Spotify is working to increase interactivity for podcasts on its platform by introducing a comment section for podcasts. As of today, you can share their thoughts and feedback directly on podcast episodes!

The new comments feature marks a milestone in Spotify’s ongoing effort to enhance its platform and keep its users engaged.

You can find the comment section by scrolling past the play controls or navigating to the episode page while listening. All comments will be private initially and creators will have complete control over which comments are published.

As a result, podcasters can manage their community interactions seamlessly and ensure that only appropriate and constructive comments are visible. Podcasters can even choose to enable comments for specific episodes or opt-out entirely if they don’t want anyone to be able to comment.

Having already launched interactive features such as Q&A and polls, the introduction of comments expands on Spotify’s mission to increase interactivity which has already seen a significant increase in engagement.

Over 9 million unique listeners have interacted with these features this year so the demand is there. According to Spotify, listeners who engage with these features are four times more likely to return to a show within 30 days and spend twice as many hours per month listening to podcasts.

Spotify has also updated its Spotify for Podcasters app to effectively support this new functionality, now accessible to all creators regardless of where their show is hosted. Through the app, podcasters can interact with their listener and manage their show, track analytics and receive notifications for new comments and milestones.

Maya Prohovnik, VP of Podcast Product at Spotify, emphasized the importance of this feature, noting that it addresses a long-standing request from both podcasters and listeners. She highlighted that podcasts have traditionally been a one-sided format and the introduction of comments allows for a two-way conversation. Consequently, podcasters receive immediate feedback and build stronger connections with their audience.

Ben Wilson, creator of the podcast “How to Take Over the World,” shared his enthusiasm for the new feature. He noted that comments provide invaluable feedback and make creating his podcast more rewarding by allowing him to understand which aspects resonate most with his listeners.

Spotify’s move to introduce comments is part of a broader strategy to make its platform more interactive and engaging. The company has plans to continue improving the comments experience based on feedback from both podcasters and listeners.