Google Play Music announced this morning that it is adding the "City Soundtracks," its first original podcast series. This new series will feature interviews with various musicians regarding how their hometowns influenced them to pursue their careers. It also highlights the people as well as the moments that give an impact to the music industry
Google Play Music's City Soundtracks
The first-ever podcast of Google Play Music services is called the "City Soundtracks." According to TechCrunch, the new feature will be a mix of both music and conversation. Google said that the episodes that will be played in the City Soundtracks are fairly short so far, with the longest listed file being just over 15 minutes. The City Soundtracks podcasts will be hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway, a well-known American musician, and composer.
Hirway has already known and is familiar to the podcast listeners since he has several involvements in this industry, including with the “The West Wing Weekly" and “Song Exploder." The West Wing Weekly is a podcast show wherein the involve people discuss television's most beloved shows and it was co-hosted by the star Joshua Malina. While Song Explorer is a podcast where musicians tell the story of their songs and how they were made.
Google made each episode of City Soundtracks to be paired with a playlist created by the guest to turn the listening experience into a whole music discovery, as well. With this, we can say that Google has really come up with an interesting way to connect the new series to the other music offered on its Google Play. As reported by CNET, the first few podcast episodes of City Soundtracks are now available. It features chats with Big Freedia, Kehlani, and Spoon, who will talk about their cities.
Google Play Music vs Apple Music
The new service offered by the Google Play Music comes exactly at a time when the top streaming music services are trying to publish original content by introducing their own exclusive innovation to complement their music libraries, podcasts as well as videos. Just like what Apple did in their Music service.
Apple has been developing and promoting its own original shows to complement its Apple Music. In fact, the firm bought the rights to “Carpool Karaoke,” and it’s also behind the Shark Tank-like reality program, “Planet of the Apps.” According to rumors, Apple is now busy working on a scripted original drama by Dr. Dre, the “Vital Signs.”
