Spotify adds AI-generated personal podcasts and desktop briefing app

Spotify is introducing a personal podcast feature that uses artificial intelligence to generate podcasts based on user prompts. Earlier this month, the company released a GitHub-based command-line tool for Claude Code and Codex that allows users to create a podcast and save it to their own Spotify library. Soon, users will be able to create podcasts directly within the Spotify app. This feature will allow users to schedule daily or weekly briefs for topics of recurring interest or create one-off podcasts to understand specific subjects. For example, users can prompt the tool to share daily city updates and local concert information, or request a five-minute summary of economics. To generate these personal podcasts, users can add links, PDFs, and text, and choose a custom voice, drawing inspiration from tools like NotebookLM, ElevenLabs reader, and Huxe. To expand these capabilities, Spotify also released a dedicated desktop app called Studio by Spotify Labs, which connects with users’ email and calendar to create personalized briefings.

In addition to creation tools, Spotify is rolling out an AI-powered Q&A feature today for Premium mobile users in the U.S., Sweden, and Ireland. The feature allows users to ask questions about the episode they are listening to or concepts mentioned in the podcast to get answers, as well as request podcast recommendations on specific topics. This rollout follows the release of a prompt-based feature to create podcast playlists in April. The interactive Q&A addition aligns with similar industry moves, such as Google’s release of Ask YouTube earlier in the week, as platforms increasingly look to turn passive listening into active engagement.

These interactive features arrive as Spotify seeks to increase platform engagement. The company reported that the number of users who streamed a video podcast was up 50% year-on-year. For podcast makers, Spotify is making its creator sponsorship tool available to manage brand partnerships. It is also adding a way for creators to charge a subscription to unlock exclusive content and experiences, a model similar to creator subscription products offered by social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snap.

Why it matters

Spotify is shifting from a passive consumption platform to an active creation and interaction hub. By using AI to personalize content while simultaneously building out monetization infrastructure for creators, the company is positioning itself to capture more active user time.