Spotify continues to put a big emphasis on podcasts on the platform, including increasing the number of recommendations on the homepage, where video clips will now appear. The corresponding update has already started appearing in the mobile app.
The streaming service's homepage will now feature podcast video recommendations. The new block will be located below the section with recently played songs and playlists. Users will be able to instantly start a podcast or save it for later listening.
Another new feature is a separate feed for podcasts that users are subscribed to. This new feed, called Following, will appear in the podcasts tab and will show all the latest episodes from selected creators.
The company is also adding an In this episode section, which will allow podcasters to add other content they mentioned in the episode. This could be other podcasts or songs. Creators will also be able to leave links to audiobooks on Spotify in those regions where they are available.
While these features may be useful for active podcast listeners, Spotify’s core audience is still made up of users who use the platform primarily to listen to music, as is evident in their reaction to this podcast promotion.
In the comments under the post on Reddit, users are actively expressing their dissatisfaction with such innovations. Some note that Spotify is trying to become an app for everything, while others are already choosing competing services.
Meanwhile, for users who aren't interested in podcasts, Spotify is also actively rolling out new features. In particular, the company previously added a feed for tracking upcoming albums, and even earlier, released a major update to its mobile app, which brought design changes and new features.