Audio app Anchor has released a third iteration of its service, a move that further double down on its new identity as a fast and simple podcast creation system. The company began as a social audio and new-radio app which allows users to record short voice clips for instant sharing and audio replies. It has since been building out tools to serve as a basic podcast platform. Anchor 3.0 includes a redesigned mobile app, a web version, and tools for distribution and analytics.
The feature set for recording podcasts is familiar to anyone who used Anchor 2.0. The app records audio clips, but rather than publishing those small snippets to your Anchor stream, the audio chunks can be reordered and published as one large file. Anchor hosts the episodes, and it now offers distribution to Spotify, Overcast, and Pocketcasts in addition to Apple and Google.
According to the company, its services in podcast creation will always be free. “We view creators having to pay for services as friction. Even $10 a month will stop an ambitious creator,” CEO Mike Mignano told The Verge. “There are a bunch of proven models out there that you can imagine we’ll explore.”