Spotify has rolled out a new way for podcast creators to interact with their fans, with Comments, and introduced an easier way for all podcasters to manage their shows: with the Spotify for Podcasters mobile app.

The new comments feature expands on the Q&A and polls functionality the platform introduced in 2021 as a way to bring interactivity into the podcasting industry for the first time. 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.

With the introduction of the feature, podcast creators can now use Spotify for Podcasters on desktop or with its mobile app to interact with listeners, manage their presence on Spotify, check their latest stats, and track growth in real-time. Fans can directly comment on the podcast episodes they are already listening to on the platform. 

Maya Prohovnik, VP of Podcast Product at Spotify said, “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.”

She stated that podcasts have historically been a one-sided format. While Spotify has offered other interactivity features like Polls and Q&A for some time, users have expressed a desire for more direct connection methods. Prohovnik explained that, for the first time, listeners can now have two-way conversations with their favourite podcast hosts, allowing podcasters to receive near-immediate feedback from their audiences and enabling real communities to form around shows. 

In the blog announcing this development, Prohovnik noted, “We’ve found that listeners who interact with a show are four times more likely to return to that show within 30 days. They also listen to twice as many hours per month on average than those who don’t.”

Podcast creators on the platform shared their opinions on this development.

“As a podcast focused on the lessons we can learn from history’s greatest leaders, I’m always curious about which takeaways resonate most with my audience,” said Ben Wilson, creator of How to Take Over the World. “Comments on Spotify provide me that invaluable feedback, which makes creating my podcast that much more rewarding and allows me to build a stronger connection with my listeners.”