Here's How You Can Use Spotify To Find Your New Favorite Podcast

Recently, you might have started using Spotify to listen to more than just music. The platform now has more than 700,000 podcast titles available and tells Bustle that podcast consumption hours have grown 200% year-over-year. And since it acquired The Ringer, a start-up platform rich with popular sports media podcasts, you'll want to know how to find Spotify podcasts without having to sift through hundreds of them.

On Monday, the platform announced in a blog post that it's spruced up its podcast interface to make it more user-friendly and accommodate more information upfront. The update also includes show trailers that feature about two minutes of highlighted content. That way, you get an idea of what to expect before committing to listening in. On top of that, the new listed categories make finding shows similar to the ones you like even easier. Tagged categories like “personal stories,” “true crime,” “travel,” and “relationships,” will be associated with relevant shows so you can explore them directly.

If you're used to jumping back and forth between different apps — getting your music on Spotify and your podcasts elsewhere — the new and improved Spotify library will simplify things, letting you get all of your audio entertainment in one place. Here, we've put together a guide to help you find ways to explore Spotify's expansive new podcast library effectively.

1. Listen To A Featured Theme

On Spotify's main podcast page, you'll find a selection of podcasts, with a rotating theme that's personally presented to you based on your listening preferences and consumption habits. Aka, Spotify is making an active effort to make sure that when you look for a podcast, you'll find one that you like. Themes like "Compelling Conversations," featuring noteworthy interviews across the genre board, or "Love and relationships," featuring advice and narrative driven podcast content, are just two examples of what might pop up. There's a dynamic range of topics to jump into, with a fresh idea every time you log on.

2. Browse Categories

The new and improved categories section is organized to point you in the right direction, but also give you room to explore. For example, you'll find Arts & Entertainment together in one genre, so you'll have to browse within those results for one or the other, while being exposed to everything in between. Essentially, the genres are not too niche, so there's a lot of variety within each. But don't worry, True Crime has its own page so you won't have to spend any time finding your next harrowing tale.

To browse categories, simply type "podcasts" into the main search bar, and tap the "podcasts" genre icon that appears. Once you're on the main genre page, you can scroll down to see a list of categories to explore. To see more than what's featured, click "see all" on the upper right hand side.

3. Listen To Your Daily Drive

Your Daily Drive is a relatively new playlist feature Spotify rolled out in June 2019 that features an ever-updating personalized playlist comprised of both music and podcasts. If you want to plug into a mix of music and podcasts on your morning commute, without having to put thought into picking what to listen to, Your Daily Drive is a great resource. With a selection of short-form news podcast shows from Wall Street Journal, NPR, and PRI, plus a variety of music you already like, you'll have a balanced and informed morning. Because this podcast is personalized, it will learn your tastes and create playlists that you're likely to enjoy.

4. Search For Topics

Use the main search bar to find podcasts that include keywords that highlight your interests. For example, if you'd like to find a podcast that features discussions about body positivity and fitness, you can search for "body positive fitness podcast" and find both podcasts and playlists that include a variety of subject-related content.

5. Teach Spotify What You Like

The more you listen and rate, the more efficiently the app will get to know you and your tastes. When you open up your podcast home page, you'll be greeted with a list of "Podcasts You Might Like" which are based on your listening habits. You'll also find "Top Podcasts," "New Podcast Episodes," and "Your Daily Podcasts" to entice you with what other listeners might be enjoying so you have a lot to talk about at the water cooler.