Spotify improves podcast discovery with new features

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Spotify has announced a set of new features aimed at making podcasts easier to discover on its platform. 

These updates are part of Spotify’s ongoing effort to compete with Apple Podcasts and YouTube, both of which are popular among podcast listeners.

One major change is that Spotify will now start recommending podcasts right on the Home page, making them more visible to users who may not actively search for them. 

Alongside this, Spotify is introducing a Following feed, a dedicated section where users can easily find the latest episodes from the shows they already follow. 

Instead of digging through the app, users can now simply tap the Podcasts button at the top, then the Following button, to catch up on new content.

For podcast creators, Spotify is rolling out new tools to help them better engage with their audience. 

Soon, creators will be able to recommend other content during their episodes, like songs, audiobooks, or other podcasts, that listeners can also find on Spotify. 

These recommendations will be shown on the episode page, helping fans easily access what was mentioned in the show.

Spotify is also improving its comments feature, allowing creators to reply to listeners using emoji reactions. 

This offers a fun, simple way for podcasters to interact with fans. Creators still have full control over comments and can choose whether to show or hide them via their Spotify for Creators dashboard.

Even though these updates may seem small, they’re part of a bigger push to make Spotify the top choice for podcast fans, especially as YouTube gains ground by investing more in podcast content and launching its own top podcast charts.

Spotify says these features are already being rolled out globally, and early results show that users are more actively saving, liking, and listening to podcasts. 

The company hopes that by making podcasts easier to find and interact with, more users will turn to Spotify as their go-to platform for audio content.

Have you tried podcasts on Spotify? Do you think this new discovery system will help? Tell us below in the comments, or via our Twitter or Facebook.