Spotify Unveil Radio Killer With New Audio Format Combining Music And Podcasts Through Anchor

We all know everyone loves both a great playlist and a highly engaging commentary, now Spotify is bringing them together in one format. Think of your favourite drive time radio show which talks about fun topics and plays the latest music. Soon you will be able to turn on Spotify anywhere get the same experience only better. Spotify has today unveiled a brand new feature which for the first time brings the format of Radio to the streaming world.

With the new listening format on Spotify, listeners can interact with the music within the episodes in the same way they interact with all other song tracks on Spotify (such as liking, saving, and reading more about a track and it’s creators) without having to leave the episode page or search for it manually. Moreover, you can hit “Explore Episode” on the episode page, or tap the play bar at the bottom of the screen to pull up the episodes tracklist.

While they are unveiling a host of their own shows, Spotify is also making it possible for anyone to create their own, rolling out new tooling within Anchor. The new format solves a variety of limitations previously inherent to audio creation and distribution, which have never before been able to leverage the power of music streaming. In recent times music-driven podcasts such as Song Exploder faced issues around the use of music in their podcasts. Now with Spotify’s Anchor platform, shows like this can deliver both talk and music with a seamless listening experience that also allows artists to benefit from the interactions without the need for complicated licensing issues.

Along with the announcement, they revealed a selection of new shows which demonstrate the format. Including 10 Songs that Made Me which kicks off with T.I. Each episode sees an artist or celebrity tell us 10 songs that mark meaningful moments in their lives, providing personal insights into each song choice. Rock This With Allison Hagendorf, the Global Head of Rock at Spotify, each week they chat with an artist about Rock Music, kicking off with YUNGBLUD.

Other shows include 60 Songs that Explain the 90s hosted by The Ringer’s Rob Harvilla which explores 60 iconic songs from the ‘90s. Conspiracy Theories: Music Edition which examines some of the most fascinating theories around famous artists and the music industry. Our Love Song which brings on a new couple to share the soundtrack that defines their love story. For fun times they present Halleloo Happy Hour with DJ Shangela (A Star is Born, Ru Paul’s Drag Race) a playlist show which includes games, guests, and tea. As well as Murder Ballads which explores the stories behind some of America’s most mysterious and violent songs.

The new feature will enable a range of new types of listening experiences, for example, Artists will be able to create explainers where they talk through each of the tracks on their albums and give fans a new perspective, share hidden stories and interesting facts about each track. It could also pave the way for traditional radio hosts to move their shows to streaming formats and move away from the radio.

On the limitations, for show creators, the format will only work through Anchor, Spotify’s free Podcast hosting service and will initially roll out on the Anchor platform for creators in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. For listeners you need to use either the Desktop app or Mobile app and only those with Spotify Premium will be able to hear full tracks as part of these shows, users on the Free tier will hear 30-second music previews. To enjoy the full experience you’ll want to use mobile but, on desktop it still works, however, the shows appear as 1 episode and the tracks appear in the play bar.

In addition to the launch of Podcast & Artist Cards, Spotify proves their on a continued mission to innovate by adding features that will woo both listeners and creators to the platform. To get started, check out Anchor’s blog post with all the details.

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