Spotify tests TikTok-style podcast discovery feed

(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

What you need to know

• Spotify appears to be working on a new tab dedicated to podcast discovery.
• The new Podcast tab displays various podcasts in a TikTok-style carousel that you can swipe through.
• It's not clear how widely this new feature is being tested of when Spotify plans to roll it out.

Spotify is one of the best streaming services on Android for anyone looking to find and listen to podcasts. The app already places podcasts on the home page, with rows suggesting episodes and shows you might like. However, Spotify appears to be cooking up a new way to discover podcasts, complete with its own dedicated tab and a brand new visual experience.

Some users have spotted a new Podcasts tab added to their bottom bar. Selecting the bar introduces them to a new TikTok-like experience, which plays an episode of a random podcast. You can then swipe up to access another episode from another random podcast, and so on.

The experience doesn't appear to be widely available, and it's not clear if or when Spotify plans on rolling this feature out to everyone. Android Central reached out for more information regarding this feature but did not immediately receive a response. However, a spokesperson gave The Verge the usual spiel; that Spotify routinely tests new features and that they "don't have any further news to share at this time," suggesting that we may or may not see it roll out.

The feature appears to be a new way to discover podcasts instead of scrolling through podcasts you already subscribe to, although results seem to vary. Interestingly, it also appears to include automatic captions for the episodes.

Assuming Spotify commits to rolling the feature out more widely, it would highlight the company's increased investment into the podcasts space following its acquisition of Anchor in 2019. That said, the experience is reportedly based on Spotify's nearly $50 million acquisition of Podz in 2021, which focused on podcast discovery through machine learning.

Derrek is a long-time Nokia and LG fanboy who loves astronomy, videography, and sci-fi movies. When he's not working, he's most likely working out or smoldering at the camera.