Spotify is now #1 for downloads
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For the first time, Spotify is now the most popular podcast platform by downloads, according to Buzzsprout’s global download statistics. Spotify slipped in front of Apple Podcasts for the first time, across Buzzsprout’s 124,000 active shows in April.
But isn’t Spotify #1 anyway? Yes, but for listeners, not for downloads: until now, at least. It’s a notable achievement for Spotify, since Apple Podcasts also auto-downloads by default; Spotify doesn’t. (However, unlike Apple TV and Apple Music, Apple Podcasts is not available on Android.)
We have a date: Google Podcasts is to close, globally, on June 23 (according to an email sent to a UK user). July 29 is the end date for users to export subscriptions.
The closure leaves the Android platform without a natural default podcast app (we recommend either Antennapod or Pocket Casts). Apple Podcasts isn’t available on Android.
Apple Podcasts Connect will be down for scheduled maintenance on May 11, from 6.00am PT for up to two hours.
We know what we’d be hoping Apple is doing in that downtime (see above), but the realistic answer is probably nothing