In an email sent to podcast hosts, reports The Verge, Facebook announced that its podcast support will be available to a limited number of pages next week. As The Verge notes, several podcasters have been receiving these emails, so the rollout may not be as limited, as originally was anticipated. Podcast hosts will be able to link the RSS feed for their show directly to their Facebook page, which will then show up in a “podcasts” tab in your Facebook menu. Once the RSS feed is linked, Facebook will automatically generate posts for new episodes in the News Feed. It’s worth noting that connecting podcasts to Facebook also means accepting the company’s Terms of Service, however. As The Verge reports, the agreement looks fairly standard, but doesn’t currently provide a clear picture of what the company can and cannot do with podcasts that are distributed on the platform. Podcast owners also will have the option of enabling clips, which would allow listeners to create their own highlights using up to a minute’s worth of audio. Facebook’s intent, according to the email, is to “increase visibility and engagement” by giving the audience a chance to share their favorite moments. This is similar to Twitch’s shorter video highlights from streams, though it’s not currently apparent how shareable these podcast clips will be.
