Google acqui-hires podcast app 60dB, service to shut down in November

Google has acquired podcast app 60db, which will shut down on November 10.

“Today, we’re announcing we’ll be shutting down 60dB on Friday, November 10th, and we’ll be joining the team at Google,” 60dB co-founders wrote in a Medium post, first spotted by Business Insider. “As we considered next steps for 60dB, we came to the conclusion that to accomplish our goals we’d be better positioned if we joined someone with scale who shared our vision for what was possible with digital audio.”

Google confirmed the deal to TechCrunch without disclosing the financial details. The spokesperson noted that it was not a formal acquisition, rather the company had “purchased some assets” and that members of the team would be joining Google.

60dB launched last year with a focus on personalizing short-form audio for individual listeners. Personalization is a major focus for Google Play Music, the company's music subscription. The team says it worked with more than 80 media institutions to produce “hundreds of audio stories in the past year.”