Spotify is testing a podcast discovery feed reportedly based on technology from the platform Podz, which it acquired last year. Podz was a podcast discovery platform that showed its users an audio feed based on their preferences.
Listeners could hear 60-second samples from each podcast presented in the feed, to decide on the one they wanted to listen to. The podcasts were shown in a vertical feed similar to TikTok.
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As the publication TechCrunch reported, twitter user @SleepwellCap first uncovered the test and posted a video of how the new feature works.Cool $SPOT update this morning.
New tab on the bottom bar for podcast discovery, let’s you swipe through episode audio snippets (w/transcripts) that highlight interesting parts. Lowers friction and time invested to find new pods.
(Looks like the Podz acquisition integration) pic.twitter.com/A9H2j6p6Ni
— Sleepwell (@SleepwellCap) March 26, 2022
The dedicated "Podcasts" tab will show you a vertical feed of suggestions, along with cover art and small audio clips. Once you play the snippet, Spotify will let you continue to listen to the rest of the podcast or you can click on a "+" button to add it to another section called "Your episodes" which will let you listen to them later.
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Spotify confirmed that it was testing the new feature to TechCrunch.
“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience,” a spokesperson told the publication. “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.”