Audio streaming platform Spotify has introduced a rating system for podcasts.
The platform is rolling out a star rating system for podcasts in a bid to “improve podcast discoverability by highlighting a show’s popularity.”
“Podcast ratings give listeners an opportunity to support their favourite podcast shows and enable a two-way feedback loop between creator and listener,” Spotify said in a blog post.
The platform hosts more than 3.2 million podcasts. To make it easier for users to find relevant podcasts, the platform has prioritised podcast discovery through features such as Podcast Charts and personalised recommendations.
“And once listeners find a new show that looks promising, we want to make sure they have all the information they need to hit play — including a sense of how other listeners have enjoyed it,” it said, explaining the reasoning behind the new star system.
How it works
After listening to a show, listeners can give the show a rating using a 1–5 star system, one being the lowest, and five the highest.
Spotify will display the average rating on the podcast’s show page on the platform, along with the total number of ratings the show has received.
“By introducing ratings, we’re making it easier for listeners to decide when to try out a new podcast that might be their next favourite. Because podcast ratings will serve as the first chance to draw new listeners in, they have the potential to build instant interest,” it said.
“Ratings also give creators a big-picture view of how they’re doing, which they can then use productively by asking for more specific feedback — via Q&As on Spotify and in off-platform social conversations,” it further added.
The new rating feature will be available in nearly all markets where podcasts are on Spotify. It will start to roll out to users over the coming days, Spotify said.
