Audio streaming app Spotify appears to be interested in launching a subscription podcast service that would offer access to original shows or exclusive episodes for a monthly fee.
According to The Verge, the potential service was described in a survey sent out through Spotify’s app, which was reported on by Andrew Wallenstein, president of Variety’s Intelligence Platform. The survey describes at least four possible subscription podcast plans, ranging from USD 3 to USD 8 per month. The cheapest plan would include “access to exclusive interviews and episodes,” but would still include ads.
The most expensive plan would include access to “high-quality original content,” early access to some episodes, and no platform-inserted ads. None of these plans would include access to Spotify’s premium music subscription.
As reported by The Verge, a spokesperson for Spotify indicated that the survey should not be taken as concrete product plans. “At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of surveys in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of those end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as important learnings. We have no further news to share on future plans at this time,” said the spokesperson.
That means there’s no guarantee that Spotify will follow through with launching any of the described services. Companies often survey customers about potential new products and may shape their plans based on the results. But the fact that Spotify is surveying users means that it’s likely considering launching some sort of subscription podcast plan, even if it doesn’t necessarily end up taking any of the exact forms described here.
