In this piece, Seth Reslar explores how the Spotify's new podcast creation feature can be taken a step further to create a Spotify-based radio show by combining the podcast and song saving feature into one.
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To add Spotify podcasts to the converter, please kindly enter Spotify desktop clients to choose your Spotify podcast. Here, you have got 2 ways to add Spotify Podcast to convert: drag Spotify Podcasts and drop it onto the Spotify Music Converter, or copy the URL of Spotify Podcasts and then paste it onto the Spotify Music Converter. (I'm refering to the mobile app here) When exploring new music I am the type of person to only really play an artist's top songs. I can't help but wonder how many amazing songs I've missed out on simply because they weren't shown on an artist's home page.
Guest post by Seth Resler of Jacobs Media Strategy
From time to time, I discover a way to do something that I don't immediately understand the practical use for. In that spirit, here's a tutorial for something that no radio station may actually want to do…
Spotify has recently introduced the ability for users to add specific podcast episodes to playlists. This means that in addition to letting users create a collection of their favorite songs, they can now also do the same with podcast episodes. They could even mix the two.
This raises an interesting possibility: Anybody can now create their own radio show by combining episodes of their own podcast with songs on a Spotify playlist if that podcast is broken into “DJ breaks” that are designed to be used in between tunes.
Until now, this has been a challenge. There are nearly insurmountable hurdles to using popular music in podcasts (though PodcastMusic.com hopes to change that next year). But now, it's possible for the average joe to play DJ with actual songs. Here's how you can do it:
- Spotify today launched a new feature designed to give podcast listeners a new way to organize and save content they want to listen to at a later time or keep their favorite episodes bookmarked for.
- Your podcast data is updated daily, and always shows data from yesterday and before. When you add new podcasts or episodes to Spotify, their data will show up one day later. It looks like this is not happening so we recommend waiting for a reply from support as they could help you further with this. We hope it'll get sorted soon!
- With Spotify, you can play millions of songs for free. Listen to the songs you love and enjoy music from all over the world.Search for your favourite song, artist, or album.Discover a world of new music, videos, and podcasts.Enjoy playlists made just for you.Make and share your own play.
- How to Subscribe to a Podcast in Spotify. Spotify is one of the fastest growing podcast listening apps on the market. It combines all of your favourite audio, from music to podcasting, so you can see why it's popular, and the app is refining the listening experience on a regular basis.
- The 10 Best Podcast Player Apps for 2020. Here are the best podcast listening apps for consuming your favorite audio shows, organizing episodes into playlists, and getting new podcast recommendations.
1. Create a podcast with a single destination: Spotify.
Normally, when you create a podcast, you take the RSS feed from your hosting company and submit it to as many directories as possible: Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, etc. In this case, however, we're going to create a podcast with only one destination: Spotify.
2. Upload each “DJ break” as an episode.
Record a series of short “breaks” — introductions to each song on the playlist — as separate audio files. Upload them to your hosting service.
3. Create a playlist in Spotify and add your songs.
In Spotify, go to “Your Library” and click “Create Playlist.” Name your playlist. You can even add artwork and a description to your playlist. (I found this easier to do using Spotify's desktop app.)
4. Add your podcast episodes to the playlist.
Click on the “Search” button and search for your podcast. Click on the three dots next to each episode, then add each of the episodes to your playlist.
5. Sort your playlist.
Click on “Your Library” and then click on your playlist again. Click the three dots at the top of the screen and select “Edit Playlist.” (Oddly, you don't want to sort your playlist by clicking “Sort Playlist.”) You can change the order of the songs by grabbing them by the three lines and dragging them into the order you want.
6. Make your playlist public.
Return to your playlist, click the three dots in the top right corner, and click “Make Public.” Now, anybody with Spotify can access your playlist.
7. Redirect with a vanity URL.
Find and copy the link to your playlist. In the Spotify mobile app, you click the three dots in the top corner of the screen, click “Share Playlist,” then click “Copy Link.”
Register a memorable domain name (I used “detroitplaylist.com”) or use a sub-directory of your existing website (such as “wkrp.com/localmusicshow”). Redirect this URL to the Spotify playlist link that you copied.
Now, you've got a convenient link that can be shared and promoted. For example, I have created a Spotify playlist at http://detroitplaylist.com.
You can imagine updating this playlist on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to create new “radio” shows.
Complications
The ability to create playlists this way relies on some newly unveiled Spotify features, and is not using them in the exact way that they were intended, so it doesn't work perfectly. Here are some of the challenges I ran into:
- The process is slightly different depending on whether you're using the desktop version of Spotify or the mobile app. In some cases, I had difficulty figuring out how to do every step of this on one device or the other, and had to rely on a combination of the two. That may change over time.
- The playlist doesn't sync instantaneously between the desktop and the mobile app. Sometimes, I would make a change in one and not see it reflected in the other, which is problematic when you're relying on both to get the job done.
- While the desktop version of the app shows a big green “Play” button, the mobile app version's primary call to action is a “Shuffle Play” button. Of course, if people shuffle the songs, the DJ breaks will lead into the wrong songs, defeating the purpose of the playlist.
Ok, but who would do this?
This is a neat trick, but in reality, who's actually going to do this? I can see cases where an out-of-work DJ does it to stay on top of their game, or somebody looking to break into the industry does it as a resumé showpiece. A DJ with a specialty show, such as a new music show or a local music show, might want to do it. An air personality who is known for their in-depth musical knowledge may also want to do it. Or, you could create “pop-up playlists” for special occasions, such as Lollapalooza or the Grammys or the death of a big artist.
Of course, most radio stations will understandably be reluctant to promote this type of playlist, because if people are listening to Spotify, they're not listening to the radio station. I get it, and that's why I don't know what the practical use is for this feature. But it exists, and I thought you would want to see it.
My friend (and 9 Clouds’ resident tech wizard), Allen Day, has taught me a lot about getting the most out of the Internet.
Recently, I asked him about some lesser-known Spotify features. Here are some things Allen said you should definitely be aware of while you listen.
My Top 8 Spotify Hacks (by Allen Day)
1. Collaborative Playlists
I started using Spotify for shared playlists while getting to know my now-wife. We later used one for our wedding.
Collaborative playlists are a great way to mark an occasion. At 9 Clouds, when Catherine was concerned she listened to too much Maroon 5, the team rallied together and built her a playlist.
How to Do It
Want to collaborate on a playlist?
Just right-click on the playlist, and choose Collaborative Playlist. Then, share it with your future collaborators.
Check out the playlist we made for this blog post »2. Organizing Your Playlists with Folders
If you’ve been using Spotify for a while, you’ve probably accumulated quite a few playlists.
Did you know you can organize them into folders?
I didn’t, either . . . until I grabbed my wife’s phone to change up the music on a road trip and saw how organized her lists were compared to my mess.
Mind. Blown.
You can make as many folders as you want to organize your playlists so they make sense for you. Break them down by theme or genre — make a collection of playlists for the gym, driving, you name it.
How to Do It
Just right-click on a playlist, and select Create Folder. Once you’ve created your folders, you can drag playlists into them.
Note: You cannot create or organize folders on your phone; you’ll have to use the desktop app. Once they’re set up, though, you can still see and use them on your phone.
3. Customizing Playlists with Your Own Album Art
You’ve put a lot of listening time into your favorite playlists.
Whether you want to keep them private or share them with the world, those playlists deserve to look great and stand out in your Spotify app.
The ability to update cover art and playlist descriptions used to be limited to featured partners, but now it’s available for all playlists — public or private.
How to Do It
Open your playlist in the desktop app. Click on the cover art to upload your own photo, or click on the description to write a new one.
Check out 9 Clouds’ car song playlist »4. “Daily Mix” Playlists
Not sure what to listen to? Check out your “Daily Mix” playlists.
“Daily Mix” is a series of playlists with nearly endless playback that combines your favorite tracks with new songs Spotify thinks you’ll love — minus the effort that goes into creating the perfect listening session.
Spotify creates up to six playlists for you based on your own listening history. Each playlist is differentiated by a unique color and generally spans a single genre or theme.
When you’re playing one of your daily mixes, a couple new icons will appear in your player. You can ❤️ your favorite songs to add them to your Liked Songs.
5. Yearly Reflection: “Your 2019 Wrapped”
Each year, Spotify marks the holidays with a recap of what you listened to that year. For 2019, Spotify has released “Your 2019 Wrapped.”
Sign in to see your most-listened-to songs, albums, and artists in 2019.
Here at 9 Clouds, we love to compare stories and screenshots of our own “Years Wrapped.” Here’s mine from way back in 2017 (I listened to a lot of Alphaville — but in my defense, they released a new album for the first time in years, and I got to see them in concert after a 20-year wait):
6. Podcasts
The podcast industry has never been bigger. Podcasts have gone mainstream . . . which means Spotify is not just a music player anymore.
For years, I’ve tried recommending podcasts to friends and acquaintances. Too often, the response is that the podcast sounds interesting, but they don’t know how to use podcasts.
Now, I can just point people to Spotify. While it’s not my podcast app of choice, I am extremely excited to see Spotify offering them as a gateway to podcasts.
Don’t miss any new stuff — subscribe for updates! »7. “Discover Weekly” and “Release Radar”
Spotify has a couple of weekly playlists custom-tailored just for you.
Every Monday, the first thing I listen to is my “Discover Weekly” playlist. This playlist is a mix of familiar tunes from your own playlists, plus new music Spotify thinks you’ll like. “Discover Weekly” tends to be pretty hit-or-miss, but it hits enough that I keep coming back.
The other weekly playlist I look forward to is the “Release Radar.” Similar to “Discover Weekly,” this playlist is based on your listening history. It features the newest releases by artists you listen to or follow.
If you haven’t already, search Spotify for “Release Radar” and “Discover Weekly.” Once you find yours, click the Follow button to add them to your playlists for easy access. They update every Monday and Friday, respectively.
8. Creeping on Your Friends
Want to see what your friends or coworkers are listening to?
Check out the Friend Activity panel in Spotify on your Mac or PC desktop. (Don’t see it? Turn on the right sidebar under the View menu.)
Of course, this goes both ways — your friends can see what you’re listening to, as well.
Newer Podcasts Dont Show Up On Spotify App Download
If you don’t like the idea of broadcasting your listening preferences to your friends, you can disable it in the Spotify settings. Toggle on Private Session to temporarily hide what you’re listening to, or disable Share my listening activity on Spotify to turn off your public activity for good.
Bonus: What Does Spotify Suck At?
Newer Podcasts Dont Show Up On Spotify App Store
Sure, we’re biased — we know a thing or two about superb targeting online.
Still, despite its awesome data, Spotify’s ad targeting could use a lot of work.
Only Spotify would advertise Chick-fil-A to me in a town hundreds of miles from the nearest restaurant — and always while I’m running. It should totally know I’m running because of data . . . and my playlist with the word Running in the title. C’mon, guys.
Learn more about online targeting »…Okay, It’s Matt Again Now
Thanks, Allen!
Before we put this post together, I didn’t know a thing about the “Release Radar,” and there are a few more features in here I definitely have to check out.
If you want hacks for more than just Spotify, 9 Clouds is always learning about new things and then passing that knowledge along. To get articles about marketing and playing better online, subscribe for our blog’s email updates.
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