What you need to know
- Podcasts join the fray for Spotify’s On Demand Playlists beta, available in the US, Canada, Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand.
- Similar to how you write a music-based description, users can tell the algorithm what podcasts they’re interested in for a list to be generated.
- The beta version of Prompted Playlist first launched in the US in January, allowing you to create it via a “Create” button.
AI has entered Spotify to help with music discovery, but the platform is taking it a step further with auditory shows.
Algorithm control was the name of the game for Spotify’s On Demand Playlists; now, it is sharing information about the beta update it adds podcasts. Launching this week, Prompted Playlist testers in the US, Canada, Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand can start adding podcast descriptions to their prompts. Spotify says users can tap into their interests with it, as On-Demand playlists can explore millions of available shows.
Android Central’s Take
I’ve never dabbled in podcasts, but there are plenty of users who do. I have friends who enjoy listening to podcasts, so there’s definitely a desire behind it. Spotify says that 34 million podcasts are discovered on its platform “every week”. If users can stop scrolling endlessly and tell the algorithm what show they’re looking for, that sounds like a huge win.
If users want to know what’s happening in the world of entertainment (think music, movies, and fashion), let Prompted Playlists know. As an example, Spotify says you can “Create a podcast playlist of the biggest entertainment news from the past few days. Include everything from music, movies, fashion and cultural highlights.”
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There’s more to podcasts than just the world of entertainment. You can ask about science-related shows (Did you know Artemis II orbits the moon?) or even true crime mystery podcasts. After this update, On Demand Playlists are neither changed nor modified. Users can still get started by clicking Create and selecting On Demand Playlists. Whether it’s for specific music genres or podcasts, type your query from there normally.
What’s more, Spotify emphasizes the ability for users to decide how often those playlists are updated. Users can choose between daily and weekly updates, but there is also an “update” option.
On Demand Podcasts (Playlists)
As previously mentioned, Suggested Playlists is still in beta and rolling out to the regions listed above. The update should start rolling out today (April 7) and to involved testers.
Android Central’s Take
For personalization, Suggested Playlists puts your music algorithm in your hands. Spotify already has several ways to “personalize”. We’ve got those playlists in Weekly Discover, Release Radar, and Your Best Mixes, but it’s like it’s all rolled into one. You are in the driver’s seat, controlling where the algorithm takes you. If you don’t like it, roll again.
The Playlists on Demand beta He left before arriving in New Zealand at the end of last year USA in January. Canada was also involved in this expansion for Spotify. Suggested Playlists uses your description of music (and now podcasts) to create a list of songs you might enjoy. While you can submit whatever genres and artists you want, Spotify will also take into account your account history and “vibes.”
What you’ve recently listened to, liked, and skipped will help the algorithm create something worth listening to. Spotify has indicated that the beta could evolve, which is likely what we’re seeing now with the introduction of podcasts. Moreover, it may apply a “usage limit”.
