Maybe AI Can Fix Podcast Discovery?

Spotify has released a new feature that uses AI to help listeners find new shows.

AKG wireless headphones on red background
Photo by Daniele Franchi / Unsplash

Podcasting has always had a discovery problem. It has always been more word-of-mouth recommendations than searching that gets podcasts surfaced.

Spotify is bringing AI playlist creation to not only their music catalog, but to the podcasts in their system as well.

From TechCrunch:

"[T]he beta feature will enable premium users in all these markets to create AI-aided playlists for podcasts in English. Users can tap on “Create” and select the “Prompted Playlists” option to get started and add a prompt such as “Make a playlist of true crime podcasts I would be interested in. Add highly rated series I might have missed, especially ones full of twists and turns."

This is a really smart play for Spotify. It makes their platform that much more appealing to both listeners and podcasters alike.

For Spotify it really boils down to retention and having users explore more on the platform, thus having more time to listen to the ads that are dynamically inserted in the podcasts by the creators (Spotify gets a cut!).

But does this mean podcasters need to only focus on Spotify? Absolutely NOT!

Just because Spotify has a shiny new toy to play with doesn't mean you can ignore the more traditional forms of promotion and the plethora of podcast directories.

Marketers especially need to keep an eye on the many different platforms to see where their marketing spend will get the most impact.

I'm not saying to not use Spotify, I'm saying don't get blinded by the latest technology and if you have success elsewhere keep going with that as well.

What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments!


Announcing The Marketing Podcast Awards!

MPN Awards Graphic.

The Marketing Podcast Network is a not-for-profit community of marketers who podcast.We have more than 80 marketing podcasts in our network, and we thought it was time to recognize the podcasts we love - marketing podcasts.But these awards aren’t just about the shows on our network.

The MPN Awards are open to all marketing podcasts.We want to celebrate the podcasts YOU love too — the marketing peers, mentors, and heroes who keep us entertained, informed, and inspired.This is our chance to shine a light on the voices across the entire marketing podcast community.


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🎙️Have A Podcast? Join The Podcast Mastery Community🎙️

Gemini rendering of a podcast studio with the Podcast Mastery Logo on a TV in front of a desk with podcast stuff on it!
Gemini Rendering

The news and content consumption landscape has shifted—and podcasts are leading the charge.

Younger generations aren't just occasionally listening to podcasts for news and information—they're abandoning traditional media for them. If you're not leveraging this medium, you're missing out on one of the most powerful ways to build your personal or professional brand.

Here's the problem: most people start a podcast without a roadmap. They waste months figuring out what works through trial and error, or worse—they give up entirely.

I've spent over 15 years in the podcast industry, watching it evolve from a niche hobby to a billion-dollar ecosystem. And here's what I know for certain: the podcasters who succeed don't go it alone. They learn from others who've already navigated the challenges, avoided the pitfalls, and cracked the code.

That's why I created the Podcast Mastery Community on Skool—a space where you can learn alongside experienced podcasters, get real feedback, and fast-track your success. This isn't just another podcasting community, it's where serious podcasters come to get better at the craft.

If you're trying to grow your show, need support, and are serious about the medium, this is where your podcast journey truly begins.


The Latest From The Entrepreneur's Enigma Podcast

https://entrepreneursenigma.com/nicholettehemingway

Looking for guests? Want to be on podcasts? Check out Podmatch! I use it for both getting on podcasts and finding quality guests. It's well worth it and affordable too!


Web Jawn

Now the FAA says gamers are the answer to its air traffic controller shortage
The FAA has tried to recruit gamers before.

Gamers to the rescue. Not a terrible idea.

Is Anthropic limiting the release of Mythos to protect the internet — or Anthropic? | TechCrunch
Anthropic said this week that it limited the release of its newest model, dubbed Mythos, because it is too capable of finding security exploits in software relied upon by users around the world. Are real cybersecurity concerns a cover for a bigger problem at the frontier lab?

Honestly, I see no problem with caution when it comes to AI. Especially when so many of the AI companies are just throwing stuff out there and not taking it slow.

ChatGPT finally offers $100/month Pro plan | TechCrunch
OpenAI announced on Thursday something that power users have been asking for: a $100/month plan. Previously, subscriptions jumped from $20 to $200 per month.

Smart move to have more pricing tiers. I'm sure more people will jump on to the $100/mo plan.

What I Learned About The Future Of Search And AI From Sundar Pichai’s Latest Interview
See what Sundar Pichai reveals about agentic search, AI workflows, and why 2027 could mark a major shift in how we use technology.

A good recap of the interview. The interview itself is worth a watch as well.

New report examines global podcast listening, platform usage and audio engagement trends
62% of monthly active podcast users engage via YouTube, compared to 47% on Spotify, giving YouTube a 15-percentage-point lead.

I tend to listen to podcasts on Pocket Casts or TrueFans.fm, but when I want to watch a podcast, I go to YouTube. I don't think I've ever watched a video podcast on Spotify.

Patreon podcast revenue jumps 33% year-over-year, reaching $629 million - Tubefilter
Led by celebrity hosts like Joe Budden and Quentin Tarantino, podcast revenue on Patreon is enjoying a boom.

This is HUGE! Patreon is a great place to get support for your show. Worth keeping an eye on. More podcasters make more money this way than ads!

France to ditch Windows for Linux to reduce reliance on US tech | TechCrunch
France’s move to ditch Windows for Linux is its latest effort to reduce its reliance on American tech giants.

A win for Linux and open source!

YouTube Premium and YouTube Music are getting more expensive | TechCrunch
The YouTube Premium individual plan is increasing from $13.99 to $15.99 per month, while the family plan is increasing from $22.99 to $26.99 per month.

Oh geez. 😟 Every platform is raising their prices. Ugh!

Meta AI app climbs to No. 5 on the App Store after Muse Spark launch | TechCrunch
The app was ranking No. 57 on the App Store just before Meta AI’s new model launched. Now it’s No. 5 — and rising.

Oh fantastic more ways to make AI slop!

PSA: If you use the Meta AI app, your friends will find out and it will be embarrassing | TechCrunch
Now that Meta released its Muse Spark model, more people are downloading the Meta AI app. And if you join the app, your friends will probably get an Instagram notification about it.

Friends don't let friends make AI slop.

Cloudflare made a WordPress for AI agents
EmDash might help propel WordPress forward.

Interesting... I know Matt Mullenweg isn't happy. He's said that on his Ma.tt blog.

YouTube Shorts will use AI to make avatars that look and sound like you
YouTube is now letting users create an AI avatar that looks and sounds likes them for use in Shorts. The feature…

Kind of intrigued by this. Especially since my teenager son does YouTube videos but isn't allowed to show his face.

If you're not using AI in some way, you're going to be left behind. But you can still feel icky about it.


Web Find

FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone Notification Database
The case was the first time authorities charged people for alleged “Antifa” activities after President Trump designated the umbrella term a terrorist organization.

YIKES!!!!! PSA!

Beating cancer by eating cancer | Waterloo News
A research team led by the University of Waterloo is developing a novel tool to treat cancer by engineering hungry bacteria to literally eat tumours from the inside out. “Bacteria spores enter the tumour, finding an environment where there are lots of nutrients and no oxygen, which this organism prefers, and so it starts eating those nutrients and growing in size,” said Dr.

Pretty neat.

Source
Source
SuperBox – Darknet Diaries
What if there was a device which gave you endless movies and TV shows without ads? Ok great sign me up! In this episode we interview D3ada55, who found such a device, but as she gazed into it, she discovered it gazing back at her.

Must listen to this one. It's scary, but a must listen.

FBI Warning on IoT Devices: How to Tell If You Are Impacted
On June 5th, the FBI released a PSA titled “Home Internet Connected Devices Facilitate Criminal Activity.” This PSA largely references devices impacted by the latest generation of BADBOX malware (as named by HUMAN’s Satori Threat Intelligence and Research team) that EFF researchers also encountered…

Read more about it!


That's It For This Week! Keep Rocking It!

-Seth


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