Spotify branches out into podcasting

In an unexpected move, Spotify, the world’s most popular streaming service has launched a new beta server called Spotify For Podcasters.

Podcast content creators can link their RSS feeds to Spotify, allowing content to be pushed various podcast aggregators and allowing them to be discovered by the Swedish service’s 159 active global users and 71 million subscribers.

Earlier speculation that Spotify would allow podcasters to directly upload their content proved off the mark.

Spotify will provide analytics such as episode performance, daily stats on listener demographics, location and engagement.

Content creators will also benefit from Spotify’s promotional push for podcasts.

Spotify has its own original podcast series Ebb & Flow, Unpacked and Showstopper, and new partnerships with Amy Schumer and Joe Budden.

iHeartRadio and SiriusXM/Pandora also began investing in the sector.

As of June 2018, there were 525,000 active shows and 18.5 million episodes.

In Reuters Institute’s latest Digital News Report which spoke to 2000 respondents each from various countries, South Korea had the largest percentage of podcast listeners, leading with 58%.

Spain followed at 40% and Sweden at 36%.

Australia and the US tied with 33%.

According to The Infinite Dial Australia, issued in May 2018, Australians’ familiarity with the term “podcasting” has grown from 72% to 78%.

13% of Australians have listened to a podcast in the last week, up from 10% in 2017.

Weekly podcast listeners listen to an average of five podcasts a week.

14% of weekly podcasts are by Australian radio stations or Australian radio personalities.