There Are Now Even More Ways To Listen To 'Serial'

The exact launch date for Season 2 of Serial still hasn’t been set, but it’s clear from the amount of anxiety I felt when I heard that Pandora has exclusive streaming rights to Serial that every little bit of information I can get about the new season is like little gold. "Anxiety" might seem like a strange word to use, considering I'm extremely excited about the deal and about the upcoming season, but it's the most accurate one. Because, as soon as I heard about it, there is only one question that popped in my head: “Wait, so does that mean that Serial won’t be available as a podcast anymore?”

Because, I don’t know about you, but I have a very thorough and enjoyable podcast ritual happening on my phone. The first thing I do every morning after checking emails and Instagram is scrolling down to see if any new podcasts are available for the day. I listen to them in the car. I listen them on walks. I even listen to them in the shower if it’s something really good (I’m looking at you, Radiolab!). I mean, sure, I guess I could cope with downloading Pandora and using that to listen to Serial, but adding an extra step to my routine is so daunting and I'm afraid of change. Really, when I heard the news of this deal, what I really wanted to know was how much this move was going to affect me. Just how out of the way would I have to go to listen to new episodes of Serial?

It turns out that I jumped the gun in a major way, because we can all rest easy tonight. The deal between Pandora and Serial does not preclude Serial from appearing on your regular podcast streaming devices. So don’t fret my pets. Serial will still be available on your podcast streaming programs without a hitch. What the new deal does mean is that we have even more access to Serial than ever before, because it's now available in more than just one place. What the new deal does mean is that Serial is the gift that keeps on giving, and is going to reach an even wider audience than ever before.

Hear that? That’s the sound of Serial lovers everywhere collectively sighing with relief that their favorite podcast will still be available as a podcast, and that their listening options have just expanded. (That’s also the sound of me tapping my foot impatiently as I wait for the new season to be available, but you can just ignore that.)

So, whether you prefer to listen to Serial on Pandora or on your podcast streaming application, there will plenty of options for you when Season 2 drops. Until, Serial lovers, let the listening continue.