Pocket Casts claps back against Spotify with its free web player: 'we're making a statement'

In a campaign against Spotify and large tech, Pocket Casts - owned by the company behind WordPress - has made its podcast web player and desktop apps available to users free of charge.

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Pocket Casts is a podcast streaming platform and app that allows users to discover, subscribe to, download and listen to podcasts. As detailed on the team's website, Pocket Casts takes a rather ethical approach to its services. "The future of podcasting shouldn't be locked behind walled gardens," the team writes, and this approach has been baked into both the pricing, and the tool itself. "We're making a statement,"

The free offering will allow users to stream any podcast directly from its Web Player, without requiring an account or subscription. Users with accounts will be able to sync playback progress across devices, save subscriptions, and manage their queue more seamlessly.

AI algorithms are one area where the team takes aim - highlighting that discovery should be organic, rather than algorithm-driven. This trend can be observed across both social media and gaming, with 'engagement optimization' baked into many online experiences. Instead, the team claims to promote what's best for the user, not what's best for the platform.

In addition to the free desktop apps, Pocket Casts is also available for free on mobile. There is a subscription tier, Pocket Casts Plus that allows users to access features like folders, smart shuffle, and wearable support for $4 a month. However, as evidenced by the recent move, the team appears committed to delivering as much value as possible for free.