Spotify debuts desktop app for personal podcasts

Spotify used its May 21 Investor Day to unveil a desktop app that lets users generate private, AI-made “personal podcasts” from prompts and personal materials, extending a product push the company had already begun earlier this month. TechCrunch reported the new app, called Studio by Spotify Labs, is being released as an early research preview to select users age 18 and older in more than 20 markets. Spotify said the podcasts are saved to a user’s library for personal listening and are not published publicly. The launch came as Spotify outlined a broader podcast strategy that also included new listener Q&A tools, creator sponsorship tools and a new recurring-revenue product called Memberships. In a May 21 post, Spotify said it is building podcasts on the service to be “more interactive, more personalized, and more connected to everyday life.” ### What does the new desktop app actually do? (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch reported on May 21 that Studio by Spotify Labs can generate a podcast from a topic prompt or from personal context such as email, calendar, documents and notes. The outlet said users can ask for things like a daily audio briefing, a road-trip guide built from bookings and schedule data, or a topic-based explainer. (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify said on May 7 that it had already launched a beta tool allowing desktop agents such as OpenAI Codex, Claude Code and OpenClaw to save “Personal Podcasts” directly into Spotify. That earlier tool was available to eligible Free and Premium users globally, while Spotify said the feature would continue to evolve during the beta phase with usage limits in place. ### Who gets access, and how limited is the rollout? (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch reported the desktop app is an “early preview” and that Spotify warned AI “can make mistakes” and produce unreliable content. The company is making the app available only to select users who are 18 or older, according to the report. The same report said the research preview is launching in more than 20 markets. (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify’s own Investor Day recap described the company’s wider product strategy as moving “into an era of generation,” with co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström presenting that roadmap in New York. ### How does this fit with Spotify’s broader podcast push? Spotify said on May 21 that more than 500 million users have streamed a video podcast on the platform, up nearly 50% year over year. (techcrunch.com) The company said those users spend more time across podcasts, music and audiobooks, and it used Investor Day to announce real-time podcast Q&A for Premium mobile users in the United States, Sweden and Ireland. Spotify also said creator sponsorship tools are now live for creators and publishers in the Spotify Partner Program. The company framed those tools, along with Memberships, as part of a broader effort to give creators more ways to manage revenue inside Spotify. ### What are Memberships, and when do they arrive? Spotify said on May 21 that Memberships will let creators build recurring revenue directly from their most engaged fans on Spotify, offering paid access to exclusive content and experiences. (newsroom.spotify.com) In the same announcement, Spotify said creators would get subscriber lists and audience tools. Phandroid reported on May 22 that Memberships will roll out to select creators this summer and that Spotify has not yet provided pricing and tier details. (newsroom.spotify.com) The report also said creators using Patreon can continue distributing paid content through Spotify Open Access rather than switching entirely to Spotify’s new product. ### What comes next from here? (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify said on May 21 that the desktop app is a research preview and that the personal-podcast tools will continue to change as the company tests them with users. The company’s May 7 post said it would keep improving the personal-podcast experience during the beta phase as it gathers feedback. This summer, Spotify plans to start rolling out Memberships to select creators, according to Phandroid, while the company’s Investor Day materials indicate further podcast product updates will continue under co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström. (phandroid.com) (techcrunch.com)