• Spotify is rolling out new features for its Podcasters app.
• Expanding on Q&A and polls, it now allows listeners to comment on podcast episodes.
• The new feature is said to be a highly requested option for both creators and listeners.

Podcasts continue to be an important portfolio for Spotify, and now the music streaming app is adding a new feature in a bid to help creators engage more with their audience.

To that end, the Spotify for Podcasters app is adding the ability for listeners to comment on episodes.

The addition of comments is said to be an expansion of some of the tools that Spotify made available to podcasters in 2021. Namely the Q&A function and polls, both of which have proved positive, according to Spotify.

“More than 9 million unique Spotify listeners have interacted with a Q&A or poll just this year, and there’s been 80% year-over-year growth in the number of total Q&A responses and votes from listeners,” it wrote in a blog post.

“Comments have been a long-requested feature from both podcasters and Spotify listeners, and we were excited to provide it since we’re very invested in making Spotify the best platform for all types of creators to connect with their biggest fans,” it added.

How those interactions will play out remains to be seen. Spotify is not the first platform to try to drive up engagement for its creators, but as we have seen with YouTube, it can de a double-edged sword, not to mention how toxic the comments section has become in recent years.

There is also no mention of moderation or restrictions in terms of comments that listeners can make, nor whether links or other media will not be permitted.

Still Spotify believes its version will be different.

“Podcasts have historically been a one-sided format and, while we’ve offered other interactivity features like Polls and Q&A for some time, people have told us they want more ways to connect directly. Now, for the first time, listeners can actually have a two-way conversation with their favorite podcast hosts on Spotify, podcasters can get near-immediate feedback from their audiences, and real communities can form around shows. I think that’s incredibly powerful,” it outlined.

Along with comments, the music streaming platform is making the podcast-specific version of its app available on mobile, along with making statistics more easily accessible.

“With the introduction of Comments, we’re also excited to give all creators—regardless of where their episodes are hosted—better ways to manage their entire show, including listener feedback. Podcast creators can now use Spotify for Podcasters on desktop or with our all-new mobile app to interact with listeners, manage their presence on Spotify, check their latest stats, and track growth in real time,” it added.

The new feature should be available to all podcasters on the platform right now, or make its way over the coming days depending in what region you find yourself in.