Spotify is beginning to roll out a new design for its mobile app that puts a much larger emphasis on podcasts.

The redesign, which the company is rolling out to a limited number of users and was first reported last week by Bloomberg, is proof that Spotify is all-in on podcasts. The new design places bolded headings for “music” and “podcasts” on the app’s library page that offer a much quicker way for people to find episodes of podcasts they subscribe to or might be interested in. Spotify users currently have to sift through six categories at the top of their library page to find a dedicated podcast section.

The Verge

The Verge

The new layout makes listeners’ music and podcast libraries equally prominent, and adds subsequent categories within the two groups. The new music library tab, for example, has added “Liked Songs” as a standalone pocket that users can jump into. The smaller tabs at the top of the page are now broken down into three specific categories: Playlists, Artists, and Albums. On the podcast side, people can choose to browse via Episodes, Downloads, and Shows.

Spotify is betting big on podcasts, spending up to $500 million this year alone, which has included acquiring major companies like Gimlet Media. Spotify is competing with companies like Apple and Luminary to try to become the go-to place for podcast listeners, and improving discoverability and ease of use is vital. It makes sense that the app’s user interface would change to reflect Spotify’s giant leap into podcasting as a business. Barry McCarthy, the chief financial officer at Spotify, told Bloomberg the goal is to get people “there in two clicks versus seven.” This version of the app’s library does just that.

The Verge has reached out to Spotify for more information about when this version of the app will roll out to everyone.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/17/18629274/spotify-podcast-library-redesign-music