Tag: creators

Spotify Levels Up Our Podcast Experience With New Features for Fans and Creators

Colorful background with Spotify logo

Podcasting on Spotify continues to grow, and so do the ways listeners engage with it. At Investor Day 2026, we shared how we’re building the next chapter of podcasts on Spotify by making them more interactive, more personalized, and more connected to everyday life. 

Here’s a look at what we announced.

A more dynamic and interactive podcast experience

Video is a core part of Spotify’s podcast experience, giving fans and creators another way to connect while creating opportunities for more resonant storytelling. More than 500 million users have streamed a video podcast, up nearly 50% year over year. These users engage more, use more devices, and spend more time across podcasts, music, and audiobooks. 

Now, we’re adding a new layer of interactivity: Users can ask Spotify questions about the podcast they’re listening or watching, and get answers in real time. Whether it’s clarifying a concept, exploring something mentioned in an episode, or getting recommendations related to their favorite creators, they can delve deeper without leaving Spotify. 

This new capability makes the experience more dynamic, helping fans learn more and connect more deeply with the topics, perspectives, and creators they care about.

This feature is available starting today for Premium mobile users in the U.S., Sweden, and Ireland.

Expanding how creators earn on Spotify

Sponsorships are one of the most valuable revenue streams in podcasting, but managing them hasn’t always been easy. Earlier this year, we announced new tools that give creators more control over how they schedule, replace, and analyze brand sponsorships. Today, Creator Sponsorships are live for creators and publishers in the Spotify Partner Program, bringing smarter, more flexible sponsorship management for video content. 

 

We’re also introducing Memberships, a new way for creators to build recurring revenue directly from their most engaged fans on Spotify. As listeners spend more time with a show, Memberships create a natural path to go deeper, unlocking new and exclusive experiences for fans and new revenue opportunities for creators.

 

Creators will own the relationship with their audience, with direct access to subscribers, the ability to import and export across platforms, and audience intelligence tools that provide actionable insights to help them grow. Creators who manage subscriptions on other platforms can continue to distribute gated content through Spotify Open Access

Memberships will launch for select creators soon, with more details to come.

Better discovery and engagement with more personalized experiences

We recently expanded Prompted Playlists to podcasts, allowing listeners to generate personalized episode lists using simple prompts. More than half of listeners who have used the feature have discovered a new show, reinforcing what we’re seeing across the platform: When users can directly express their intent, they’re more likely to find something they love.

We’re building on that idea with Personal Podcasts, a new experience that lets listeners generate and schedule short, private audio episodes tailored to their interests and their listening habits. It also helps connect them with relevant podcasts from millions of creators on Spotify, making it easy to keep exploring the topics they care about.

Some listeners have already started creating custom audio using their own agents, and we recently introduced the ability to save those episodes to Spotify. The response has been strong, making it clear that there’s growing demand for this kind of personalized, on-demand experience.

 

Soon, we’re opening up this capability more broadly, enabling curious listeners to create Personal Podcasts directly within Spotify. Just like with Prompted Playlists, all you need to do is write a prompt, and Spotify generates personalized, private audio based on your input. It draws on world knowledge and your Spotify taste profile to create something relevant and uniquely yours.

You can create a daily briefing, a deep dive on a topic you’re curious about, or a weekly roundup of whatever’s on your mind. Ask “Share my daily city updates, and tell me about local concerts from artists I love,” or “Help me understand economics in five minutes,” and Spotify will create a tailored audio overview while linking you to relevant episodes, shows, and creators where you can explore more.

In addition to scheduling episodes to generate daily or weekly, you can also add context through text, PDFs, or links, refine your prompts, and choose a voice. Each episode is saved privately in Your Library, available only to you, and ready to play whenever you want.

Personal Podcasts will roll out to eligible Premium users in the U.S. next month, with a set number of monthly credits included and the option to purchase more.

Personal Podcasts is one way we’re expanding how people can create personalized audio. Today, we also introduced Studio by Spotify Labs, a standalone desktop app that can use your web browser and the personal apps and services on your computer to create audio shaped around your life. With your permission, Studio can also schedule and run these workflows on your behalf, opening up new possibilities for experimental and creative formats.

Investing in the experiences, formats, and technologies that move podcasting forward

Spotify has played a central role in shaping podcasting into the global format it is today, expanding audiences, empowering new voices, and building tools creators need to succeed.

As the medium continues to evolve, we’ll keep building on that foundation, helping creators reach more listeners, unlocking new ways for fans to engage, and making Spotify the best place to create, discover, and experience podcasts.

Explore all the news and announcements from Spotify’s 2026 Investor Day.

Spotify Podcast Awards Return to Celebrate Latin America’s Most Influential Voices

MX Podcast Awards

From immersive storytelling to laugh-out-loud comedies, podcasts are booming in popularity across Mexico and Latin America. That’s why we’re excited to announce that next month, Mexico’s biggest podcast celebration, the Spotify Podcast Awards, are back. This second edition arrives with new categories, surprises, and an even sharper focus on the fans, because if there’s one thing that defines podcasts across Mexico and Latin America, it’s the communities that form around every story.

“The quality and depth of storytelling in Spanish are helping podcasts transcend borders and connect with audiences across the Spanish-speaking world,” said Thais Tavara, Head of Podcast for Spotify Latin America. “Today, they are conversations that accompany, inspire, and build community, creating closer connections between creators and fans.”

While nominees are selected based on a combination of listener data and cultural impact throughout 2025, fans will have final say on which shows take home the gold. 

From April 20 to May 4, listeners around the world can vote directly in the Spotify app for their favorite podcasts. Free users receive one vote per category per day, while Premium users can cast three.

Winners will be revealed during the live ceremony on May 13, hosted by Diana Wong and Dani Valle.

What’s new this year?

The 2026 edition introduces new categories that reflect emerging trends in podcasting, including “Favorite Business & Tech Podcast,” “Favorite Spanish-Language Podcast,” and “From ‘On Air’ to Podcast” 

We’re also rolling out a special category showcasing the bold, brilliant (and sometimes brazen) ideas from nominated podcasts that inspire fans to vote. This is the only category where the winner will be selected by a jury of marketing experts.

Check out the full list of nominees below.

Top of the Top Podcast

Breakthrough Podcast

Favorite Horror Podcast 

Favorite Interview Podcast

Favorite Comedy Podcast

Favorite Wellness Podcast

Favorite Gossip Podcast

Favorite True Crime Podcast

Favorite Business & Tech Podcast

Favorite Spanish Speaking Podcast

Favorite On Air Podcast

From Audio to IRL: How ‘Let’s Get Haunted’ Is Building Community With Spotify RADAR

As podcasting continues to evolve, growth increasingly means building beyond audio. Creators are expanding into video, merch, and live events, finding new ways to deepen listener relationships and bring audiences together. One clear example is the paranormal-comedy podcast Let’s Get Haunted.

Hosted by best friends Alyssa Terry and Natalia Strawn, the show has built a devoted fanbase—affectionately known as the “Haunties”—around a shared love of the spooky and the absurd. Last year, the podcast joined Spotify’s 2025 RADAR creators class, our global program designed to help emerging creators reach new audiences.

That support helped pave the way for a new milestone: the show’s first-ever live taping, recently recorded in front of about 120 fans at Spotify Studios in Los Angeles. The episode is now streaming on Spotify, offering a snapshot of the community they’ve built.

To mark the occasion, For the Record caught up with Nat and Aly for a joint Q&A about the show’s evolution, their live debut, and what’s next.

For anyone hearing about Let’s Get Haunted for the first time, how would you describe the show?

It started as a tongue-in-cheek response to the horrors of everyday life. We take turns deep diving into paranormal topics—ghost encounters, alien abductions, cursed objects—with the assumption that each story is true. Our goal is to give the audience a chance to suspend their disbelief and tap into a sense of childlike wonder.

We also have a broad definition of “haunted.” Did you get three flat tires in a month, hunt down the person who stole your credit card instead of calling your bank like a normal person, or rescue a possum on the side of the highway and crowdfund its femur surgery? Congrats, you’re haunted! (These are all things that have really happened to us.) We try to match the chaos of the hauntings in our personal lives with the tales we select for the storytelling portion of the show.

How has the podcast changed since you first launched it? And how have your listeners helped shape where it’s gone?

Our podcast has always been very community-based. We use listener surveys to get feedback at the end of every season, then have a meeting where we go over that feedback and figure out which suggestions are feasible for us to incorporate.

When we first started the pod, we were living on opposite ends of Los Angeles and would scramble to find places to record that were roughly in the middle. We’ve recorded in bathrooms, cars, empty office buildings, and anywhere we could find. 

In 2023, thanks to the generosity of our audience, we were finally able to sublease an office space. Having a stable place to record was a total game changer: It allowed us to increase the number of episodes we were putting out, create vlogs, produce and store merch, and organize fan meet-ups. We literally would not exist without the support of our listeners.

Your first live taping was a big milestone. What did that moment feel like for you?

It was absolutely surreal! We were so nervous going into it, but as soon as we parked at the venue we immediately ran into two Haunties who had arrived three hours early to be first in line. Knowing we were walking into something brand new with the support of the people who’ve been with us since the beginning made us feel so much more at ease.

Spotify Debuts Legends Club for Popular German-Language Podcasts With ‘Kaulitz Hills’

The new Spotify Legends Club has opened its doors. Its members: select German-speaking podcasts that have surpassed 100 million streams. This club is introducing a new live-event format where hit podcasts record a video episode in front of an audience of dedicated fans. The first show celebrating this achievement is Kaulitz Hills – Senf aus Hollywood.

The special episode of Kaulitz Hills was recently recorded at Berlin’s legendary restaurant Borchardt, a long-standing gathering place for celebrities, politicians, and socialites. The video episode will drop exclusively on Spotify on March 18.

The idea behind Spotify Legends Club is simple: spotlight shows from the German-speaking world that have left a lasting mark on the podcast landscape, and create opportunities to forge an even closer connection between creators and their most dedicated fans.

Kaulitz Hills was a fitting choice to inaugurate the Legends Club live series. Twin brothers Bill and Tom Kaulitz, who host the show, are Germans who live in Los Angeles. Each week in their music studio in the Hollywood Hills, they hit record, have a few drinks, and discuss their personal lives, pop culture, and current affairs.

Spotify’s Creator Milestone Awards Honor the Latest Slate of Record-Breaking Podcasts

A little over a year ago, Spotify introduced the quarterly Creator Milestone Awards to celebrate the incredible growth and success of podcasts around the world. Now, we’re thrilled to announce the winners from the final quarter of 2025.

The awards are given to podcasts that reach specific streaming thresholds on Spotify, and recipients receive a physical plaque to commemorate the achievement. The celebration also includes features in our on-platform editorial hub, social media spotlights, and an out-of-home campaign in Los Angeles.

Join us in congratulating the latest class of Creator Milestone Award winners.

Gold

Reaching 500 million streams is a monumental achievement, and we’re welcoming one of the biggest names in true crime to the Gold tier: 

Silver

Our Silver award recognizes podcasts that have surpassed 250 million streams on Spotify. This slate of honorees spans the worlds of sports, true crime, and comedy:

Bronze

The Bronze award celebrates a diverse and global group of creators who have reached 100 million streams (or 50 million in emerging markets). We’re excited to congratulate this wide-ranging list of shows:

Our commitment to creators is set against an exciting backdrop for the industry. Podcasting recently earned its first-ever recognition at the Golden Globes, where Good Hang with Amy Poehler, from Spotify’s The Ringer, won the inaugural award. As the medium’s influence grows, we’re proud to support and celebrate different voices at the center of it all.

Visit our Creator Milestone Awards hub to explore the full list of winners on Spotify.

Women in Podcasting Craft New Connections at Spotify’s Galentine’s Day Celebration in LA

LA Galentine's Day Celebration Photos

This Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify brought together a group of podcast creators for a Galentine’s Day gathering at the charm-crafting boutique Charmed LA. In an industry that’s often digital-first, the event was a chance to prioritize real-world connection and celebrate friendship.

Over coffee and light brunch bites, guests connected and shared stories, including Cherie Brooke Luo and Jean Luo of Tiger Sisters, Liz Plank of Boy Problems, Sabrina Zohar of The Sabrina Zohar Show, and Ashley Nichole and Taryne Renee of Unsolicited Advice with Ashley and Taryne

Spotify Toasts to the Future of Podcasting With Creators at Our New Sycamore Studios

On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify welcomed creators and press to a brunch celebrating the soft launch of our brand-new podcast studio, Spotify Sycamore Studios. The event offered attendees an exclusive first look at the state-of-the-art production spaces in Hollywood and a chance to connect with Spotify teams and the talent shaping the future of podcasting.

It came as Spotify announced an estimated $10 billion contributed to the podcast industry over the last five years and celebrated the first anniversary of the Spotify Partner Program by expanding its eligibility to even more creators. The festivities will culminate with the Golden Globes’ first-ever Best Podcast category this Sunday.

Guests included creators Cherie Brooke Luo and Jean Luo (Tiger Sisters), Rachel Lindsay (Higher Learning), Chris Williamson (Modern Wisdom), Joe Santagato (The Basement Yard), and Morgan Absher (Two Hot Takes). As they toured the facility and its video-forward production spaces, Jordan Newman, Spotify’s Head of Content Partnerships & Spotify Partner Program, was on hand to explain the vision. “Video is booming, and creators need spaces designed for that momentum,” he said. “That’s why we designed these studios with video at the center, flexibility in mind, and the kind of production environment that lets creators focus on their work and creativity.”

The studio will serve as a new home for many podcasts from Spotify’s The Ringer, and access will be offered by invitation to other eligible video creators in the Spotify Partner Program.

Making It Easier for Video Podcasters to Earn on Spotify

Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we’re hosting our first-ever Golden Week Nominees Night with The Hollywood Reporter, and just announced Spotify Sycamore Studios, our brand-new podcast space in West Hollywood.

But that’s not all. We’re also celebrating the Spotify Partner Program’s first anniversary, with major updates designed to help creators grow on their own terms. Starting today, even more creators will be able to take advantage of the Spotify Partner Program. And coming soon, creators will have new ways to easily manage their sponsorships, and publish and monetize video on Spotify—even if they’re hosted on another platform.

Over the last year, the Spotify Partner Program has helped eligible video creators transform their shows into sustainable businesses, offering them greater flexibility and control to navigate industry shifts and maintain consistent revenue streams. 

These latest updates are designed to make Spotify an even better platform for creators, whether they’re on the rise, an established name, or a publisher managing a network of shows.

Here’s what’s new.

More creators can now join the Spotify Partner Program

When we introduced the Spotify Partner Program, our goal was to help creators around the world turn their passion for podcasting into a sustainable living. One year in, that vision is becoming a reality. Creators are seeing meaningful growth in their earnings through a mix of Premium video and ad revenue while giving Premium subscribers a seamless, high-quality video experience.

That success is built on the deep engagement of Spotify listeners. In the U.S., compared to casual listeners, loyal fans on Spotify stream nearly 20 times more of a show and are 2.5 times more likely to stick around after six months.

Now, to help even more creators connect with this valuable audience, we’re expanding the Spotify Partner Program by broadening our eligibility thresholds: 

    • From 2,000 listeners to 1,000 engaged audience members on Spotify, based on plays over the last 30 days.
    • From 10,000 hours consumed to 2,000 hours consumed over the last 30 days.
    • From 12 published episodes to 3 published episodes (all time). 

Creators can check if they’re eligible to apply by visiting the Monetize tab on Spotify for Creators.

Smarter, more flexible sponsorship management for video

Sponsorships are one of the most valuable revenue streams in podcasting, but managing them hasn’t always been easy. Re-editing episodes to swap out outdated messaging can be time-consuming, and keeping sponsorships fresh over time often requires extra effort from creators.

Starting this April, we’re simplifying the process and making it more seamless with a new suite of creator sponsorship tools rolling out across Spotify for Creators and Megaphone.

Creators enrolled in the Spotify Partner Program will be able to:

    • Easily remove, replace, and add host-read sponsorships in video episodes for more timely messages. 
    • Schedule updates ahead of time, whether editing host-read sponsorships, inserting new slots, or refreshing older material.
    • Track how each sponsorship performed over time with new delivery metrics.

These updates build on our existing toolkit for managing earnings across multiple revenue streams, giving creators and publishers even more customization, control, and confidence in how they monetize content.

Publish and monetize video on Spotify from other platforms

We believe creators should be able to easily tap into the power of video without having to change the platforms, tools, and workflows they’re already using. That’s why we’re introducing our new Spotify Distribution API.

Soon, creators and publishers will be able to publish and monetize videos on Spotify directly from participating hosting platforms without needing to change how they work or re-upload any content. 

We plan to launch with leading platforms Acast, Audioboom, Libsyn, Omny, and Podigee, with others joining soon. This means more choice, more flexibility, and more ways for creators to unlock the value of video on Spotify.

“Acast has always believed in giving podcasters choice, empowering them to be heard and make money wherever their audience is,” said Acast CEO Greg Glenday. “As the industry evolves, we’re bringing the same flexibility to video. Our partnership with Spotify is built on that principle of creator autonomy: providing the tools to scale and earn on every platform without compromising control. This is a major milestone in our mission to support stories, wherever they’re told.”

For eligible creators hosted on platforms that integrate with the API, they will have:

    • The ability to publish video to Spotify and participate in the Spotify Partner Program without having to switch hosting platforms. 
    • The opportunity to earn Premium video revenue, while Spotify Premium subscribers in select markets enjoy their video content uninterrupted by dynamic ads.
    • The opportunity to earn ad revenue when fans in select markets watch or listen on the free version of Spotify, or in markets without Premium video revenue.
    • The ability to tap into our new and flexible sponsorship management tools without having to switch hosting platforms.

If you host with one of our participating partners, look out for more information on availability soon. 

“Spotify has long been a valued partner of Audioboom,” said CEO of Audioboom Stuart Last. “As the world’s largest video podcast network, this new offering allows us to support creators in both growing their audiences and unlocking additional revenue opportunities.” 

Brendan Monaghan, CEO of Libsyn, added, “Partnering with Spotify gives Libsyn creators more flexibility, more reach, and more ways to grow—without changing how they work. That’s a win for creators and a meaningful step forward for the podcasting ecosystem.” 

This is a step toward the future of podcasting on Spotify, where creators have more paths than ever to make a living by doing what they love.

Find out more about the Spotify Partner Program by visiting the Spotify for Creators website.

In markets where the Spotify Partner Program is available and eligible creators are participating, Spotify Premium audiences may still experience breaks in video episodes due to creator sponsorships.

Go Inside Spotify Sycamore Studios, Our New State-of-the-Art Podcast Studio in Hollywood

This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes the medium for the first time. At Spotify, we’re marking the moment with a slate of festivities that include expanded access to the Spotify Partner Program, new tools that give creators greater control and flexibility to manage sponsorships and distribute video content, our first-ever Golden Week Nominees Night with The Hollywood Reporter, and the opening of Spotify Sycamore Studios, our brand-new podcast studio in Hollywood.

Designed with creators in mind, Spotify Sycamore Studios features flexible recording rooms, multi-camera video setups, and on-site production support—offering a modern, high-quality space where ideas can come to life. The studio will serve as home to Ringer podcasts including The Rewatchables, The Ringer-Verse, and The Hottest Take, among others. Access to Spotify Sycamore Studios will be available by invitation only to video creators in the Spotify Partner Program based on availability and production needs.

Located in one of Los Angeles’s most vibrant creative corridors, the new studios deepen Spotify’s long-standing commitment to the city’s creative community. As a global center for storytelling, LA has long been a place where culture is shaped, and this launch reflects Spotify’s continued investment in the talent driving those conversations every day.

Spotify Sycamore Studios also expands Spotify’s global network of creator studios, joining Spotify podcast studios in Los Angeles’s Arts District, New York, Stockholm, and London. 

“Ambitious shows need spaces that support big ideas,” said Bill Simmons, Founder of The Ringer and Head of Talk Strategy, Spotify. “These studios give teams room to experiment and keep pushing what’s possible. It’s our latest investment in creators, and having this additional home base in LA is vital for the next chapter of our storytelling.” 

Explore the gallery below to step inside Spotify Sycamore Studios.

A Defining Moment for Podcasts: Spotify Kicks Off Week of Festivities After Contributing More Than $10 Billion to the Industry

Spotify bug on a dark background

Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center of a defining cultural moment for the podcast industry. The festivities culminate this Sunday at the Golden Globes, which will introduce a Best Podcast category for the first time—a major milestone that underscores the format’s expanding impact across news, entertainment, and public discourse.

To mark the occasion, we’ll unveil tools and spaces that help empower connection, celebrate milestones, and showcase the creators who spark culture. We’re also partnering with The Hollywood Reporter to cohost Golden Week Nominees Night. The evening will feature musical performances from Chaka Khan, John Legend, and Sinners breakout star Miles Caton, and will honor the creators in the Best Podcast category, which includes Good Hang with Amy Poehler, from Spotify’s The Ringer.

Powering the next era of podcasting

Over the past decade, podcasts have evolved from a niche medium to a cultural force, a source of news, commentary, entertainment, and connection. They’re the new late-night talk show and an essential stop on all major press tours and presidential campaigns. Spotify helped establish the model for modern podcast success by investing early in creators, supporting multi-format storytelling, and building global audiences for today’s top shows. Since early 2019, podcast content on Spotify has increased from 200K titles to over 7M shows available in over 180 markets.

Over the past five years, we estimate that our investments across Spotify’s podcast ecosystem have contributed more than $10B to the podcast industry. This figure is fueled by direct creator monetization, the scale of audience engagement we deliver, and the infrastructure that helps creators and publishers of all sizes run their businesses, both on and off Spotify. It reflects our deep commitment to the creator economy and underscores Spotify’s position as a leading platform for audio and video creators alike.

“Being recognized at the Golden Globes for the first time is a stop-sign moment for podcasting,” said Roman Wasenmüller, VP, Global Head of Podcasts, Spotify. “It reflects how far the medium has come, the opportunity that still lies ahead, and the creativity, diversity, and ambition of the creators shaping podcasting today. This week, we’re spotlighting their work and rolling out new ways to help them create, grow, and earn.”

Looking ahead, we remain focused on empowering creators with better discovery, flexible monetization models, and tools that support storytelling. We expect that podcasting will continue to grow and change, but for us, we aim to preserve what we all love about this incredible medium: authenticity, connection, and creative expression, while helping every publisher, show, and creator unlock their full potential.

There’s more to come, so check back soon for the latest news and creator stories from across the week.

Spotify and Stray Kids Celebrate KARMA With an Immersive Spotify STAYdium Experience

The wait is over: Stray Kids return with their fourth full-length album, KARMA. And with Spotify STAYdium, fans aren’t just listening, they’re living every moment of it.

Now open in Seoul and Jakarta through August 25, and then heading to Tokyo August 23 through August 27, Spotify STAYdium is a journey into Stray Kids’ latest era. It’s also a tribute to STAY, whose dedication has fueled Stray Kids’ story of grit, growth, and global impact.

“Our fans are the reason for our destiny. We’re also so thankful for Spotify, who has supported us since our rookie year,” said the group. “Partnering with Spotify to bring Spotify STAYdium to life feels like we’ve come full circle. This space celebrates all that we’ve built together with STAY, and we hope they feel our love in every moment.”

KAROL G and Spotify Bring ‘Tropicoqueta’ to Life With an Unforgettable NYC Celebration

To celebrate the release of KAROL G’s acclaimed new album, Tropicoqueta, Spotify teamed up with the Latin icon to host an exclusive, immersive experience at Paradise Club in New York City. Channeling the bold energy of Karol’s new era, more than 200 fans took part in a night of music and culture.

Blending sounds from across Latin America, Tropicoqueta is a tribute to Karol’s roots. Our celebration brought the new album to life in a one-of-a-kind setting that captured its rhythms and colorful aesthetic. Guests explored the tropical-inspired space before gathering around the stage, where a choreographer taught the crowd some of the fresh dance moves featured in Karol’s latest music video.