Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Facebook abandons podcasts to keep chasing TikTok

Facebook jumped into the podcasting trend only to jump right back out, after only less than a year in service.

According to Bloomberg, the social media platform is expected to end its support for podcasts this summer. Facebook is removing the ability to add podcasts beginning this week and then getting rid of them entirely starting on June 3 — all without giving users an explicit heads-up.

Recommended Videos

The cessation of the podcast platform also includes changes to other Facebook audio services including:

  • Both the Soundbites (a short-form audio sharing service) and the platform’s audio hub will be discontinued as well. An end date for these service has not been released but a spokesperson from Meta told Bloomberg via email that it would happen “in the coming weeks.”
  • The Live Audio Rooms feature won’t necessarily go away: It’s expected to be incorporated into Facebook Live, so that “users can choose to go live with just audio or audio and video.”

That said, these changes appear to be part of Meta’s new focus on short-form videos, particularly on competing with TikTok with its own offering, Reels. Reels is available on both Instagram and Facebook, though Instagram had it first. Instagram launched Reels in 2020 and Facebook followed up with its own version a year later.

And recently, Instagram announced a push for more original content, with new features to better support creators and encourage the creation of more original content (rather than its users just reposting videos from a certain short-form video competitor).

Meta appears to be doubling down on short-form content and this current pivot away from podcasting seems to be a part of that trend.

Anita George
Anita George has been writing for Digital Trends' Computing section since 2018. So for almost six years, Anita has written…
What is Ambient Mode on YouTube?
The red and white YouTube logo on a phone screen. The phone is on a white background.

YouTube recently announced a number of changes to its video-watching interface. One of these changes is a new feature known as Ambient Mode.

In this guide, we'll go over exactly what Ambient Mode on YouTube is and show you how to enable or disable it.
What is Ambient Mode on YouTube?
Ambient Mode is basically a lighting effect that surrounds a given YouTube video with a soft, glowing light that usually reflects the colors featured in the video itself. The effect kind of resembles the glow of a television screen in a room where the lights are off (which YouTube has said was the inspiration for the effect). YouTube also said that Ambient Mode is supposed to make the video-watching experience of its dark mode "more immersive." Ambient Mode was officially announced in late-October 2022 and is available on the web, Android, and iOS.

Read more
What is Twitter Blue and is it worth it?
Twitter Blue menu option on a white screen background which is on a black background.

If you spend time on Twitter, you've probably heard the phrase "Twitter Blue" at some point and wondered what exactly it is. We're not talking about the signature shade of blue featured in its logo -- we're talking about the premium version of Twitter.

That's right. There's a paid tier for Twitter that many people don't even know exists that launched in July of 2021. And then relaunched again under Elon Musk's ownership in November 2022. Don't worry -- we'll explain everything below.
What is Twitter Blue?

Read more
What is Mastodon? Here’s why everyone’s talking about this Twitter alternative
Series of four mobile screenshots showing Mastodon's sign-up process.

By now you've no doubt heard about Mastodon. It's a social media platform that's been bandied about as an alternative to Twitter, particularly among users who aren't comfortable with the direction Twitter is going in now that Elon Musk is at the helm.

In fact, since Musk first announced that he was planning on buying the popular microblogging platform, Mastodon has garnered quite a bit of attention and experienced significant growth. But though you've likely heard about Mastodon, you may not be familiar with how it works or haven't decided whether or not it would be a good fit for you if you ever choose to leave Twitter and need an alternative social media platform. Don't worry. We've got you covered. In this guide, we'll get you up to speed on everything you need to know about social media's buzziest new platform.
What is Mastodon?

Read more