Spotify has shared new data and product insights showing how listeners are discovering podcasts on the platform.
This comes as discovery becomes an expected part of the listening experience rather than an added extra.
The insights arrive alongside recent developments including updates to the Spotify Partner Program, new video sponsorship tools and the launch of a new creator studio in Los Angeles, as Spotify continues to position podcasting as a global cultural category.
According to Spotify, more than 34 million podcasts are discovered for the first time on the platform every week, highlighting the scale at which listeners are finding new shows through recommendations, sharing and platform features.
The data also suggests deeper engagement over time, with the total number of podcast follows on Spotify nearly doubling over the past three years, as listeners build habits around multiple shows rather than dipping in occasionally.
Discovery is now an expectation for most users, with 93% of podcast listeners on Spotify saying they expect the platform to help them find their next favourite show, reinforcing the importance of algorithmic and editorial recommendation tools.
Spotify also reports growing use of features designed to support navigation and engagement, with usage of auto-generated Chapters, powered by transcripts, tripling in recent months as the feature rolls out to more shows.
Sharing is playing an increasingly central role in discovery, following the launch of messaging within Spotify, which has seen nearly 40 million users send close to 340 million messages sharing music, podcasts, episodes and audiobooks with friends.
Newer integrations are also contributing to discovery, including Spotify in ChatGPT, where more than 80% of recommended podcast episodes come from shows that are completely new to the listener, turning conversational search into a discovery tool.
Spotify says these developments point to a shift in how audiences expect to find audio, combining social sharing, search and personalised recommendations at scale.
The insights are drawn from a Spotify Selects article, How Spotify Designs Podcast Discovery at Scale, written by Spotify product director Frances McNamara, which explores how the platform approaches podcast discovery across its ecosystem.
You can read the full article in the Spotify Selects Substack.
