Spotify Testing New Podcast Discovery Feature

Spotify is reportedly testing a new audio newsfeed feature for easy podcast discovery on its apps.

According to a new report from TechCrunch, Spotify has begun to roll the Podz podcast discovery system into its main app following a $50 million USD acquisition last year.

The new interface is said to provide a TikTok-style vertical scrolling feed that features 60-second clips from various podcasts and uses technology that was developed by the startup company Podz.

Anyone who has used TikTok, or even watched someone else mindlessly scroll through it, will instantly understand the new interface in Spotify’s app. You swipe up to page through podcasts, each of which will begin playing as soon as it comes up on the screen. These are 60-second previews intended to give you a taste of the content. If you like what you hear, you can immediately jump into the episode, or you can save it for later.

The feature is currently said to be available to a limited number of users, who get a dedicated “Podcasts” button in the app to access the vertical feed.

Speaking to TechCrunch, a Spotify spokesperson refused to confirm that the feature was being tested or that it was a result of the Podz acquisition. They did say that the company regularly tests changes to help improve the experience of its users, though.

“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 not shared its plans for a wider release of the feature or a development roadmap, as it could be holding to acquire more data to improve the service before launch.