Spotify Adds Full Music Tracks to Podcasts

LONDON — Spotify has launched the ability to add full music tracks using podcast creation service Anchor, in what it calls “an entirely new way to stream audio.”

The company describes the move as creating “a new listening experience that brings together music and spoken-word content… allowing full songs and talk commentary to live together wrapped up in one show.”

In shows which use the new format, listeners can interact with the music within the episodes, in the same way as other song tracks on Spotify, such as liking, saving, and reading more information about a track without having to leave the episode page or search for it manually. The service has launched for Anchor users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.

Some Limitations

However, the new feature comes with some limitations. Shows using this format are exclusive to Spotify, because they rely on the company’s music catalog licenses — they will not be distributed to Apple Podcasts or other podcast apps. Only Spotify Premium listeners get to hear full tracks as part of these shows; those with the free tier will hear 30-second music previews. Songs can’t be edited, segued, or talked over.

At the same time, seven Spotify Original Shows have been launched using the feature. Each explores a different aspect of music, from the stories and inspiration behind a song to the listening trends of a decade or genre. These include “Halleloo Happy Hour” with DJ Shangela from Ru Paul’s Drag Race; and “Rock This” with Allison Hagendorf — a weekly show celebrating all things rock and alternative culture.

So does this now allow podcasters to make “radio programs”? Industry commentators think not. “It definitely isn’t radio and it doesn’t mean that songs have come to podcasts,” Matt Deegan, creative director of Folder Media writes in his blog.

Unique Product

“What this is really for, is for pro organizations — magazines, radio stations, websites, celebrities — to create high quality ‘produced’ programming built around music,” said Deegan. “For Spotify that’s a really interesting addition to their service. Covering off Music, Podcasts and now Music Shows gives them a unique product in the audio-on-demand market.”

Meanwhile, media researchers MIDiA report that Spotify is now the leading destination platform for podcast users. In the second quarter of 2020, 42% of podcast listeners used Spotify, 10 points ahead of Apple, in a survey covering the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Germany, and France.

The company notes: “This does not necessarily mean that it yet leads in terms of volume of listens, but it is the platform that the largest share of regular podcast listeners visit. Spotify was second in Q4 2019, so it is a rapid ascension for the streaming platform, leaving Apple trailing significantly.”