Google made a significant play in the podcast field, extending its Google Podcasts app to iOS and offering a host of new features to improve discovery options around content and related information which will be also deployed on the Android variant this week.

In a blog, Google Podcasts product manager Zack Reneau-Wedeen said the revamped service provides quick access to content users subscribe to, along with details of new episodes in the home menu. Once an episode is chosen, “you’ll now see topics or people covered in that podcast, and you can easily jump to Google Search to learn more”.

The app’s Explore tab will display recommendations for new shows and episodes related to a users’ interests, or browse popular podcasts by category.

Another section of the app will show users’ history, scheduled episodes for listening later and downloads. Content can also be downloaded automatically, with notifications on when new episodes are released also available.

Google’s move taps a tendency among major players to seek benefits from growing user interest in podcasts.

Earlier this month, music streaming platform Spotify unveiled an update to its app designed to offer more personalised content and improve the visibility of podcasts, in a bid to make it the “ultimate go-to location” for entertainment.