Premium customers within the US will quickly be capable of generate private podcasts that specify sure matters and supply every day briefings.
Spotify held its newest investor day occasion on Thursday. Amongst different issues, it had some updates to share relating to podcasts and audiobooks. After all, many of those involved generative AI options.
For one factor, Spotify says you’ll ask a chatbot questions on a podcast episode you are listening to with the intention to get clarification, extra context or suggestions associated to a number or visitor. Premium customers within the US, Sweden and Eire are the primary to get entry to this characteristic beginning at this time.
The corporate is pretty clear about why it is including this characteristic. It says you’ll “delve deeper with out leaving Spotify.” That matches in with different tech corporations attempting to assemble walled gardens round their ecosystems to discourage you from going anyplace else on the web to get data, as Google is blatantly trying with its AI-powered Search.
Spotify can also be increasing a characteristic that permits customers to generate “private podcasts.” It introduced this device final month with the choice to use AI agents like OpenClaw and Claude Code to whip up such artificial audio. The corporate says it is including a means for customers to generate private podcasts straight inside Spotify. It notes that, after you enter a immediate, it should generate audio that pulls from components like your Spotify style profile and world information. It’s also possible to feed in textual content, PDFs and hyperlinks to offer the device extra context for what you would like to listen to about. (A brand new desktop app known as Studio by Spotify Labs ties into that).
These podcasts can deal with issues like explainers on a sure subject, every day briefings or updates on native live shows that includes artists you are into. These audio episodes are saved in your library privately, and you’ll arrange the app to generate episodes every day or weekly.
Spotify says eligible Premium customers within the US will get entry to private podcasts subsequent month. The corporate added that customers will obtain a set variety of credit every month as a part of their subscription, so there is a restrict on what number of private podcasts you’ll generate with out paying additional. Inevitably, you should buy extra credit when you want.
Audiobook updates
On an identical observe, the corporate is set to introduce further add-on tiers for Audiobooks+. Premium members get 15 hours of audiobook listening included with their plan every month. They will buy more with Audiobooks+ top-ups. This summer time, Spotify will begin providing extra Audiobooks+ choices with larger listening deadlines. Household and pupil plans for Audiobooks+ are on the way in which later this yr too.
Lest you suppose for one second that Spotify’s audiobooks had been immune from the plague of generative AI, the corporate is inevitably shoving such options into that a part of the platform too. It is increasing the Prompted Playlists characteristic that is out there for music and podcasts to audiobooks. This device can generate a playlist primarily based in your description of what you need to hear extra of, your listening historical past and broader context of “what’s taking place on the earth round you.” Prompted Playlists for audiobooks will probably be out there this summer time.
