Podcasts are a wonderful medium that make that miserable commute to and from the office that bit less soul destroying. But with every man, woman, child and dog seemingly making one, finding a new favourite is a mission in and of itself.
Spotify is hoping to help. The music streaming app is trialing a human-curated list of podcasts that could one day match the company’s popular ‘Discover Weekly’ music playlists. Currently, Spotify is offering playlists in five categories: comedy, geek culture, walking, relaxation and true crime podcasts.
“This test aims to make it easier for users to discover new podcasts while giving creators another mechanism to connect with new fans,” the company told Engadget.
If you’ve excitedly opened up Spotify looking for what’s recommended for you, you’ll likely be disappointed. It’s only available to 5% of subscribers in eight countries – the UK amongst them.
But it wouldn’t be surprising to see this roll out to everyone in time. The company has something of a vested interest in the medium, having bought podcast studios Gimlet and Parcast, as well as the hosting and distribution platform Anchor. Would be a bit of a waste of hundreds of millions of pounds if it can’t get you to listen to them after all that.
While we wait for a feature that may or may not materialise, however, there are other ways of sourcing great podcasts. Here’s our list of the best interview podcasts to start you off. Or if you prefer a current affairs bent, we have a list of the best political podcasts too.