Podcast advertising network Midroll is trying to make access to podcasts easier and more seamless for new and returning listeners today through the launch of Howl, their new, ad-free subscription podcast listening app that features new episodes as well as complete archives from podcasts like WTF with Marc Maron, Comedy Bang Bang, and the rest of the Earwolf/Wolfpop lineup. In addition to the new and archived episodes, Howl is also launching with 11 original podcasts like Superego Forgotten Classics, Psychic Show with Lauren Lapkus, and A.V. Club: I Know It Sounds Crazy.
“Podcasts require another step of engagement that a lot of people are not culturally used to,” Marc Maron told Fast Company on the news. “You still get people that just aren’t in the habit of listening to podcasts, for whatever reason. It’s amazing how many people I hear from who are like, ‘I just started, man.’ They always say, ‘I’m late to the party.’ I think it’s really important to know that, in the age we live in, there is no late to the party. You can enter the party at any time, and it’s always going full tilt.” While Howl is currently limited to Earwolf/Wolfpop podcasts and their original shows, Midroll CEO Adam Sachs told Fast Company that their ultimate goal is to grow into an “all-in-one” listening app for podcasts. “We want to be the place where you go and listen to Freakonomics, if you like Freakonomics or you listen to Radiolab, if you like Radiolab, because the listener experience is that much better than any other player out there,” he said. “The medium and longer-term goal is to become the go-to listening player for all people who want to listen to podcasts.”
For more information, head over to Howl’s website.
