Spotify, which now boasts more than 60 million subscribers, is veering into Apple‘s lane.
The music streaming platform has already debuted its own original podcasts, but now it’s trying to figure out how to make itself a destination for other podcasts. Apple is one of the most popular sources for downloading and streaming podcasts, and rebranded earlier this year, but Spotify will soon start promoting Reply All, The Bill Simmons Podcast, and Pod Save America in its app and via ads. In return, the hosts will reportedly shout out Spotify on their shows and on social media. As of July 30, Pod Save America is the No. 1 show on iTunes.
This is a smart move because podcasts continue to grow in number and listeners. Spotify is trying to diversify revenue and media, and get music fans to spend more time on the site listening to other content. It also recently made its vast catalog of songs quieter, offering a kinder, gentler experience.
“Spotify has the potential to do a lot for podcasting,” Hot Pod writer Nick Quah told Bloomberg. “They have a large user base, and all it takes is a few tweaks here and there to put podcasting in the foreground for the daily listeners.”
As of now it looks like Spotify is making a few tweaks, like actually adding a podcast tab to the app. More original podcasts are set to debut later this year.
H/T Bloomberg