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Deezer bets podcasts will make its music service better

Deezer's streaming service may not have a reputation in the US to match others like Spotify, Beats and Rdio, but the "first truly worldwide digital music streaming service" is expanding by acquring the podcast app Stitcher. The company tells TechCrunch that about 1 million people are using Stitcher currently, and with 39 million Americans having tuned into a podcast in the last month (hmm, that's an interesting stat, we'll have to send that up the ladder) it figures there's a need for that along with music. Also playing into the deal is Stitcher's work on car integration, where it claims integration in 50 models, plus support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. On its own Deezer is already some 16 million users strong across 180 countries, with 5 million paying subscribers. According to the website, Deezer's official US launch is still "coming soon," but interested listeners can tune in now by buying Bose or Sonos. As for Stitcher, in a blog post it says "Don't worry, we're not going anywhere", and that users will be able to continue on with the service like they always have.