Spotify is testing a new TikTok inspired style feed of podcasts that could help you find your next favourite podcast. This does not mean that the app is completely changing its User Interface (UI). It is adding a new ‘Podcast’ tab in the app.
According to The Verge, the new tab won’t let you check for you subscribed or downloaded shows but will be a new page for you to discover new shows.
Similar to Instagram reels and TikTok, this page will let you swipe vertically through different cards. Every episode will be a completely random podcast, which you can swipe up on to skip.
The new Podcast feed was first spotted by tech podcaster Chris Messina.
HUGE!! @Spotify is adding a dedicated TikTok-style vertical scrolling feed for @spotifypodcasts to its toolbar!
h/t @SleepwellCap #NewSpotify pic.twitter.com/0CWolZGJQy
— Chris Messina 🪬 (@chrismessina) March 26, 2022
According to TechCrunch, Spotify is using machine learning on more than 100,000 hours of podcast audio. However, this is only a test, Spotify could also decide to cancel the experience before release.
Meanwhile, a Spotify spokesperson in a statement to The Verge was quoted as saying that the “company routinely tests new features” and has “no new news to share at this point.” It should be noted that this feature, is available to only selected users as of now. It is also unclear if Spotify is planning to roll out this feature to everyone.
In other news, Spotify said it will suspend its streaming service in Russia in response to the country’s new media law. The audio streaming platform closed its office in Russia indefinitely earlier this month, citing what it described as Moscow’s “unprovoked attack on Ukraine.”
“Spotify has continued to believe that it’s critically important to try to keep our service operational in Russia to provide trusted, independent news and information from the region,” Spotify said in a statement. “Unfortunately, recently enacted legislation further restricting access to information, eliminating free expression, and criminalizing certain types of news puts the safety of Spotify’s employees and the possibility of even our listeners at risk.”