Spotify Expands AI Prompted Playlists to Help Users Discover New Podcasts

Spotify has broadened its AI-powered Prompted Playlists feature to include podcasts, giving Premium subscribers a new way to discover podcast episodes tailored to their interests. The update extends the platform’s experimental AI playlist tool beyond music and could help listeners uncover both established favourites and lesser-known shows.

Spotify Adds Podcast Support to Prompted Playlists

Originally launched in beta in December for music only, Prompted Playlists allow users to generate personalised playlists using natural language text prompts. The feature effectively creates a custom recommendation list based on themes, genres or specific preferences entered by the user.

With the latest update, Spotify users can now generate playlists of podcast episodes in the same way.

The tool remains in beta and is currently available in English for Premium subscribers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.

How Spotify’s AI Podcast Playlist Generator Works

Users can access the feature through the Spotify app by selecting Create and then Prompted Playlist. They can then enter a written prompt describing the type of podcast content they would like to hear.

Spotify’s AI then compiles a playlist of episodes matching the request, accompanied by brief AI-generated descriptions explaining why each episode was selected.

The feature is designed to function similarly to Spotify’s popular Discover Weekly playlist, but for podcast episodes rather than music tracks.

Early Testing Highlights Strengths and Limitations

Initial testing of the updated feature suggests the tool can deliver relevant recommendations, though there are some limitations.

One notable issue is that the AI may select random episodes from serialised podcasts rather than starting with the first episode — a potential drawback for listeners discovering shows intended to be heard in chronological order.

However, users can refine their playlist by editing the original prompt. For example, specifying that only first episodes should be included can produce a more suitable introductory playlist for new listeners.

In one test, the AI generated a mix of well-known and lesser-known actual-play tabletop role-playing podcasts, combining established series with smaller productions that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.

AI Summaries Added to Each Podcast Recommendation

Each recommended podcast episode is accompanied by a short AI-generated summary outlining how it fits the user’s request.

While AI-generated summaries have often drawn criticism for being vague or inaccurate, Spotify’s implementation appears broadly reliable in early use, offering concise descriptions without significantly misrepresenting the content.

Spotify Targets Podcast Discovery as Competition Grows

The move reflects Spotify’s continued investment in podcasting as competition intensifies among major audio platforms. Podcast discovery remains a challenge for many listeners, particularly given the sheer volume of content now available across the industry.

By using AI to surface tailored recommendations, Spotify appears to be positioning Prompted Playlists as a way to improve discoverability and encourage deeper engagement with its podcast catalogue.

Users can also choose to refresh generated playlists regularly, allowing for updated podcast recommendations on a daily or weekly basis.

Availability and Access

Spotify says users who encounter issues accessing podcast support in Prompted Playlists should ensure they are running the latest version of the app, as some early users reported needing to update before the feature became available.

Conclusion

Spotify’s expansion of Prompted Playlists into podcast discovery marks another step in the streaming giant’s broader AI strategy. While the feature remains in beta and is not without limitations, it offers Premium users a potentially useful new way to find podcasts matched to their interests — particularly when searching for curated introductions to unfamiliar shows.

Graham Greene

“Entrepreneur. Freelance introvert. Creator. Passionate reader. Certified beer ninja. Food nerd.”