MUMBAI: Spotify wants to make it easier to binge on podcasts – but only podcasts. The music streaming giant seems to be considering launching an all-you-can-eat monthly podcast subscription service.
The streaming service recently sent out a survey to its users asking for their feedback on four potential podcast subscription plans, as tweeted by Variety chief analyst Andrew Wallenstein.
The cheapest plan ($3 per month) would offer “access to exclusive interviews and episodes” and be supported by adverts, while the most expensive ($8 per month) would reward users with “high quality original content” and no ads. None of the plans would apparently include premium music; it would be strictly spoken word.
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Spotify is already a major player in the podcasting game, having announced plans to invest over $400 million in podcasting. Last year it purchased podcasting producer Gimlet for around $200 million, and signed an exclusive deal with The Joe Rogan Experience said to be worth $100 million.
It has even begun to challenge Apple in the race to become podcasting’s answer to Netflix. According to a recent Midea survey, “In Q2 2020 42 per cent of podcast listeners used Spotify, 10 points ahead of Apple in second place.”
So far, there’s no official word on whether Spotify will go ahead with its podcast-only subscription plans. In a statement to The Verge, the company said: “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.”
