Spotify announced several new features aimed at strengthening podcast discovery in its platform, as it continues to compete fiercely against rivals Apple and YouTube. The updates, revealed on Wednesday, are designed to make podcasts a more central aspect of the Spotify listening experience.
One of the key enhancements is the introduction of podcast recommendations directly on Spotify’s Home page, intended to boost listener engagement and make it simpler to find new shows. Additionally, users will soon see a “Following” feed that consolidates all latest episodes from their subscribed podcasts in one easily accessible place, eliminating the need for manual searches across the platform.
Spotify noted that early responses from users indicate an uptick in interaction—more people saving, liking, and regularly following podcasts recommended to them through this new Home tab feature.
To further support creators and increase interactivity, Spotify is also introducing new tools for podcast hosts. Podcast creators will soon be able to highlight any content they’ve mentioned within episodes—such as other podcasts, playlists, audiobooks, or songs—that listeners can explore directly within the Spotify app. This cross-promotional feature will appear on individual episode pages, allowing deeper audience engagement.
Additionally, to foster community around podcasts, creators who manage comments under their episodes will now be able to use emoji reactions when responding to listeners. Spotify emphasized that creators retain complete control over comments appearing on their pages and can choose to disable or moderate discussions at their discretion, using their Spotify for Creators accounts.
The move to enhance podcasting tools aligns with Spotify’s broader strategic effort to outpace competitors, notably Apple Podcasts and YouTube, the latter of which has been aggressively expanding its presence with investments such as its recently launched weekly top podcast rankings. Meanwhile, Spotify itself continues to double down on video podcasts, already allowing creators to upload video content and providing financial incentives through its Partner Program for successful shows.
Despite Spotify’s continuous investments and innovative features, the competition remains stiff. YouTube currently holds a notable share of listeners, especially in the U.S., where about one-third of regular podcast audiences prefer it to Spotify or Apple’s offerings.
Spotify’s latest podcast discovery features are gradually rolling out to global users, while creator-specific enhancements will become widely available over the coming weeks.
