Tag: Polls

Podcast Q&A and Polls Help Creators Talk to Fans Where They Are

Looking back, it’s clear the early days of podcasting were uncharted territory. Avid listeners would finish an episode and engage with each other elsewhere—on, say, a Reddit forum or Discord channel—but rarely with the podcast host. There was a desire for deeper conversations, but there wasn’t a channel. For podcasters, this disconnect kept them from the community interaction they needed to sustain momentum for their show. 

In 2019, when Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek announced that podcasts and podcasting would be the next phase of growth for the company, it was an opportunity to reimagine the future of podcasting by making a historically one-sided medium more engaging and dynamic for both listeners and hosts. So, as we grew our podcast offerings, Spotify was also able to expand capabilities for creators with the acquisition of Anchor—the world’s biggest podcast hosting platform—which has since become Spotify for Podcasters. In fall 2021, we launched Q&A and polls. 

“Podcasting can be two-way; it can be interactive. It can be a format that helps people connect with each other, instead of just one-way broadcasting,” says Maya Prohovnik, VP and Head of Podcast Product at Spotify. “As Spotify has become the number one audio listening platform in the world, as we’ve gotten a critical mass of listeners and creators in one place, it’s allowed us to really innovate and add these new ways to interact over audio.” 

Q&A and polls enable creators to incorporate a level of engagement by asking questions or soliciting voted responses. The tools allow podcasters to directly communicate with fans in a way that’s more personal. And since we enabled these features for all creators on our new Spotify for Podcasters platform, we’ve seen the number of podcasters who use them more than double.

“The creator response has been really strong, and it’s growing fast,” says Alex Yamamoto, a Product Marketing Manager in Spotify’s Podcast Mission who is focused on Creator Growth tools. “For the creators who are using it, it’s a way for them to get closer with their audiences. A lot of the creators we’ve seen have taken it in different directions. Some want to hear personal stories from their fans, others look for debate-like conversations. In general, it’s about getting people talking.”

Jump-starting conversations

In December of 2021, a few months after the features rolled out, Sapphire Sandolo, host of Stories with Sapphire, started experimenting and saw fans engaging almost immediately. “Before, you had to go off the thing that you were listening to the podcast to. You couldn’t interact right then and there,” she shares with For the Record. “I think that’s why people are really drawn to it. It keeps you there. You don’t have to go find where the discussions are happening.” 

Sapphire Sandolo

Sapphire was quick to adopt the features and has been using them in creative ways ever since. Since Stories with Sapphire focuses on encounters with the supernatural in cultures around the world, her engagement with these tools focuses on normalizing the topics she covers. “With the type of content that I do, people usually listen to paranormal stories because they have also experienced things, or they like to talk about paranormal stuff. Because of that, when I ask people, ‘Have you experienced something similar?’ people start chiming in because they most likely have,” she explains. 

Crafting the perfect question can be daunting, so our product team added a default question, “What did you think about this episode?” to all shows. With this addition, listeners and creators alike can experience and see the benefits from the Q&A capabilities—and get the conversation started. 

“The default Q&A helps people and it starts getting listeners engaged and using the tool,” says Chris Larson, a Product Manager for our podcast fan engagement features. “But where we really see benefits is when the creators put it in their own voice and customize it, either to their podcast category or to a specific show, or they ask about future shows and shape the direction of where they want to go. So, we’re trying to encourage more of that. We’ve learned from creators that that’s been really valuable. We look at the data and we see that it gets a lot more listener responses and there’s more engagement there when it’s been customized in their own voice.”  

For example, Teenager Therapy, a show hosted by a handful of Gen Z friends who try to normalize conversations around the harder topics within their lives, asks listeners to share their own personal stories. Gimlet’s Science Vs podcast, which takes on hot topics in science and health, asks listeners questions about their prior knowledge on a subject. And head to Stories with Sapphire for a deep cut: “What is your relationship with death?” 

In their own hands

Prior to the development of these tools, podcasters found other creative ways to generate two-way conversations. Smaller shows, in particular, were able to utilize voice memos and other alternatives to mimic call-in radio shows. “Some found workarounds maybe five or 10 years ago—it started being really popular to use a Google Voice number,” remembers Maya. “So people could call in, which is awesome, but it was not easy to set up. It was a lot of work for the fans and a lot of work for the creators—you had to listen to voicemails, export them, edit them. It was really cool to start to see that happening, but still really high friction.”

Beyond those who chose to call in, podcasters weren’t able to solicit feedback from fans. Now, Maya, who hosts a handful of podcasts herself, uses the Spotify for Podcasters fan engagement tools to crowdsource ideas for guests and topics and content. 

For Alex, keeping these features conveniently available on the Spotify environment—where listeners already are—also means that control and decision-making remain in the hands of the creators. “The power is really with the creators. They can initiate, engage with fans in what they see as the most positive and creative way,” he says. “The most creative Q&A and polls come from hosts who inherently understand the connection they have with their fans—and they’re the ones who see more listeners engage on Spotify. The beauty of the product is that it accentuates the connection a host already has with their fan base.” 

The tools also enable hosts to build community among their listeners.

“One of my main goals with my podcast is to normalize the paranormal,” says Sapphire.” A lot of the time, people don’t like to share their experiences because they think people will think they’re crazy. I want to create a space where people know they’re safe. I think that’s why people are more comfortable opening up when it comes to my show. They know other people who listen are going to be just as open.” 

A question for the future

As more creators start to use the tools and see the benefits of interactivity, the Spotify team is able to incorporate creator needs to help push conversations even further. “The things we’re committed to for the current functionality are just making sure we improve all the existing ways that creators are interacting with their audiences, and improve discoverability,” says Chris. “We want to close the feedback loop so that when creators do get feedback on their episodes, they’re notified in a timely manner and can actually engage. Because we know that for listeners, if they’re not getting feedback from the creators, it feels like fans are shouting into a black box. We want to encourage creators to start giving listeners that reinforcement.”

Alex’s tip to creators? Mention these new features in the episode intros and the show notes. “The best source of discovery of the feature for listeners is when the creator calls it out,” he says. 

And there’s always more to learn and experiment with. Sapphire, an early adopter of Q&A and polls, recently started using Spotify for Podcasters for analytics. After publishing two video podcasts, she noticed the number of people responding to her questions doubled. 

For Sapphire and Maya, podcasting incorporates an element of magic. “The world is a lot more magical than we give it credit sometimes,” Sapphire says. “We lose a lot of our sense of that as we grow older, but there’s always room for paranormal and room for magic.”  

“I really find it magical to be able to express myself and tell stories, and I really want everyone to be able to do that,” Maya explains. “So, I hope that’s what we keep seeing. It’s so easy to make a podcast on your phone and with all the developments we’re seeing in creator tools. I can’t even imagine where we’re gonna be in a couple years. As the barriers for creation become even lower, we’re going to see more experimenting and finding new, novel things to do with the medium. I’m really excited for Spotify to become the place that fans and creators think of when they think about connecting with each other.”

New Spotify for Podcasters Brings the Best of Spotify to All Creators

Spotify for Podcasters

Empowering creators is central to everything we do at Spotify. We’ve long been building the tools that podcasters need to tell their stories and grow their audiences, but until now, they’ve been split across multiple, separate platforms, including Anchor and Spotify for Podcasters. For creators who just want a simple way to take advantage of everything Spotify has to offer, it’s been too complicated. That ends now.

Today at Stream On, we announced that we’re combining our tools into a single, convenient, one-stop shop: Spotify for Podcasters

This makes for a significantly easier experience for every podcaster already on Spotify, and further, it opens up the opportunity for even more creators to find success—no matter how they choose to manage their podcast.

Making features available to all podcasters

Previously, our most innovative features were limited to Anchor users exclusively. But we’re building the new Spotify for Podcasters in a way that offers more open access to innovation. As a result, all Spotify for Podcasters users—including those not hosting their content with us—will find access to Q&A and Poll functionality in their dashboards.

And stay tuned for even more features to become available for non-hosted users in the future: We’re starting to open up access to video podcasts for more creators. You can sign up for more information at spotify.com/video.

New Spotify for Podcasters capabilities

Starting today, when all creators sign up or log in to Spotify for Podcasters, they’ll find a dashboard with everything they need to make, manage, and level up their show, including:

  • The ability to upload and publish episodes (for users hosting their show with Spotify for Podcasters)
  • Interactive features like Q&A and Polls
  • Advanced analytics to track a show’s growth, including streaming numbers and audience demographic data

Additionally, Spotify for Podcasters offers free hosting. And for those users whose podcast is hosted on Spotify for Podcasters, they also have access to recording and editing tools, video uploading, and monetization features.

Brand-new Spotify features for podcasts

Today, we also unveiled a number of new Spotify features that will help listeners better discover and engage with creators’ work. Look out for: 

  • Podcast previews, which enable listeners to sample a show right in their Home feed.
  • Creators can now add Podcast Chapters to their episodes by including time stamps in their episode descriptions. These allow listeners to browse through an episode by topic or section.
  • Creators can apply to participate in Spotify Labs, a global series of workshops that will provide opportunities to create in our world-class production studios, learn from Spotify experts, and connect with fellow podcasters and artists. 
  • Plus, we’re launching a new space for educational podcasting content—complete with growth tips, comprehensive how-to guides, advice from fellow creators, and more. 

Imagine Anchor’s powerful, all-in-one podcasting tools combined with Spotify for Podcasters’ advanced insights and analytics, all available with interactive features. And imagine it’s free and in every market where Spotify is live. 

Now stop imagining. That’s the new Spotify for Podcasters.

Find out more at Spotify for Podcasters

Show Your Favorite Podcasters You Love Them With Spotify’s New Star Ratings for Podcasts

With more than 3.2 million podcasts on Spotify, we know it can be daunting for listeners to find a new show they love. That’s why we’ve prioritized podcast discovery through features like Podcast Charts and personalized recommendations. And once listeners find a new show that looks promising, we want to make sure they have all the information they need to hit play—including a sense of how other listeners have enjoyed it. 

So starting today, we’re beginning to roll out ratings for podcasts: a star rating system that improves podcast discoverability by highlighting shows’ popularity. Podcast ratings give listeners an opportunity to support their favorite podcast shows and enable a two-way feedback loop between creator and listener.

How—and why—it works

After listening to a show, fans will have the opportunity to give it a rating using a 1–5 star system. The average rating will be publicly displayed on the podcast’s show page on Spotify, along with the total number of ratings the show has received.

By introducing ratings, we’re making it easier for listeners to decide when to try out a new podcast that might be their next favorite. Because podcast ratings will serve as the first chance to draw new listeners in, they have the potential to build instant interest. 

Ratings also give creators a big-picture view of how they’re doing, which they can then use productively by asking for more specific feedback—via Q&As on Spotify and in off-platform social conversations. We recommend that creators start building their ratings by letting their audiences know to rate them on Spotify. (Check out Anchor’s blog for more on how to take advantage of this new feature!)

We know listeners all over the world love podcasts, so this new rating feature will be available in nearly all markets where podcasts are on Spotify. It will start to roll out to users over the coming days—so be on the lookout.

Podcasts Get Interactive With New Q&A and Polls Features

Historically, podcasting has been a one-way street: creators publish shows and their audiences listen. But podcasting has the power to be a community-building medium, and at Spotify, we believe there can be more to the story. 

In order to achieve this community, creators and listeners need channels through which they can engage directly with the content and with each other. Today, just in time for International Podcast Day, Spotify and Anchor are powering new capabilities to help creators and listeners interact more deeply: Q&A and Polls.

These interactive enhancements will make it easier for listeners to engage with the people behind their favorite podcasts and for creators to hear from their fans and listeners—directly on Spotify. Q&A and Polls allow listeners to respond to short questions posed by the shows’ creators on podcast episode pages in the Spotify app. Starting today, these features are available to all Anchor creators and Spotify listeners in 160 markets around the world.

When we talked about this development at Stream On in February, we were testing Q&A and Polls with a select group of creators. Since then, thousands of creators have expressed interest in getting access to these features. In testing, we’ve seen creators use Q&A and Polls in a wide variety of ways: to get suggestions for future guests, to garner feedback on topic choice and format, and to create fun gamification that keeps listeners coming back to hear the hosts’ take on their responses.

“We have sought to create an engaged community of film lovers,” said Michael Tucker, host of Beyond The Screenplay. “All of the Spotify features have been absolutely incredible for bringing us closer to our audience. The Polls feature, in particular, is really helping us to shape the show’s future episodes.”

Here’s how it works: 

If a creator has chosen to post a question or poll for a specific episode, listeners will be able to find the question at the bottom of the episode page from their Spotify mobile app (whether iOS or Android). Depending on whether the creator chose an open-ended Q&A or a Poll, listeners can follow the prompt to respond in-app.

After responding to a Poll, listeners will then get to see how the entire audience of respondents voted and how their answer stacked up. For Q&A, listener responses will be delivered privately to the creator. Creators can then choose and pin specific featured responses that will appear publicly below the question (displaying the respondent’s Spotify username). For details on how the features work for creators, check out Anchor’s blog post.

We believe the future of podcasting is interactive. For too long, podcasting has been hindered by one-directional technology and a lack of format innovation. By building interactive functionality directly into our creation platform, Anchor, we’re able to break this mold and power more unique uses for audio. 

In addition to direct podcast interactivity such as Q&A and Polls, we’ve been rolling out a suite of products that create an all-in-one experience for audio creation and listening, from the Music + Talk content format, to the recently launched Podcast Subscriptions feature. Stay tuned as we continue to create tools to evolve how listeners engage with shows—and give creators greater control over their content.

Ready to dive right in and celebrate International Podcast Day? We’re making it simple to find the perfect show for you with our “Find the One” personalized quiz. Answer a handful of questions, and let us help you find your perfect podcast match.

Get to Know Your Favorite Podcasts Even Better With New Polls Feature

Ever wish you could communicate directly with your favorite podcast hosts—maybe to share who you think their next guest should be, or weigh in on a debate that took place during the episode? Now, you may just get your chance. Spotify is testing a new Polls feature that gives podcasters the opportunity to ask their audience questions within the app. Both the host and listeners will be able to see the responses in real time, opening up an entirely new way for creators and listeners to interact.

Through Polls, listeners can share feedback and opinions as requested by the show’s hosts, who can use that information to better connect with their fans in future episodes—whether it’s discovering what topics listeners want more of, or learning about the type of guests they love to hear from. You can find the poll at the bottom of the episode page for any podcasts where the feature is activated, or on the episode’s Now Playing page.

Note: Responding to a Poll is completely optional and your answer remains anonymous. If you participate, you’ll be able to see how your response stacks up to other respondents. During the testing phase, this feature will be available on select podcasts for 90% of users across all markets on iOS and Android devices. 

Ready to give it a try? Starting today, we will be rolling Polls out on a number of episodes of Spotify Originals and Exclusives, like The Rewatchables, Incredible Feats with Dan Cummins, Crime Countdown, and more. 

Updated as of Jan 19, 2021: Spotify is also testing this format as a free-response Q&A feature that gives listeners the opportunity to answer questions posed by the podcast host.