Spotify Tests Vertical Scrolling 'Audio Newsfeed' to Aid Podcast Discoverability
Spotify is testing a new podcast feature that uses a TikTok-style vertical "audio newsfeed" to enhance podcast discoverability in the app, reports TechCrunch.
As shown in the embedded video below posted to Twitter, the newsfeed presents users with 60-second audio clips of shows in a vertically scrolling feed. It reportedly uses a machine learning model that has been trained on 100,000 hours of audio to make it capable of automatically selecting which clips to showcase.
Spotify says the feature is based on technology that the company acquired when it bought Podz last summer for around $49 million. The startup created the "audio newsfeed" to solve the problem of podcast discovery by using a TikTok-style vertical scrolling format, and what made it particularly innovative was its ability to select audio clips of shows in a way that didn't rely on podcast creators to produce their own clips.
In regions where the feature is being tested, a dedicated "Podcasts" button in the app takes users to the vertical feed, where a show's cover art is displayed as the associated audio clip plays. The clip is also transcribed on screen as it plays, with the words highlighted as they are spoken. A play button allows users to continue listening to the show, while a plus button lets users add the episode to the app's "Your Episodes" list.
Spotify confirmed to
TechCrunch that it was testing the technology it acquired from Podz, but did not offer a roadmap for the feature's general release:
"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."
Spotify has been focusing heavily on podcasts over the course of the last few years in a bid to challenge Apple's historical dominance in the podcasting sphere. Spotify has also been working on original podcast content and has purchased several well-known podcasts since 2019.
Related Stories
Spotify today announced it is rolling out a redesigned Apple Watch app with a "new and improved listening experience" that allows users to more easily browse music and podcasts in "Your Library" and more quickly download music for offline playback.
In a blog post, Spotify said the new design includes larger artwork, new animations, the ability to swipe to like a song, a blue dot next to new...
Apple has stepped up its investment in original podcast content by signing an agreement with Pulitzer Prize-winning production company Futuro Studios, Bloomberg reports.
The deal with Futuro Studios, maker of the criminal-justice series "Suave," stipulates that Apple will fund development and production of podcasts, and then have the first option to turn them into a film or TV show for its...
Apple and Spotify are once again feuding as Spotify attempts to break into the audiobook market, reports The New York Times. Apple has reportedly rejected Spotify's latest app update three times in the last month.
Over the years, Apple and Spotify have had a long running dispute over Apple's App Store policies, with multiple public conflicts over app and subscription fees and app rejections...
Apple today announced that Slate's narrative podcast series "Slow Burn" has won the first-ever Apple Podcasts Award for Show of the Year.
Apple says the podcast won the award in recognition of its latest season "Roe v. Wade," in which Slate executive editor Susan Matthews explored the events leading up to the landmark Supreme Court decision in 1973. The four-part miniseries was released...
John Gruber joins us this week on The MacRumors Show podcast to discuss the key features of macOS Ventura and upcoming Mac models.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos John is a technology blogger, UI designer, and the inventor of Markdown. He has written for his Apple and technology-focused blog, Daring Fireball, since 2002, and hosts The Talk Show Podcast, which has...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show podcast we talk through our Apple device setups, must-have non-Apple gadgets, and Black Friday deals.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos After a busy year of new Apple product launches, we take a step back to consider our current device setups, why we chose the devices we've purchased, and how we use them on a daily basis...
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, MacRumors editor Hartley Charlton and videographer Dan Barbera talk in depth about their experiences using the new Apple Watch Ultra and the AirPods Pro 2, both of which launched last week.
Listen to The MacRumors Show via apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or subscribe by copying our RSS feed directly into...
YouTuber and content creator Sara Dietschy joins us this week on The MacRumors Show podcast to talk through our experiences of all of the iPhone 14 lineup's new features.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos Now that we've had some time to try the devices, we take a deep dive into all of the iPhone 14 lineup's improvements, including Emergency SOS via Satellite, Crash...
Popular Stories
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday shopping rush is drawing to a close, but there are still some good deals to be had out there. For Apple products, many of the deals you've seen since last week are still available, though some have expired. So for anyone who missed out on Black Friday deals, there's still an opportunity to get some of the year's best prices on many Apple devices.
Note: ...
Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 models will be equipped with Sony's newest "state of the art" image sensors, according to a report from Nikkei.
Compared to standard sensors, Sony's image sensor doubles the saturation signal in each pixel, allowing it to capture more light to cut down on underexposure and overexposure. Nikkei says that it is able to better photograph a person's face even with...
Apple today announced that the Oceanic+ app is available for the Apple Watch Ultra starting today. Designed by Huish Outdoors in collaboration with Apple, the app serves as a dive computer for recreational scuba diving at depths up to 40 meters/130 feet.
Apple already offers a basic Depth app on the Apple Watch Ultra for viewing your current depth, maximum depth reached, water temperature,...
Apple today announced its 2022 App Store Award winners, highlighting the 16 best apps and games selected by Apple's global App Store editorial team.
The top apps were chosen by Apple for their quality, innovative technology, creative design, positive cultural impact, and ability to deliver "exceptional experiences." Apple CEO Tim Cook said:
This year's App Store Award winners reimagined...
Apple today released a Rapid Security Response update that is available for those running the iOS 16.2 beta, marking the launch of the second RSR update since the feature was released in iOS 16.
The Rapid Security Response Update is designed to provide iOS 16.2 beta users with bug fixes without the need to install a full update. The initial RSR release for iOS 16.2 beta users was a test with ...
Apple has cut back on its Twitter advertising, according to Twitter CEO Elon Musk. In a tweet, Musk said that Apple has "mostly stopped" its Twitter ads, asking if Apple hates "free speech."
Musk went on to publish a poll asking if Apple should "publish all censorship actions" taken that impact customers and he began retweeting content from companies that Apple has had moderation discussions ...
Elon Musk has pledged to offer an "alternative phone" if Apple and Google remove Twitter from their app stores, adding to long-standing rumors about an iPhone rival from Tesla.
Modified iPhone 11 Pro in the style of the Tesla Cybertruck, by Caviar. Musk's remark came after being asked about the potential scenario of Twitter being removed from app stores, which could conceivably happen if the...
Although Black Friday is now technically over, many Apple products are still seeing major discounts through the weekend as we head into Cyber Monday. In this article, you'll find every Apple device with a notable Black Friday sale that's still available. We'll be updating as prices change and new deals arrive, so be sure to keep an eye out if you don't see the sale you're looking for yet.
Note:...
Top Rated Comments
Spotify going the way of Instagram... [and other companies, in other words becoming all-in-one]
Instagram - we're no longer just a photo and video sharing platform...
Spotify - we're no longer just a music streaming service...
2. And until Spotify is the ONLY place in the known galaxy for podcasts, I won’t use them…exclusives? I’ll find something else to listen to. I’m paying for a product, Spotify want’s to make me the product..don’t want to.
3. One app to rule them all, also means lock-in. That’s worse than everything else.