Spotify tests new podcast discovery feature

Spotify is testing a feature that leverages the startup’s technology to help users find new podcasts they may like

Spotify acquired podcast discovery platform Podz last summer for roughly $49.4 million, per a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, to help accelerate the streamer’s extensive investments in podcasts.

Now, Spotify is testing a feature that leverages the startup’s technology to help users find new podcasts they may like, the company confirmed.

Podz had originally attempted to solve the problem of podcast discovery with something it called the ‘first audio newsfeed.’ That is, it presented users with 60-second audio clips from various shows that users would scroll through in a vertical feed, similar to the format popularized by social apps like TikTok.

What made the company’s technology interesting is that it didn’t rely on podcast creators to produce their own clips for its feed. Instead, it used a machine learning model that had been trained on some 100,000 hours of audio to help automatically select clips to showcase.

At the time, Spotify touted the acquisition as a means of building out and scaling a better and more personalized podcast discovery experience on its app.

Given that this is only a test, it’s worth noting the feature could change before a public launch. The feature also may simply be used to help Spotify gain an understanding of how users would engage with such an option, which could then be used to inform future product developments.

Spotify confirmed it’s testing Podz’s technology through this experience but would not commit to a launch date or plans.

At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience, a spokesperson said. Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We don’t have any further news to share at this time.