Castbox this month announced its integration with Waze, the community-based navigation app owned by Google. The integration gives drivers an easy way to listen to podcasts on Castbox while navigating to their destination with the Waze app.
According to the 2019 Infinite Dial report, 26 percent of Americans listen to podcasts in the car.
“The beauty of podcasts is that listeners can engage in other activities while fully immersing themselves in the content they love, which makes it the perfect medium for daily commutes and long drives,” said Renee Wang, founder and CEO of Castbox. “Our integration with Waze lets us keep our listeners continuously engaged in their favorite shows while ensuring a safer, more enjoyable journey.”
Users that have both apps installed on their smartphones can connect Waze to Castbox by tapping the audio icon in the Waze app and selecting Castbox from the list of supported apps. Once connected, users can access playback controls to pause, skip, or restart podcast episodes without ever leaving the navigation screen. From the Castbox app, listeners can receive turn-by-turn traffic directions while accessing all of the app’s features and podcast libraries. Switching between the two apps takes only a tap.
The new feature was built using the Waze Audio Kit, a developer toolset that allows approved partners like Castbox to fully integrate their apps with the Waze Audio Player.
“Our partnership with Castbox expands on our mission to strengthen the Waze ecosystem by integrating with apps and services that complement and enhance the driver experience,” said Adam Fried, Head of Global Partnerships at Waze. “We’re pleased to be working with Castbox to give our users more ways to enjoy their favorite audio content while they’re on the road.”