Spotify is releasing new engagement and control features for
podcasts on its platform: auto-generated and time-synced transcripts, expanded Podcast
Chapters, and updated Podcast Show pages.
Podcast transcripts enable listeners to skim through episodes
without having to listen through them. On Spotify, transcripts can be accessed
from the “read along” section on the screen by scrolling down while an episode
is playing.
Spotify is now making transcripts richer and easier to follow by making them “more visually and textually accessible.” The auto-transcription feature is built on OpenAI’s Whisper technology, which makes it possible to translate podcasts into different languages. Spotify also plans to further develop this feature in the future, and hints at the ability to add media to transcripts, which could be useful for when a creator is describing an image in the episode, for instance.
