Comments are coming to Spotify, but only for podcasts 💬

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Spotify has recently announced the rollout of a highly anticipated feature for podcast creators and their listeners: comments. Users of the audio streaming platform will now be able to react and interact directly under the episodes of their favorite podcasts.

A social dimension for podcasts 💬

Until now, the « comments » space was the domain of social networks and YouTube, becoming an essential element of the online experience. Spotify now wants to offer this social dimension to its podcast section, in order to strengthen the engagement and loyalty of its listeners.

Source: Spotify

Source: Spotify

This is not the first time Spotify has focused on interactivity for its podcasts. Since 2021, the platform has already allowed creators to launch surveys and respond to questions from their listeners. A system that has proved convincing. Spotify claims more than 9 million unique users have interacted in this way this year, with an 80% increase in the total number of interactions.

With the arrival of comments, Spotify is taking a new step in creating links between creators and their communities. Listeners will now be able to react directly to episodes, while podcasters will have the opportunity to respond and engage with them. A feature that should promote loyalty, as Spotify indicates that interactive listeners are four times more likely to return to a podcast within 30 days, and listen to twice as many hours on average.

Safeguards to regulate exchanges🛡️

To avoid excesses, Spotify has planned a moderation system: comments will have to be validated by creators before being published. The platform is also working on automatic approval solutions. Podcasters will also have the option to completely disable comments on their content.

Source: Spotify

The rollout of this feature has already begun and should be completed in the coming weeks. Subsequently, Spotify could even go further by establishing a « super fan » system, similar to what already exists on other platforms.

By facilitating interactions between creators and listeners, the Swedish firm hopes to further retain its users and attract new creators to its platform.

Have you already listened to podcasts on Spotify? If so, what do you think of this new feature? Let us know in the comments.