Tag: podcasts

Our Wrapped for Creators Experience Toasts 2024 Podcast Listening

December 4, 2024

More than half a billion people have listened to a podcast on Spotify as part of their daily routines since 2019, proving that the medium is a favorite for listeners. And with more than 6 million podcasts on the platform, it’s clear that creators feel at home with us.

As the year comes to a close, our Wrapped experience celebrates the milestones, trends, and special creator/fan connection we saw with podcasts in 2024. For the first time ever, we’re introducing Your Podcast Clips so podcast fans can enjoy end-of-year messages from some of their favorite podcast creators, and we’re highlighting some of our top lists—breakout creators (more than half the podcasts that charted in 2024 were not on the charts in 2023!), top video podcasts, most anticipated podcasts, and more—for listeners in our Wrapped podcast editorial hub. We’re also giving podcast creators a chance to learn more about their audiences and milestones from the year with our sixth-annual Wrapped for Creators.

Let’s look back at what was trending in the podcast space in 2024 and what creators can expect to find in their Wrapped for Creators experience.

Trending…trending…1, 2, 3

Niche audiences are at the heart of podcasting. True crime buffs have Crime Junkie, Reddit lovers turn to Smosh Reads Reddit Stories, and sports fans get their fix with The Bill Simmons Podcast. The great thing about listeners’ having millions of shows at their fingertips on Spotify is that they can find like-minded individuals or experts talking about practically any subject of interest on a podcast.

As the podcast space continues to grow, we’re seeing the format evolve and video podcasts grow in popularity—in the past year, there’s been an 88% surge in users’ consuming video podcasts. With more than 300,000 video podcasts on Spotify, we’re giving fans a new way to enjoy their favorite shows, allowing them to feel like they are in the room with the host. The Joe Rogan Experience, Call Her Daddy, and Gemischtes Hack are three of the top video podcasts globally for 2024.

Personalized Wrapped experiences for creators

As podcast fans indulge in the revelation of their 2024 listening habits, creators can also dive deep into personalized data with Wrapped for Creators. This experience offers millions of podcasters a unique opportunity to celebrate their milestones from the past year and discover how their podcasts resonated with fans across the world. 

“Wrapped for Creators helps podcasters better understand their global audiences, celebrate their fans, and see the macro trends that shaped our year,” said Jordan Newman, Head of Content Partnerships at Spotify. “Video has officially taken off, comments are fueling creator and fan connection, and more and more shows are gaining global fan bases.”

Creators will receive data stories about their growth from the past year, their top episodes, fan engagement trends, and more. 

If you’re a creator looking for your 2024 Wrapped, you can access your custom “Wrapped for Creators” experience through the Spotify for Creators dashboard, regardless of where you host your show. 

Explore your personalized 2024 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2024 Wrapped hub.

Bingeworthy Audiobooks and Podcasts to Nourish Your Soul

November 25, 2024

‘Tis the season for gathering with family and friends! As we come together around our communal tables to celebrate, whet your appetite with some of Spotify editors’ favorite audiobooks and podcasts focused on food.

Appetizing Audiobooks

Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals

By Dolly Parton, Rachel Parton George
Narrated by Dolly Parton, Rachel Parton George, Maurice Miner

“Hey, good lookin’—what ya got cookin’?” That’s what Dolly Parton sings to her sister Rachel Parton George whenever she walks into her kitchen. Now you’re invited to pull up a chair to a year of meals, friends, and fun with the Partons, as Dolly and her sister (and favorite cook) share beloved, crowd-pleasing recipes and family stories.

Sobremesa: A Memoir of Food and Love in Thirteen Courses

By Josephine Caminos Oría
Narrated by Julie Gonzalo

We often overlook the soulful nourishment and magic that happens at sobremesa—the time spent talking after a meal—due to busy lives. In this coming-of-age adventure, Josephine Caminos Oría travels to her family’s homeland of Argentina in search of that magic. Steeped in the lure of Latin culture, she pieces together her mom and abuela’s pasts, along with the nourishing dishes that formed their kitchen arsenal. 

Open Wide: A Cookbook for Friends

By benny blanco and Jess Damuck
Narrated by benny blanco

The debut cookbook from benny blanco—pop music super-producer, artist, actor on FXX’s Dave, and consummate food freak—teaches you everything you need to know about cooking, enjoying life, and throwing the greatest dinner party of all time. 

Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations

By Tabitha Brown
Narrated by Tabitha Brown

Tabitha Brown, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Feeding the Soul, presents her first cookbook—full of easy, family-friendly vegan recipes and stories from the spirit, inspired by her health journey and love of delicious food. After living with a terrible undiagnosed illness for more than a year and a half, Brown tried a 30-day vegan challenge—and never looked back. 

 Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking

By Michael Ruhlman
Narrated by Michael Ruhlman

Michael Ruhlman’s New York Times bestseller takes us to the very “truth” of cooking: it is not about recipes but rather about basic ratios and fundamental techniques that make all food come together. Why spend time sorting through the millions of cookie recipes? Isn’t it easier just to remember 1-2-3? That’s the ratio of ingredients that always make a basic, delicious cookie dough: 1 part sugar, 2 parts fat, and 3 parts flour. 

Palate-Pleasing Podcasts

Ringer Food

Juliet Litman and David Jacoby sample various snacks, share personal tales about food, and round up the latest in food news from around the world. And then come hang with Joe House and his culinary comrades on their House of Carbs segments to devour the latest additions to the food universe’s menu with a slate of tasty episodes throughout the year.

The Dave Chang Show

Momofuku restaurant-founder, and creator and host of Netflix’s Ugly Delicious, Dave Chang is also an avid student and fan of sports, music, art, and film. In wide-ranging conversations that cover everything from the creative process to his guest’s guiltiest pleasures, Dave and a rotating cast of smart, thought-provoking guests talk about their inspirations, failures, successes, fame, and identities.

 Gastropod

Co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley explore the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. They interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, and generally have lots of fun while discovering new ways to think about and understand the world through food.

Food People by Bon Appétit

Bon Appétit’s Editor-in-Chief Jamila Robinson engages in discussions about how we eat and why food matters. The show includes interviews with renowned voices from the food world, behind-the-scenes details into how the magazine is made, and insight from the latest stories.

The Sporkful

We obsess about food to learn more about people, and The Sporkful isn’t for foodies, it’s for eaters. Hosted by Dan Pashman, who’s also the inventor of the new pasta shape cascatelli, the show is a James Beard and Webby Award winner for Best Food Podcast.

A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich 

Mythical Chefs Josh Scherer and Nicole Enayati discuss, debate, and dissect the web’s most hilariously controversial culinary quandaries.

Food Network Obsessed 

Host Jaymee Sire sits down with chefs, food influencers, and Food Network personalities to dish on all things delicious in the food world. From exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, first (and worst) jobs in food, to cooking fails and culinary triumphs, no topic is off the menu. 

Cheers To 10 Years of Spotify in Canada

November 14, 2024

Since launching in Canada in 2014, Spotify has been the go-to audio platform for Canadians while also providing a home for artists, creators, authors, and listeners alike. And yesterday, to honor our partnership with those communities over the last 10 years, our team in Canada flung open the doors to our Toronto HQ to welcome them for a day of events and entertainment celebrating Spotify’s journey with Canadians.

Featuring performances by Québec-based singer-songwriter Claudia Bouvette and country artist Cameron Whitcomb, alongside a fireside chat with author Uzma Jalaluddin for Spotify’s “Audiobook Club,” the open house encapsulated how Spotify has helped to broadcast Canadians’ unique diversity and culture around the world, as well as from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

 

Spotify’s Biggest German-Language Podcast, ‘Gemischtes Hack,’ Returns With a New Twist: Video

September 27, 2024

Since landing on Spotify in 2019, German-language podcast Gemischtes Hack has grown to become not just one of our most-streamed podcasts globally, but our most popular podcast in Germany. 

And earlier this month, hosts Tommi Schmitt and Felix Lobrecht returned from their summer break ready to record a fresh season of the wildly successful podcast in a brand-new studio that the pair built in collaboration with Spotify. 

A+ Listening for Back-to-School Season

August 29, 2024

Bells are ringing—school bells, that is—as kids across the U.S. start the new school year. In addition to fresh fits and the right supplies, kids might also need some encouragement for the excitement and challenges ahead, and audiobooks and podcasts are a great way to start.

Here are some of the top back-to-school picks selected by the Spotify team—they’re full of examples of curiosity, friendship, kindness, and inclusion to help ease those first-day jitters.

Audiobooks

Gustavo the Shy Ghost 

Written by Flavia Z. Drago

Narrated by Marisa Blake

Back-to-school season means that Halloween is just ahead. And little ghouls and goblins will love debut author Flavia Z. Drago’s sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship.

Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him?

Sheila Rae the Brave 

Written by Kevin Henkesn

Narrated by Laura Hamilton

Kevin Henkes is the beloved author of perennial favorites including Chrysanthemum, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Julius, the Baby of the World, and Owen.

In Sheila Rae the Brave, we meet Sheila, who is not afraid of anything. She steps on cracks, walks backward with her eyes closed, and teases her sister for her fears. But when Sheila Rae gets lost one day, she discovers maybe, just maybe, she isn’t quite as brave as she thought she was.

The Case of the Disgusting School Dinners 

Written by Angie Lake

Narrated by Claudia Campbell

Aren’t school dinners a bit strange? Chicken nuggets? On pizza? Covered in chocolate? Nobody wants to live on lettuce and broccoli, but children are losing teeth over this! This looks like a case for Mina Mistry, the adventure-seeking sleuth at the center of Claudia Campbell’s The Case of the Disgusting School Dinners.

Being at school is boring when you just know you’re going to grow up to be something cool like a private investigator. So until then, Mina’s going to practice for her future, and there’s plenty of detective work to be done at school.

Hattie Harmony 

Written and narrated by Robbie Arnett and Elizabeth Olsen

In this sequel to the New York Times bestseller Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, the eponymous protagonist shares new tools for managing anxiety, just in time for opening night of the school play.

There are lines to be memorized, costumes to sew, and sets to paint. Will Hattie be able to settle the pre-show jitters before curtain call? Co-authored by actress Elizabeth Olsen and musician and writer Robbie Arnett, this relatable tale introduces the youngest readers to the importance of self-care.

The Good Egg and the Talent Show 

Written by Jory John

Narrated by Dan Bittner

The Good Egg is so excited for the talent show, but there’s just one problem: He doesn’t have an act. When the talent show starts, he accepts that he’ll be just a regular audience member. But when his friends need help onstage, the Good Egg steps up to assist and discovers that being yourself and being kind deserve a standing ovation.

The Good Egg and the Talent Show is a Level 1 I Can Read book, which means it’s perfect for kids who are sounding out words and sentences. Audiobooks are also a great companion to physical books for kids discovering the joys of reading on their own.

Podcasts

Short History Of…

History is full of the extraordinary, and each week, Short History Of… transports listeners back in time to witness history’s most incredible moments and remarkable people.

Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!

Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby! is a special back-to-school series that explores the most entertaining and enraging stories from mythology every Tuesday and Friday this September. Told in a casual, contemporary, and sarcastic tone, each episode will leave listeners realizing that Greek and Roman gods did some pretty weird (and awful) things.

Dan Snow’s History Hit

Listen along as historian Dan Snow investigates the how and why of history’s defining moments. From the tomb of Tutankhamun to the battlefields of Waterloo, Dan shares the greatest stories from the past to help us understand the present.

The Ten News

The Ten News is a bite-sized podcast for families who are curious about the world around them. Each episode explores topics kids care about most, including events, sports, science, gaming, pop culture, entertainment, and more.

Phil Edwards

From business to tech, french fries to Civil War balloons, podcaster Phil Edwards dives deep into everyday topics and finds the stories that will pique the interest of adults and kids alike. 

 For even more content, check out our Back to School Hub on Spotify. 

Introducing Casa Spotify Buenos Aires, a New Cultural Center for Argentine Creators

August 15, 2024

Recent years have seen the emergence of groundbreaking talent from cultural hot spots across Latin America. Propelled by the power of streaming, Latin beats are reshaping the rhythm of global music. Argentina is home to a number of these artists, with hitmakers like Maria Becerra and Bizarrap breaking down barriers and bringing their music to fans around the world.

At Spotify, we’re committed to elevating Argentine artists to the global stage. And now, we’re proud to present Casa Spotify Buenos Aires, a new space for Argentine creators located in the heart of the city’s art scene.

A place for creators to hone their craft

This vibrant space will bring artists, producers, podcasters, and fans together year-round, offering a unique environment for inspiration, growth, and collaboration. With a podcast studio, listening rooms, an acoustic performance space, and more, Casa Spotify Buenos Aires is where every visitor can find their voice.

“At Spotify, we firmly believe in the power of music to connect people and strengthen communities, and Casa Spotify is the perfect space for that,” said Belen Dantas, Marketing Manager for Spotify’s Southern Cone region. “This venue not only provides artists and creators with a platform to share their creativity but also allows listeners to discover and enjoy a variety of meaningful experiences and connections, fostering a sense of belonging within our global community.”

Go for the Gold This Summer With These Sports-Themed Audiobooks and Podcasts

July 26, 2024

Summer is peak season for some of our favorite sports and events. Whether you’re rooting for the home team at the ballpark or cheering for your country as it competes in Paris, Spotify’s editors have audiobook and podcast recommendations that will help you amp up your team spirit.

Audiobooks

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance

Simone Biles, Michelle Burford

Narrated by Imani Parks

In Courage to Soar, four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance made her one of the top athletes and gymnasts in the world. The GOAT’s entrance into the world of gymnastics started on a field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, and her talent, along with drive to succeed no matter what, has fueled her ever since. This official autobiography shows that there is much more to Simone than meets the eye, and it offers inspiration for finding the courage to overcome life’s obstacles.

Make It Count: My Fight to Become the First Transgender Olympic Runner

CeCé Telfer

Narrated by CeCé Telfer

This inspiring story from the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA title follows CeCé Telfer’s traditional upbringing in Jamaica, her fight to become a U.S. citizen, her efforts to achieve her Olympic dreams, and the many obstacles that came with them. It’s a story of resilience, athleticism, and a quest for clarity, because when CeCé discovered running, she also found herself. 

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Launched the Modern Olympic Age

Todd Balf

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

Even a century later, the 100-meter sprint final at the 1924 Paris Games is considered one of the most thrilling races in Olympic history. Broadcast live for the first time and featuring three of the world’s fastest swimmers—American legends Duke Kahanamoku and Johnny Weissmuller, and Japanese upstart Katsuo Takaishi—the race was also the first Olympic swimming final to spotlight athletes of different races. Three Kings traces the careers and rivalries of these men and looks at how our modern-day conception of athleticism and competition is rooted in this previous era and its athletes.

Drop In: The Gender Rebels Who Changed the Face of Skateboarding

Deborah Stoll

Narrated by Deborah Stoll, Daru Oda

Who gets to tell the story of skateboarding? The four skateboarders at the heart of Drop In defied expectations of gender, talent, physical ability, and mental capacity to fight the status quo: Alana as the first openly nonbinary athlete in Olympic history; Vanessa as a record-breaking runaway; Marbie as an accidental boundary-breaking trans icon; and Victoria as the skate rookie turned social media sensation. This story spotlights their paths from rebellious outsiders to pioneers onstage at the 2021 Tokyo Games, where skateboarding made its debut. 

Just Add Water: My Swimming Life 

Katie Ledecky

Narrated by Katie Ledecky

Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming, from her start in Bethesda, Maryland, where she first discovered the joy of the pool, to winning gold at just 15 years old, to balancing competition and her education at Stanford University. Ledecky shares firsthand how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through the intense pressures of her sport and how she has continued to dominate in the pool, where success comes down to  milliseconds

Podcasts

Sal’s Winning Weekend

Sal Iacono—Jimmy Kimmel Live on-air personality and host of Cousin Sal’s Winning Weekend—breaks down the world of gambling across a variety of sports, including professional football, basketball, hockey, and ultimate fighting; boxing; wrestling; and even competitive hot dog eating.

The Ryen Russillo Podcast

Each week, longtime sports radio host Ryen Russillo covers the biggest topics in sports. This podcast is one-stop listening for everything that’s happening in the athletic world, from the winners and losers to trade talk and predictions—and a dash of pop culture.

The Bill Simmons Podcast

HBO and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time. Tune in to hear him in conversation with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media heavyweights, as well as regulars like Cousin Sal and Joe House.

Counter Pressed

Commentator Flo Lloyd-Hughes and a rotating group of friends offer a fun, unfiltered look at the world of football, with a focus on the women’s game. 

The Press Box

The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker catch up listeners on the biggest media stories of the week, from sports to politics and everything in between.

Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Emmy-winning producer, actor, and comedian Larry Wilmore weighs in on the issues of the week and interviews guests from the worlds of politics, entertainment, culture, sports, and beyond.

Ringer Dish

Ringer Dish is the place for all things celebrity and pop culture. From major moments like the Met Gala, the Oscars, and massive sporting events to the weird habits of the stars you love, and even refreshers on the biggest tabloid stories of the last 20 years, Ringer Dish has all the vital details.

Beat the Heat With These Bingeworthy Beach Reads (and Pool Podcasts!)

July 18, 2024

Summer is officially in full swing, and that means it’s time to chill out. Whether you’re heading out on vacation or hoping to make the most of Summer Fridays, a good audiobook or podcast is the perfect companion. If you’re craving an offbeat rom-com, murder mystery, or intimate conversation with a Hollywood legend, Spotify’s editors are here to help you find your next summer beach read (or lakeside listen).

Audiobooks

Going Bicoastal 

Written by Dahlia Adler
Narrated by Mara Wilson

In this queer YA rom-com, main character Natalya must choose between spending the summer in NYC with her dad (and the girl she’s always had a crush on) or in LA with her estranged mom (and, it turns out, a guy she never saw coming). How’s a girl supposed to choose? Thankfully she doesn’t have to, because in Going Bicoastal, both summers play out in alternating timelines.

Just for the Summer 

Written by Abby Jimenez
Narrated by Christine Lakin, Zachary Webber, Abby Jimenez

Just for the Summer introduces readers to Justin and Emma, who share a common curse: Every person they each date goes on to find their soulmate the second they break up. So, the pair comes up with a plan: They’ll fake-date each other and then break up. Their curses will cancel out, and they’ll both go on to find “the one.” What could go wrong? 

In Just for the Summer, set in a cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka, discover what happens when a relationship that was supposed to be temporary turns out to be more.

Beach Read 

Written by Emily Henry
Narrated by Julia Whelan

In Emily Henry’s bestseller Beach Read, Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction, and January Andrews writes romance. The only thing they have in common is that for three months, they’re living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer’s block. The two struggling authors decide to strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

 The Midnight Feast 

Written by Lucy Foley
Narrated by Joe Eyre, Sarah Slimani, Roly Botha, Laurence Dobiesz, Tuppence Middleton

The Midnight Feast takes listeners into a world where darkness stirs under the burning midsummer sun. It’s opening night at the Manor, the newest and hottest luxury resort, and no expense small or large has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles, cocktails are being poured with a heavy hand, and everyone is wearing linen. But old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And it’s not too long before the local police are called. Turns out the past has crashed the party, with deadly results.

Swan Song 

Written by Elin Hilderbrand
Narrated by Erin Bennett

In Swan Song, a $22 million mansion is snapped up by the mysterious Richardson family and everyone in the community is swept into the ensuing high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, and flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts. And when their house goes up in flames and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.

Elin Hilderbrand is the queen of beach reads, and this last book in the Nantucket novels series—with its glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, and cast of beloved characters that includes the island itself—shows why.

For more summer reading inspo, head to our Beach Reads hub.

 Podcasts

 CounterClock 

In order to tell the story of a crime, sometimes you have to turn back time. On her podcast CounterClock, investigative journalist Delia D’Ambra digs deep into a mind-bending mystery with the hopes of reigniting interest in a decades-old homicide case.

The Big Picture

Whether you’re looking for must-see movie reviews, Top 5 rankings, Oscars analysis, or anything else under the Hollywood sun, The Big Picture has you covered. In each episode, hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins are joined by a rotating cast of Ringer colleagues including Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, and Bill Simmons.

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Each week on Wiser Than Me, Julia Louis-Dreyfus engages in a funny, touching, personal conversation with an iconic “older woman” brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only come with age. Julia and her 90-year-old mom, Judy, sit at the feet of some extraordinary teachers, including Patti Smith, Carol Burnett, and Gloria Steinem. Tune in to laugh, cry, and get wise. 

Couples Therapy

On Couples Therapy, comedians and real-life couple Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman gab with their favorite actors and comics about their romantic lives and answer your burning relationship questions with all the wisdom two unlicensed entertainers can possibly muster.

 Murder in the Hollywood Hills

Kristi Johnson was shopping at a mall in Los Angeles when a man invited her to a photo shoot for the next Bond film. That afternoon, the 21-year-old got into her white sports car and drove to meet him in the Hollywood Hills. She was never seen alive again. In Dateline’s latest podcast, Murder in the Hollywood Hills, Keith Morrison takes listeners to the city of dreams for the story of a smooth-talking predator who lured young women into a nightmare with promises of fame and fortune. It’s the story of how he evaded justice for years. But most of all, it’s the story of a group of women who banded together to lock him up for good.

For more podcast inspo, head to our Essential Travel Listening hub.

Comments on Podcasts Gives Creators and Listeners More Ways To Engage

July 9, 2024

*Update as of April 23, 2025: We are expanding our auto-publishing capabilities to more languages, including comments made in Spanish, German, and Portuguese, in addition to English.

*Update as of October 23, 2024: We’ve been investing in new settings and features to improve the comments experience on Spotify, and give creators even more flexibility and control over their show. We will now automatically publish all new comments made in English, as long as they meet our platform rules. Get the latest at Spotify for Podcasters.

For podcast creators who want to grow their audiences, building a stronger relationship with their listeners and fans goes a long way. And in order to amplify their presence, creators need tools that give them the functionality, insights, and flexibility to manage their shows and engage fans anytime, anywhere. 

That’s why, starting today, we’re beginning to roll out a brand-new way for podcast creators to interact with their fans—with Comments—and introducing an easier way for all podcasters to manage their shows: with the all-new Spotify for Podcasters mobile app.

Our new Comments feature expands on the Q&A and polls functionality we introduced in 2021 as a way to bring interactivity into the podcasting industry for the first time. And interactivity is a feature that already has listeners and creators buzzing: More than 9 million unique Spotify listeners have interacted with a Q&A or poll just this year, and there’s been 80% year-over-year growth in the number of total Q&A responses and votes from listeners.

“As a podcast focused on the lessons we can learn from history’s greatest leaders, I’m always curious about which takeaways resonate most with my audience,” said Ben Wilson, creator of How to Take Over the World. “Comments on Spotify provide me that invaluable feedback, which makes creating my podcast that much more rewarding and allows me to build a stronger connection with my listeners.”

With the introduction of Comments, we’re also excited to give all creators—regardless of where their episodes are hosted—better ways to manage their entire show, including listener feedback. Podcast creators can now use Spotify for Podcasters on desktop or with our all-new mobile app to interact with listeners, manage their presence on Spotify, check their latest stats, and track growth in real time. And fans can directly comment on the podcast episodes they’re already listening to on Spotify. 

Mental Health Matters: Embrace Self-Care With These Audiobook and Podcast Listens

May 16, 2024

May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with mental health concerns and reduce the stigma many experience. Mental health struggles impact everyone to some degree, and methods of self-care can vary. To that end, here are some recommendations from Spotify’s editors of audiobooks and podcasts focused on mental health, well-being, and self-care:

Audiobooks:

The Mountain is You

Brianna Wiest

Narrated by Stacey Glemboski

For centuries, the mountain has been used as a metaphor for the big challenges humans face, especially those that seem impossible to overcome. To scale our own personal mountains, we must do the deep internal work of excavating trauma, building resilience, and adjusting how we show up for the climb. In the end, it is not the mountain we master, but ourselves.

In The Mountain is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery, Brianna Wiest explores the reasons people often resist efforts to evolve and explains why extracting crucial insights from our most damaging habits can help us build emotional intelligence, better understand our brains and bodies, and release past experiences at a cellular level. Wiest’s book walks through the ways in which learning to act as our highest-potential future selves can help us step out of our own way. 

Permission to Come Home

Jenny Wang

Narrated by Jenny Wang

As Asian Americans investigate the personal and societal effects of longstanding cultural narratives suggesting they take up as little space as possible, Permission to Come Home takes readers on an empowering journey of Asian Americans’ reclaiming liberty over their mental health. More than 18 million people of Asian descent live in the United States today; however, they are the racial group least likely to seek out mental health services.

Calling on her personal narrative as a Taiwanese American, her insights as a clinician, and evidence-based tools, Dr. Jenny T. Wang explores a range of life areas that call for attention, offering readers permission to question, feel, rage, say no, take up space, play, fail, and grieve. She suggests a return closer to home, a place of acceptance, belonging, healing, and freedom. For Asian Americans and the diaspora, this book is a necessary roadmap for the journey to wholeness. 

Check out the full Listens for the Mind playlist here:

The Art of Living

Thich Nhat Hanh

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, Gabra Zackman

 Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh—one of the world’s most revered spiritual leaders—explores an “art of living” in mindfulness that seeks to help readers answer some of life’s deepest questions and move toward experiencing greater happiness and freedom.

Combining the essence of the Buddha’s teachings and the author’s own poignant, timeless, and clarifying prose, The Art of Living explains seven transformative meditations that open up new perspectives on our lives, our relationships, and our interconnectedness with the world around us. Drawing on intimate examples from his own life, Thich Nhat Hanh demonstrates how these seven meditations can free us to live a happier, more peaceful, and more active life.

Decolonizing Wellness

Dalia Kinsey

Narrated by LaNecia Edmonds

A lack of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation in the fields of health and nutrition has a demonstrably negative impact on people with those identities. In Decolonizing Wellness, registered dietitian and nutritionist Dalia Kinsey explores how the body-positivity movement emphasizes cisgender, heteronormative, and Eurocentric standards of beauty and ignores the intersectional challenges of anti-Blackness, colorism, homophobia, transphobia, and generational trauma when it comes to wellness and self-care.

A roadmap to body acceptance and self-care for queer people of color in particular, the book encourages readers to embrace “food freedom”: viewing food as a source of pleasure instead of shame. It’s filled with practical eating practices, journal prompts, affirmations, and mindfulness tools and is a guide to throwing out food rules in exchange for internal cues. Readers learn how to adopt a self-love-based approach to eating and make mealtime into a time for celebration and healing.

Check out the full Wellness Essentials playlist here:

Mindful Mr. Sloth

Katy Hudson

Narrated by Erin Ruth Walker

Sasha has one speed: fast. She loves to do lots of things all at once, as fast as possible. Mr. Sloth has one speed: slow. He loves to do things one at a time at a nice, easy pace. Can Mr. Sloth’s mindful ways teach Sasha to slow down and enjoy life? Bestselling author Katy Hudson gently weaves a mindfulness theme into this unlikely friendship tale between an energetic girl and a sloth, encouraging children to stop, breathe, and be present in every moment.

Hattie Harmony: Opening Night

Robbie Arnett, Elizabeth Olsen

Narrated by Robbie Arnett, Elizabeth Olsen

In this sequel to the number-one New York Times bestselling Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, Hattie shares new tools for managing anxiety, just in time for opening night of the school play. That night, there are plenty of nerves to go around! It’s a good thing Hattie Harmony is ready to help her friends soothe their worries with everything in her trusted tool belt. Will Hattie be able to settle the preshow jitters before curtain call? The authors—acclaimed actress Elizabeth Olsen and esteemed musician and writer Robbie Arnett—narrate this relatable tale that introduces the youngest reader to the importance of self-care.

Check out the full Kids’ Mental Health playlist here:

Podcasts:

The Liz Moody Podcast

Hosted by bestselling author and longtime journalist Liz Moody, this research-backed wellness podcast is all about helping you live your healthiest, happiest life. Each week, Liz sits down with some of the world’s best functional doctors, researchers, authors, journalists, and various other leaders in their fields to tackle the hacks, tips, and tricks that make a healthier life easier. Topics include what to eat to fight disease, how to take control of your finances, tips for fighting anxiety and depression, productivity and career advice, advice for making friends as an adult, the best skincare routines, healthy cooking secrets, and so much more. 

Oversharing

Relationship enthusiast Jordana Abraham teams up with her sister, licensed clinical therapist Dr. Naomi Bernstein, to answer your questions and try to get to the bottom of the things that bother us most. Think of Jordana and Dr. Naomi as your BFF and your therapist sitting side by side at the brunch table trying to help you get through your problems. Each week they respond to listener emails and tackle difficult ethical questions.

 Balanced Black Girl

Les Alfred founded the Balanced Black Girl podcast and blog in 2018, dedicated to helping you feel your best. Tune in for approachable health, self-care, personal development, and well-being advice from the perspective of Black women in wellness. Balanced Black Girl extends a bridge for folks to easily connect with experts, gurus, and a mindful community. 

Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris

When journalist Dan Harris had a panic attack on live national television, it led him to try something he otherwise never would have considered: meditation. Harris went on to write the bestselling book 10% Happier, and on the same-titled podcast, he interviews eminent meditation teachers, top scientists, and even the occasional celebrity. He covers subjects that range from enlightenment and psychedelics to productivity and relationships to science-based techniques for addressing anxiety.

Raising Good Humans

Most parents have probably wished, at one time or another, that someone would whisper some realistic and trustworthy support into their ears. That’s just what Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist, parent educator, assistant clinical professor, and cofounder of both Mount Sinai Parenting Center and SeedlingsGroup, is here for. She’s a mom who’s trying to raise two good humans. In each episode, Dr. Pressman speaks with experts and parents to share the most effective approaches and tools and talk about the important bigger picture of raising good humans. 

 Real Pod

Victoria Garrick Browne, Forbes 30 Under 30 and TEDxTalk speaker, is known for her refreshing vulnerability and relatable candor. She hosts Real Pod, the podcast that dives into the heart-to-heart conversations we’re all craving. She has inspired millions to embrace their authentic selves and feel confident doing it. Are you ready to look at yourself, your relationships, and your life in a new way?

Check out the full Self-care podcasts section on Spotify here. 

Advertisers and Creators Come Together at Our First-Ever Spotify Sparks in London

May 2, 2024

With more than 600 million users around the world tuned in to Spotify, there’s no shortage of opportunity for brands and businesses to connect with their fans in creative ways on our platform.

Last year, we launched Spotify Sparks to help educate advertisers on why Spotify is the destination for reaching the most engaged audiences and leveraging culture-shaping content for impactful advertising campaigns. Following two successful summits in Brazil and India, we brought Spotify Sparks to the U.K. for the first-ever London edition. On May 1, Spotify executives, industry leaders, content creators, and advertisers gathered for a series of live discussions, presentations, and interactive sessions that explored the full power of the Spotify ecosystem.

During the event, Grace Kao, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing, moderated a conversation with Alex Norström, Spotify’s Co-President and Chief Business Officer, about the evolution of Spotify as a platform and the growth of our global advertising business.

We’re sharing highlights from Grace’s conversation with Alex, as well as Grace’s insights about the inaugural event, the latest ad experience innovations, the feel-good power of audio, and more.

Alex, what have been the most memorable moments of growth during your 13-year Spotify tenure?

Alex: For me, it’s been when we’ve had to bet the farm and commit surgery on ourselves a couple of times. Moments when you ask, Are we really going to do that? The first was when the world shifted from desktop to mobile—clearly evident now, not so much at the time. It paid off, we basically got a ton of growth, and in one month we grew more than the 12 months prior. Same with podcasts. We’re now in our second phase of podcasts, but a few years ago we had to start and establish our reach.

Has adding Audiobooks in Premium been another one of those moments?

Alex: I think so. The moment started last year, when we took a hard look at our proposition and saw there was so much consumer surplus. People spend hours and hours on our product. So, it was the right time to raise prices. This was new for us. But at the same time, we’re putting more value back in. An example being audiobooks, but also music videos and AI Playlist. We keep adding features to reinvest back proportionally.

Something that people don’t realize and we don’t talk about much is that our innovation is feature-led. We’ve been innovating in features—AI DJ, Spotify Connect, and daylist are good examples. Instead of leaning back and just letting the AI and the ML take care of how users interact with Spotify, we actively construct and innovate on features. Which I love.

And what advice can you share with these marketers at Spotify Sparks?

Alex: I’ll talk about marketing from our perspective. We saw a few years ago that as the cost of media increases, the price of advertising goes up. So whether you’re a global brand or a start-up, it’s more expensive to market. When things are expensive, they are riskier. So, you naturally become more risk-averse. 

We always try to look at things differently. So we said, If you have millions of users, you can tell compelling stories on the platform. You can talk to the users about their consumption on the platform and what’s relevant. And the hope is they then share with their friends on their networks.

That’s what Wrapped is. When you hit the spot, it’s amazing—it’s marketing and messaging that is very efficient. And we see great growth and retention.

Spotify and Substack Partner To Bring Even More Podcasts to Listeners

April 11, 2024

At Spotify, we always want to deliver more value for podcast creators and their fans. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new integration with Substack. Beginning today, Substack podcast creators globally can distribute their free and gated content to Spotify for the first time, and fans worldwide can listen to top Substack podcasts where they’re already listening to their favorite audio content. 

Substack joins a growing list of publishers and platforms offering subscriber-based content powered by Spotify Open Access, including Bankless, Dateline NBC, The Economist, Freakonomics Radio, Patreon, Supercast, Supporting Cast, The Wall Street Journal, and more. For podcast creators, the Spotify Open Access API brings an expanded opportunity to offer premium audio subscriptions to Spotify’s 602 million monthly active users.

“Spotify Open Access enables creators to grow their businesses while maintaining full control of their subscriber relationships. Our new integration with Substack empowers their creators to reach new and existing audiences where they listen most while giving Spotify listeners access to some of the world’s foremost content,” said Stephanie Shaer, Head of Partner Strategy and BD at Spotify.

With this new integration, premium podcast episodes from Substack shows like Rich Text, Split Zone Duo, and Culture Study are now available on Spotify for the first time. Emma Gray, cohost of Rich Text, a Substack podcast and newsletter about culture and entertainment, said, “We are truly so excited for our incredible community to be able to access the full breadth of our podcast offerings right on Spotify.”

“Just about everything I listen to, I listen to on Spotify,” said Alex Kirshner of Split Zone Duo, a college football podcast and newsletter on Substack. “I know I’m one of many. We’re very excited to be able to reach people on a ubiquitous platform and provide an ideal experience for our most important customers: our subscribers.”

Culture Study host Anne Helen Petersen shared, “I love feeling like we’re able to give supporters of the show a little (or a big!) treat with our subscriber content, which will now be even easier right on Spotify.”

With just a few clicks, podcast creators on Substack can add Spotify distribution to their podcasts to grow their audiences while retaining full control over their subscriber bases, their content, and their revenue. Once a creator enables distribution to Spotify from Substack, listeners can link their Substack and Spotify accounts or become subscribers through Substack to unlock access. 

Whether through Substack or any of our integrated membership platforms, if you subscribe to a podcaster’s paid show, we encourage you to connect your accounts to enjoy your favorite paid shows on Spotify.