The iOS 11 Podcast app updates — what you need to know
Take advantage of updated chapter marker functionality and order your episodes in the iOS 11 podcast app with Omny Studio
In 2014, Apple began including its Podcasts app as part of the default installation of iOS 8 on iPhones and iPads. Fast forward to today and that app now accounts for more than 50% of all podcast downloads. It’s safe to say that without the Apple podcast app, podcasting wouldn’t be where it is today!
So with the iOS 11 podcast app now live, what has changed?
Well, to be honest most of the changes to the app are purely aesthetic. The two main changes that we’ve catered for and encourage you to take advantage of are the updated chapter marker functionality and updated episode ordering.
Updated Chapter Marker Functionality
Chapter markers are not new, but the iOS 11 podcast app makes them easier to use. This means that your audience can skip to certain sections of your podcast without having to skip blindly through. Also, the chapter markers will be indexed by search engines, improving your SEO.
We’ve updated the Omny Studio interface so that you can drop chapter markers in your episode with our inline audio editor. These markers will be exposed on the iOS 11 Apple Podcasts app, Omny widgets and Omny.fm pages.
Here’s how to access chapters on a podcast episode with the iOS 11 app.
Use this GIF to share with your Apple Podcast listeners
The Omny Studio embed player displays chapters and allows your listeners to easily navigate to and share different sections of your clip.
And the omny.fm web players…
Here’s how to add chapter markers with Omny Studio.
iOS 11 episode ordering
Apple has also added support for two types of podcasts, episodic and serialized.
Episodic podcasts (default podcast style)
- Latest episode recommended first
- Stand-alone episodes
- New subscribers receive the latest episode
- Optionally supports seasons, with newest episode at top
Serialized podcast
- Episodes are presented and recommended oldest-to-newest
- Great for narrative and storytelling content
- New subscribers will receive the first episode in their Library, or the current season if using seasons
There are also new episode types: full, trailer, and bonus content.
Adding a trailer to your episode, whether it’s serialized or episodic, is a great way to let potential listeners know what your podcast is all about before they dive in. Here’s how they are displayed:
To update the ordering or type of your episodes for iOS 11 in Omny Studio — follow this guide.
The next big update from Apple will be podcast consumption analytics in your Podcast Connect portal. This is rumoured to be released in early December and is very exciting for the podcast community and industry!
For any questions, please email support@omnystudio.com
