Anchor makes it easier to invite guests to your podcasts

If you've been thinking about creating a podcast to document your experience of the coronavirus pandemic or to discuss important related issues, DIY podcasting platform Anchor may be able to help with a feature update that makes it easier to invite guests. Starting today, you can invite up to four other people to join a recording. If they don't have Anchor installed on their device, no problem. The Record with Friends feature will launch in your friend's favorite browser -- with support for Google Chrome coming soon. All your guests need to do is click on the link you send them and type in their names.

While the Record with Friends feature isn't new, today's 2.0 beta launch is a significant upgrade in terms of accessibility. Previously, you had to have an Anchor account to join your friend's podcast, and you could only do so through a mobile device. Obviously, in an ideal world, all your guests will have decent equipment at their disposal. Still, at least this removes a significant obstacle to recording audio shows, especially at a time like this. It seems like the pandemic pushed Anchor's development of the feature, with the company saying it's been working quickly over the last few weeks to expand its remote podcasting capabilities.

"Talking to each other, sharing stories, and sparking conversations are a crucial part of staying connected, and right now, podcasting is one of many ways those connections can be maintained," said Anchor. "So we wanted to make it easier to record with others, even from a distance."

Once you've recorded an episode, you can also use another recent Anchor feature to make a trailer for your podcast. There's a good reason the platform is so focused on accessibility. Last year, Spotify acquired the company as part of its big push into podcasting. The medium has been a significant boon to both Spotify's popularity and its financials.