Although users are no longer particularly interested in Spaces and the new audio tab on Twitter, the company is continuing to develop new audio features on its platform, nevertheless. Lately, Twitter has been experimenting with an integration of live and recorded podcasts.
Providing users with the option to tune into live podcasts does sound like a valuable engagement element. It also aligns with Twitter’s key purpose of keeping its users informed with latest updates and news. “Up-and-coming and established podcasters alike are using Twitter to help expand and inform their audience,” says Twitter.
While Twitter has worked hard to become a platform of
real-time engagement around major media events, cashing in on that using
different methods hasn’t been less than a challenge for the company. For instance,
Twitter’s attempt to merge TV broadcasts and tweet engagement into a single
stream received mixed responses from users. Considering that, adding a live
podcast feature could also result in certain problems, such as algorithmic sorting.
The idea of podcast broadcasting is theoretically worthy and
if implemented successfully, would enable users to listen to audio as well as
check out related tweets in real-time. This in turn would increase tweet
engagement and podcast promotion, while also giving creators a chance to stand
out with their audio content. The success or failure of this integration also
depends on whether users would be interested in another audio feature on
Twitter.
