Facebook will shut down its podcast service on June 3rd

Just a year after they launched, Facebook's podcasts offerings are vanishing. Meta has confirmed that it will end its podcasting, Soundbites and general audio hub. As of this week, it will no longer allow shows to be added to Facebook, and will remove them on June 3rd. The hub and Soundbites will close in the coming weeks.

The move was a matter of concentration. The move will help Meta focus on the most meaningful experiences.

There were hints in recent weeks that Meta was shifting its attention to hotter products. The news outlet's sources said the social media firm was more interested in highlighting the metaverse and shopping when talking to podcast partners. Meta's interest in conquering augmented reality, virtual reality and rivals like TikTok may have pulled its attention away from audio.

There is fiercer competition in the sound-only realm. There was a flood of attempts to mimic Clubhouse in 2021. Meta had to pit Facebook against other services. Even with a well-known name and massive resources, there was no guarantee that Facebook would stand out in this market.