First it was TikTok, now YouTube has fallen victim to Spotify’s eagle-eyed gaze, as the music streaming service introduces a new comments section for podcasts. It marks Spotify’s next foray into social media territory, following the platform’s introduction of a vertical video feed last year – reminiscent of TikTok’s ‘For You’ page.
Much like a standard in-app comments section, users can post comments on individual podcast episode pages, where creators can also like and respond to their listeners, while having control over what appears on their episode pages. According to TechCrunchThe feature is rolling out to opted-in podcasts this week, and will be available to all Spotify users over the next month.
There’s no doubt that Spotify is doubling down on its social media and algorithm-based features like its Daylist and Blend mixes, but with its podcast comments section, the streamer appears to be taking additional steps to ensure creators have more control over their in-app presence. During its beta testing period, Spotify apparently tested out options that mean creators don’t have to approve comments one by one, meaning they don’t have to approve comments one by one.
In addition to being one of the best music streaming services, Spotify has also become a hotspot for podcasts, especially after it expanded its video podcast feature in 2022. There are now over 250,000 video podcasts available, and the introduction of comments sections shows that Spotify is committed to creating communities among its users. However, this could point to the possibility of a similar feature appearing on artist pages – and that’s a big warning sign.
Analysis: Leave Artists Alone, Spotify
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Spotify’s social features, and they’ve really helped me tweak my algorithm and improve my listening experience. But knowing Spotify, it likes to add unnecessary details and mess with features that should just be left alone.
As for the new comments section for podcasts, I can see how it’s a somewhat sensible addition, even if it does result in more annoying distractions on the in-app page. On paper, a comments section is a great recipe for not only creating a sense of community among listeners, but also for drawing listeners back to podcasts by pushing notifications. However, where this could get out of hand on Spotify’s part is if this comments section feature were to appear on artist pages.
With podcasts, this makes sense. One episode with one topic of discussion (and perhaps one guest speaker) leaves room for listeners to openly discuss the specific content of an episode in the comments section. Put this on an artist’s page and you create a battleground for fanbases to compete against each other.
Not only does it seem completely pointless to me (what would a comments section on an artist page look and function anyway?), but it would also be too much of an attempt by Spotify to differentiate itself from other music platforms and social media apps. You want to differentiate yourself from the rest, Spotify? Giving us HiFi would certainly be a start.