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Podcast network Wondery is adding Dolby Atmos support to some shows, making it the first podcast platform in the U.S. to do so. The Amazon-owned service said shows like Blood Ties, Jacked: Rise of the New Jack Sound, plus Iowa Chapman and The Last Dog are now available in Dolby Atmos. Wondery said its show, Against the Odds, will receive Dolby Atmos support “in the coming months.”
The Dolby Atmos experience is available only to Wondery+ subscribers, however. Wondery hopes that this added incentive will encourage more users to get the subscription. However, only time will tell if this ploy works. To remind our readers, Wondery+ is available in a $5/month subscription. But customers can save a lot more money with the $35/year plan.
A bulk of the content on Wondery is free, but customers have to sit through ads. The Wondery+ subscription removes ads and opens up the service’s entire catalog of shows and podcasts. Subscribers also get early access to select podcasts, as Engadget notes.
Dolby Atmos on select Wondery shows will also be available across 28 countries
The Dolby Atmos feature will be a first for the U.S., but it will simultaneously roll out to 28 countries where Wondery is available. Meanwhile, Dolby said it is “actively working” with other audio platforms to enable Atmos, so Wondery’s supposed advantage may not last long.
Wondery was doing fairly decently before its acquisition by Amazon in 2020. However, the platform has only grown since then. As for Amazon, the e-commerce platform acquired Wondery after bringing podcasts to its Amazon Music app.
The podcasts business is currently flourishing as multiple platforms vie for the top spot. YouTube is reportedly looking to increase its focus on podcasts with a series of proposed changes. The proposals were accessed as part of a leaked 84-page presentation, discussing aspects like adding a dedicated podcasts tab on mobile and desktop versions of the platform.
YouTube even wants to provide curated playlists of the user’s favorite podcasts. Ads are a big part of the revenue stream for free podcasts, and YouTube is reportedly considering the inclusion of audio ads for podcasts.