There have been rumours that podcasts would be coming to Google Play Music, the search giants streaming audio service, for a while now, and if looks like the reports may finally come true this week, if a leaked newsletter from US public radio station NPR is true.

According to a document sent out to member partners of the radio station, Google Play Music will be adding podcasts on 18 April, enabling Android customers to stream shows directly to their smartphones and tablets in the same manner as songs.

The email, obtained by Android Police, also suggested that NPR had worked with Google as part of the launch “to ensure that public radio is represented in the Google Play environment”. NPR has served as a popular source of podcasts both within the US and globally, and Serial, which it produced last year, was considered a break-out hit that introduced a new wave of listeners to the format.

Google has apparently been testing a podcast interface for several months, with multiple Android customers reporting seeing it appear within the Google Play Music app, but the company has so far made no comment on when the general public can expect the feature to launch.

If it does occur, the launch will place Google Play Music in closer competition with Apple Music, as well as targeting dedicated podcast listening apps like Stitcher. Perhaps more interestingly, it may also see Google introduce podcast ads that take advantage of the smartphone screen as well as offering audio content, something that only a limited number of podcast apps currently do with any regularity.