Android phones and tablets,” Google Play Music product manager Elias Roman wrote in a blog post on the news.

This should be a big deal to companies like SoundCloud that offer easy access to podcasts. Also Apple, the company whose iPod got the podcast movement going in the mid-2000s, should be paying attention. Product Hunt recently launched a channel for discussing and voting on podcasts.

Google already has several podcast providers on board for the new initiative: 5by5, Dan Carlin, Dave Ramsey, Earwolf, Feral Audio, Gimlet Media, HBO, Head Gum, HowStuffWorks, Loud Speakers Network, Nerdist/Legendary, Public Radio International, Radiotopia/PRX, Sideshow Network, Slate/Panoply, StarTalk Radio, This Week in Tech, and Tim Ferriss.

Of course, Google wants more podcasts. It’s now accepting uploads of podcasts from people in the U.S. It’s as simple as providing a link to an RSS feed for podcasts. Interested parties can find out more here.

It’s unclear how the podcasts will become available on other mobile platforms or on the Web. “We’ll have more details to share in the coming months,” Roman wrote.