Spotify adds podcast questions, memberships & personal audio

Spotify has introduced new podcast features for listeners and creators, including an in-app question tool and new revenue options.

Users can now ask questions about the podcast they are listening to or watching and receive real-time answers without leaving the app. The feature is available to Premium mobile users in the US, Sweden and Ireland.

Spotify linked the update to broader growth in video podcasts on its platform, saying more than 500 million users have streamed a video podcast, up nearly 50% year on year.

Creator tools

For podcasters and publishers, Creator Sponsorships are now live for participants in the Spotify Partner Program. The tools are designed to help creators manage how brand sponsorships are scheduled, replaced and analysed for video content.

Spotify is also adding Memberships, a subscription product aimed at giving creators recurring income from fans who want extra access. Creators using Memberships will have direct access to subscribers, along with import and export options across platforms and audience data tools.

Creators who already manage subscriptions elsewhere will still be able to distribute gated content through Spotify Open Access. Memberships will initially be introduced for select creators.

Personal audio

Spotify is also expanding its push into personalised podcast discovery. It recently extended Prompted Playlists to podcasts, allowing listeners to generate episode lists through written prompts.

More than half of listeners who used Prompted Playlists for podcasts discovered a new show, according to Spotify. The company said this supported its view that listeners are more likely to find relevant content when they can state what they want directly.

The next step is Personal Podcasts, a feature that creates short private audio episodes tailored to a listener's interests and listening habits. Users will be able to generate these episodes from a prompt and use them for formats such as daily briefings, topical explainers or weekly round-ups.

Personal Podcasts can also link listeners to relevant podcast episodes, shows and creators on the platform. Users will be able to schedule episodes daily or weekly, add context through text, PDFs or links, refine prompts and choose a voice.

Each generated episode will be saved privately in the user's library. The feature will roll out to eligible Premium users in the US with a monthly credit allowance and an option to buy more.

Labs app

Spotify also introduced Studio by Spotify Labs, a standalone desktop app. With user permission, it can use a web browser and personal apps and services on a user's computer to create audio based on that information.

Studio can also schedule and run workflows on a user's behalf. Spotify presented the product as part of a broader effort to develop new formats for personalised audio.

The latest updates show Spotify extending its podcast strategy in two directions at once: more interaction for audiences and more monetisation routes for creators. They also deepen the company's focus on blending traditional podcast listening with generated and personalised audio products.