Spotify is rolling out a revamped podcast discovery experience. Starting today, users will be able to browse popular shows in two new charts — Top and Trending.
The Top chart will feature the 200 most popular podcasts in a region, and will also let users discover new content by category — like tech, true crime, or health. For the time being, browsing by category will be available only in “certain markets,” including Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, the UK, and the US. It’s also worth noting the Top chart will be localized to your region.
The Trending chart, on the other hand, will display the top 50 fastest-growing podcasts in your region.
In that vein, Spotify also revealed it’s introducing some new features to its Spotify for Podcasting app, aimed at creators. The company will notify creators if their shows appear in the charts, and will make it easy to share a “visual card” of their podcast across social media platforms.
Since making its foray into podcasts in 2015, Spotify has surfaced as one of the popular platforms for the format, with more than a million titles available.
The company poured millions into creating original podcasts, acquiring Gimlet Media — the creators of Reply All and other well-known shows — for nearly $340 million last year. It also recently scored an exclusive licensing deal with The Joe Rogan Experience, which has arguably become the biggest podcast in the world, with notable guests like Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, Elon Musk, and many others.
In addition to investing in content, Spotify has also made an effort to make the discovery process more convenient for users, adding suggestions for podcasts you should listen to next and making the descriptions of shows more easily accessible.
Today’s announcement is yet another step in this direction. The new charts are rolling out on iOS and Android as we speak, so you should be able to check them out soon enough.
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