Music streaming giant Spotify announced this week it will expand availability of auto-generated podcast transcripts to more podcast creators in the coming weeks. The new feature aims to enhance podcast discoverability and accessibility for listeners.
Spotify shared news of the transcript roll out in a blog post celebrating International Podcast Day. With over 100 million regular podcast listeners and content now available in over 170 markets, Spotify has cemented itself as the top podcasting platform globally.
The launch of AI-powered podcast transcripts follows Spotify's announcement earlier this week of an AI voice cloning tool using OpenAI's Whisper technology. This feature creates automated translations of English podcasts into other languages like Spanish, French and German.
Transcripts could prove even more impactful by making podcasts searchable and more accessible to wider audiences. Spotify shared that transcripts will be "time-synced" so users can scroll and read along in real-time as they listen. The feature will launch across millions of podcast episodes in the next few weeks.
Spotify says transcripts are "part of our goal to bring more depth to the podcasts you're listening to." They allow users to visually follow along with audio content, expanding podcast accessibility.
The launch highlights Spotify's willingness to improve the podcast listening experience through cutting-edge AI. Competitors like Apple have lagged in offering similar solutions. Transcripts will also help with better podcast search and discovery, which could help Spotify continue dominating the podcasting market.