- Spotify is updating podcasts with two AI-powered features
- One is a new search feature that allows you to ask questions about episodes.
- There’s also the new Personal Podcasts tool, which generates a short audio summary based on your prompts.
Spotify has used its Investor Day event to announce some new features for podcast listeners, and they’re pretty big.
The first of the new podcast features allows you to ask Spotify about the episode you are currently listening to or watching and it will give you answers in real time. For example, you can learn more about something mentioned in the episode that you might want to know more about or request more podcasts that cover the same topic.
In the demo images, the user is shown tapping the AI DJ search bar on the Spotify home page to start the podcast episode, and then from there the user continues with the questions. You can also ask generic questions like “play the latest episode of Dissect.”
This new tool, rolling out first to Premium mobile subscribers in the US, Sweden and Ireland, is part of Spotify’s broader plan to expand its podcast interface. The company said: “This new capability makes the experience more dynamic, helping fans learn more and connect deeply with the topics, perspectives and creators they care about.”
Now the controversial part…
Additionally, Spotify wants you to start generating your own personal podcast episodes using AI, which builds on the platform’s recent expansion from requested playlists to podcasts.
Personal Podcasts, launching first for Premium subscribers in the US, is another new tool that can be found among the list of other playlist creation buttons when you tap the Create button in Spotify.
Previously, you could create your own podcasts using platforms like OpenClaw and Claude Code, which you could then save to your Spotify library, so this new tool offers a more on-demand option directly within the platform.
As you’d expect from its name, Personal Podcasts let you generate short audio episodes that Spotify says are “tailored to your interests and listening habits,” and work quickly.
You can ask it to create a daily report that includes local weather, any live music happening in your area, and daily news headlines on different topics that you can schedule to update daily or weekly.
But Spotify doesn’t put the limit there: Personal Podcasts can also generate episodes that go deeper into topics, connecting you to related podcast episodes so you can explore your curiosity further.
In addition to text prompts, you can add more context to your requests by attaching PDFs and website links, and the information should be included in the episode.
However, there is a small drawback. Just like Spotify’s monthly allotment of audiobook listening hours, the same applies to Personal Podcasts, which come with a fixed allotment of credits to generate podcasts included in your subscription each month. If you find that you can’t get enough, there is the option to purchase additional credits.
What’s interesting about Spotify’s new podcast updates is that nowhere in the company’s announcement is it explicitly stated how these features work, although it’s pretty clear that AI is the mastermind behind these generative tools.
We think the streamer is on to something with tools that will allow you to dig into and extract information from the shows you love most, and allow you to request more information on topics that the hosts may not go into detail about.
It’s kind of funny that Spotify recently added features in support of the anti-AI brigade by not only rolling out ‘Verified by Spotify’ badges for music artists to certify that they’re real, but then did the same for podcasts just a few days ago, and now offers AI-generated podcasts right from their own menus.
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