Opinions on Podcasts

[Eclipse_31]

Just a place to discuss opinions on podcasts. Do you like them? Hate them? What are your favorite podcasts? Least favorites? How do you think Spotify should handle podcasts in the future?

Personally I find podcasts to be overhyped. I keep on getting ads on things I’m not even interested in. It’s always the same old 20-somethings with the creepy smiles and thick glasses who think they know everything about ‘science’ and ‘history’. Of course that’s just personal preferences.

One thing that would be interesting to see is artists uploading their songs as podcasts. Each episode would be a song, or maybe even an entire album, given how long podcasts can be. I think this would be a very interesting idea as it lets the listener at least get a clue on when the next song or album would drop. If this already happens on Spotify. I’d like to know!

[AdamDamon]

Cool topic, @Eclipse_31!

Personally, I haven’t listened to podcasts enough to have developed a general opinion about them, as I predominantly listen to music on Spotify rather than podcasts. I also haven’t come across artists showcasing their music through their own podcasts, although I agree that it’s a great idea!

A few weeks ago, I did start following a music-related podcast on Spotify called The Doomed and Stoned Show, since I had seen one of the hosts posting about new episodes in a couple of the music-related Facebook groups that I follow, and I was glad to see music by a lot of bands that I already enjoy listening to featured in episodes of the podcast.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4qr8bGat9yS1nvuM0BbpAx?si=-oGLmUFuT9aWCMfiDPiKYg&dl_branch=1

As you might be able to guess from its name, The Doomed and Stoned Show focuses on showcasing primarily doom metal and stoner rock music, which are two of my favorite genres. Each episode runs through a “playlist” that’s listed in the description for the episode along with time marks that you can click to skip to certain tracks, interspersed at intervals by “Host Segments” where the hosts converse about the background behind the featured bands, where in the world they come from, who might like their music, stories about shows that the bands have played, etc. as a way of introducing the music segments.

Up until today, I’d just browsed a few of the episodes and listened to some of the featured tracks. However, this evening I thought I’d give a couple of the episodes a listen, including one with an editor from the Doom Charts (“representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio and podcasters, album reviewers from the doom-stoner underground around the globe” according to their website). In addition to enjoying hearing some of the songs, I also enjoyed listening to the Host Segments, as I seem to find it relaxing to hear the hosts conversing about their opinions on the songs that they’ve selected to include in the episode, anecdotes about the bands, etc. The hosts also seem to have a wide knowledge of these genres of music, and their conversations flow nicely, so I’ll probably continue to listen to this podcast.

Regarding irrelevant podcast suggestions on the Home screen, there’s currently a Live Idea in the Idea Exchange for being able to customize the Home screen to one’s preferences. If this is something you’re interested in, I’d recommend adding your +VOTE to this idea if you haven’t already done so (even though its current status is “Not Right Now”). The more votes an idea gets, the likelier it is that Spotify will implement it, and you can read more about how feedback on ideas reaches Spotify here.

Cheers!

[Katerina]

I'll have to agree with @AdamDamon, this is a great question/topic you started here @Eclipse_31!

Podcasts are quite a new thing where I'm at so I haven't really listened to podcasts that much either.

I found that I like news-related ones though - it helps from having to open a TV or check manually a website 😄 I found this out when I asked my smart speaker to tell me the news one day and checking the settings right after to customize what I heard, it it was podcasts. To be honest I haven't listened to much else, I'm the type of person who still prefers regular books over audiobooks for example 😄

But to be fair, I think there's quite a big selection out there already so you can find something you enjoy too. Might be trial and error, as well as recommendations from people who have similar tastes to yours. I'd suggest keeping an eye for posts from @SpotifyPodcasts here, they regularly post some podcast selections on different topics - you might find some you like!

[heheheheheheha]

Podcasts are an unwelcome nuisance for thousands of Spotify users who hate them, never listen to them, and are plagued by inappropriate and irrelevant suggestions for them that can not be dismissed or hidden.

Spotify needs to implement a way to disable podcasts for users who couldn't care less.  Given the tendency for everything in good tech to eventually turn to you-know-what, I'm not counting Spotify to act in the best interest of their users.  That's why I already left Spotify for this reason. But I'm still very much hoping they will wake up and allow us to stop them from shoving podcasts down our throats.  I'd be back in a second.

[roelani]

Here's an opinion on podcasts.

Let me nuke them from my Home screen. Let me nuke them from the entire platform. I don't pay you for glorified ads and political commentary.

[juniorz]

Podcasts yes! Forcing them as ads on a home screen that cannot be modified??? Shameful!

[1WaywardSon1]

I must say I don't listen even the ones I normally would listen to because of the forced ad on your home screen. Let us have control in some way. Even if you don't want us to completely turn off podcast recommendations, at least give us the option to dislike/hide some of them so we won't see the same despicable podcasts which we don't like. 

It's so baffling how you don't offer this already.

[SpotifyPodcasts]

Thanks for starting the conversation, Eclipse_31! We're always happy to hear your feedback. It sounds like you haven't found something you're interested in from your home screen-- let's start by chatting about some of the shows you ARE interested in! We wanna know 🙃

[robertvw]

@SpotifyPodCasts: your reply is the proof that Spotify does not listen to its paying premium customers.

---

@SpotifyPodcasts wrote:

It sounds like you haven't found something you're interested in from your home screen-- let's start by chatting about some of the shows you ARE interested in!

I don't listen to podcasts. Never. Ever. Not on any platform. I don't pay for podcasts. I pay Premium for music. Not arrogant people rambling about stuff I am not interested in.

Why is it so hard to accept that there are tons of people who actually do not want podcasts in their home screen? Let alone podcast suggestions that are extremely offensive. I can't Spotify anymore when I'm at the office, which makes me want to switch to another music platform that actually plays music, like iTunes.

I'm a developer myself. I know it is fairly easy to build an option to just hide podcasts. Really people, believe me, it is the easiest thing to implement and Spotify could roll it out to production in a matter of weeks.

This is very bad, Spotify. Really bad. You should know better and treat your customers again as customers: the people who pay your bills and pay checks!

[snowbutterfly]

I enjoy podcasts a lot but Spotify is NOT the place where I listen to them. Until I'm able to customize the interface, I'll likely stay away from using the Spotify app for my podcast listening.

---=---=---

I mentioned this under a live idea thread, but I’ll reiterate it here: I'd like to hide irrelevant rows and programs or recommendations that appear on the Home Screen. I especially like to hide the podcast row. I keep getting a particular podcast recommended to me and the cover art is TRIGGERING. I'm forced to see it in the rotation of recommendations which is very frustrating. At the very least set up something where I can hide/choose to not see the recommendation just like some apps allow with certain ads. That’s the small ask. The big ask is to let users customize that home/start screen.

But, to get back to the discussion about podcasts and opinions about them: If @SpotifyPodcasts wants to know about what podcasts I listen to for development and research, I will gladly export my listening data from the Overcast app I use.

I listen to podcasts around the clock - almost every moment when I don’t have to specifically focus on something else like work or if I have to watch and pay attention to something. My iPhone tells me I’ve listened to 3 hours as 22 mins today, and that includes listening to some podcast episodes at double speed. As for types of shows, I listen to a variety but I prefer and enjoy listening to podcasts that are well-produced technically and creatively. Shows from NPR, Radiotopia, Gimlet, and Earwolf top my playlists.

Here’s an idea: Run a contest and reward participants who provide their podcast listening data. Grand prize can be a full year of Spotify for free! Or a discounted subscription over a year. Or a promotion for 90 days of free Spotify. Incentivize people to volunteer info outside of what you collect from your own platform. 

Consider using an online survey asking questions and for people to upload their podcast listening activity exported from the podcast app they use. That would be quite a bit of data that could inform Spotify's podcast production and development. 
Also, I’m sure Gimlet also has some good data prior to your acquisition of the company. They’ve collected info from their listeners through surveys before. Their podcasts can be the vehicle for advertising a contest and for gathering valuable data for Spotify.

[juniorz]

This response shows how far you guys are from respecting paying customers! It’s not about podcasts or if I have found something to listen to, it’s about being able to modify my Home Screen. I bet that is the reason you don’t want us to modify the home screen ‘cause most of us will just turn off podcasts.

[1WaywardSon1]

Like I said on other discussion

"The problem here is most of the podcasts are about the controversial stuff we already hear and endure in our everday life. I come Spotify to get away from all the bs I have to think about only to see the same topic is right on top of my homepage and I can't do anything to remove it.

Can't you see the frustration you're causing on us?

Give my safe haven back to me and let me enjoy my music in peace!"

[imdelph]

I like podcasts, i just wish spotify would stop trying to force irrelevant**bleep** down my throat and let me remove podcasts from my home screen. I like what i like.

[helluvahefty]

I am paying for a premium family subscription for music, quality, and no-ads.  Notice the conspicuous absence of podcasts from that list.  I do not use Spotify for podcasts but continue to have to scroll past them to get to the content I might actually be interested in.  This is especially frustrating when I am being offered non-kid-friendly podcasts on the account I use on a family device where I already filter explicit content.  Get the clue already.  I do not want podcasts on my home screen.  if I ever do click on one it will have been an accident.

[jasonallenross]

There are podcasts I listen to using another app. I have been listening to podcasts for years, before Spotify was available in the US. There are plenty of good ones. The other app I used to listen to them does an excellent job. My podcast app lets me select the podcasts I want to listen to, and has various ways of promoting podcasts when I want to look for them. My podcast app doesn't try and suggest new music to me. I can delete podcasts I'm no longer interested in and they disappear from the app's home screen. This allows me to enjoy the podcasts I actually want to listen to.

Spotify, please be like my podcast app and let me remove things I'm not interested in from my home screen. I'm not interested in the podcasts you promote. I've been a customer since the early days, and enjoy listening to Spotify on Windows, Linux, and Android. I started out as an individual subscriber but we now enjoy your family plan and get a lot of use out of it. I just don't want to explain to my kids or my co-workers what the "**bleep** town" podcast is when I open the app.

[MRNL]

Please let us remove podcasts from homescreen asap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make homescreen customisable, add dislike or hide buttons for featured content also in music. I get lots of recommendations for genres, artist and songs I have ZERO interest in.

[Nonoyerbiznez]

I do not listen to podcasts. I wish I could get rid of the list of podcasts that I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO from my home screen. When do you plan on coming out with a configurable home screen so I can find what *I* want to find, not what *YOU* want to sell to me? I liked it when your algorithm would suggest stuff that was in line with what I already listen to. What happened to those days? I'm sick and tired of having to scroll by all the stuff people pay you to promote to me -- hey I pay for your service. You're already making money on me.

[Emity]

I can't stand podcasts. ADHD makes it impossible for me to listen to them because without the visual element, my brain wanders within 90 seconds and they're useless to me. I really get so frustrated having to have so much real estate taken up by this useless **bleep**. There are a million podcasts apps! I come to spotify (and pay!!) for music. **bleep** your podcasts. Ya want me to know something, write it down. 

[SpotifyPodcasts]

Hi, all! 

We greatly appreciate all of your feedback for improving the app experience, and we've taken note of all of your thoughts for future developments. Please direct all of these constructive comments about the app to the App & Features section of the community chat so that they can be reviewed by the correct teams. 

[jasonallenross]

There are 44 pages of requests and discussion of this issue in this thread.

There are other threads that are closed and merged into that thread that ask for the same thing. Can you re-open the thread for consideration? Can you re-raise the issue?