- Spotify has rolled out podcast integration within Prompted Playlists
- You can generate a playlist of podcast episodes based on your own prompts
- It’s a fresh way to discover new podcasts, just as you can with music tracks
I’ve never been a huge Spotify podcast listener, mainly because the discovery tools aren’t as omnipresent as they are with music, and it’s been hard to find new shows that I actually stick with — but Spotify’s new upgrade could be the solution to this long-term struggle.
Building on its Prompted Playlist feature, which allows you to control your algorithm by using specific prompts to create music playlists, Spotify is now including podcasts in the mix. The tool is rolling out in English to Premium subscribers in a number of regions including the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden.
Now, as well as using prompts to curate playlists of songs based on mood, vibe, or listening history, you can use prompts to generate a collection of podcast episodes to find your next big obsession or dive even further into specific topics. It gives you another way to explore Spotify’s wide array of podcasts, instead of endlessly scrolling through its podcast categories to find new shows — which has never worked out for me personally.
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In its announcement, Spotify’s Global Head of Podcast Editorial Lizzy Hale shared that “Podcast fans are always looking for their next great listen”, adding that “Prompted Playlist makes discovery feel effortless and personal. For creators, it unlocks powerful new opportunities for discovery, bringing both back catalog and new episodes to audiences who are actively signaling what they want to hear”.
One giant leap for podcast discovery
Prompted Playlist’s expansion to podcasts works just the same as it does for music.
You build one by tapping the ‘Create’ button in the bottom right (or by tapping the ‘+’ sign if you’ve disabled the Create button), then entering a prompt as long or short as you want — and you can be specific with your descriptions. You can edit these cues at any time, or start a new prompt from scratch.
Additionally, you can amend your playlist so that it updates every so often, just as you can with a standard Prompted Playlist concerning songs. That way, it gives you a continuum of fresh podcast recommendations, keeping you very much in the know.
As I’ve said, despite being one of the best music streaming services, Spotify’s discovery tools (such as Daylists, New Music Friday playlists, and of course Discover Weekly) have only ever helped users find music, until now. I’ve pretty much mastered all the ways to find new tracks that resonate with me on Spotify, but I’ve never been able to stick to a new podcast show — let alone find a fresh one that catches my attention and makes me download more episodes.
The expansion of Prompted Playlists into the podcast ecosystem is the first step in Spotify’s journey to making podcast discovery a smoother experience for subscribers. Because it allows for specific prompts, it also introduces a new way for users to find episodes on culturally-relevant topics that interest them the most, even if they’re hyper-niche.
Speaking of relevant topics, I wanted to see what Spotify’s podcasts had to say about the controversial Kanye West (who now prefers the name ‘Ye’) Wireless Festival booking — and there was a lot to digest. Though the playlist took some time to generate (it often does with Prompted Playlists), what it curated was a solid collection of podcast episodes about the topic I’d entered as a prompt, spanning different types of shows from factual news to more laid-back, conversational and panel-based podcasts.
My trial run revealed that Prompted Playlists’ upgrade opens a door to a whole new realm of podcast discovery, but can also serve as an easy way to access and search for how creators and other voices are contributing to culture discourse on a global scale.
I predict a huge hit for those who use podcasts to dive deeper into trending news stories and niche topics, instead of reading an abundance of news articles to get their fix. I’m also excited to explore the tool even more to see what new podcasts will come my way. Maybe 2026 is the year I’ll finally become the podcast enthusiast I’ve always dreamt of being.
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rowan.davies@futurenet.com (Rowan Davies)
