Twitter is testing podcasts under the Spaces tab, the ability to combine all audio content in one place.
Twitter hasn’t forgotten its idea of ”becoming an audio app”yet. The platform recently announced that it is testing a new design for its Spaces tab, which will also offer a selection of popular podcasts. Podcasts, which include big-name titles from Vox Media, NPR, and more, will be sorted into different categories — news, music, sports — and found alongside similar spaces. Twitter is currently testing this feature with a select group of English-speaking users on the iOS and Android apps.
Twitter is testing podcasts in the Spaces tab
A few months ago, researcher Jane Manchun Wong discovered that Twitter, which had recently raised the price of its Blue subscription, was working on a Podcasts tab. Finally, it seems that the platform now wants to host all of this audio content in their spaces, where all audio, podcasts, and live streams will be grouped. In addition, the Spaces tab offers separate categories for current spaces, future spaces, and a Stations tab that will group podcasts and spaces of the same topic—with auto-play when selected—.
Ability to consolidate all audio content in one place
If this doesn’t seem like a very instinctive or simple design to those looking for a specific podcast or episode, you’re absolutely right. Rather, Twitter seems to have conceived the feature as a personalized radio in the style of what Pandora offers. Users can also rate each audio selection with a “thumbs up”or “thumbs down”, allowing Twitter to refine the station to suit your interests. And it’s not limited to the content you watch on Spaces. As the company explains in a blog post, if you regularly engage with Vox Media content on Twitter, you’ll be more likely to see their podcasts in the Areas tab.
good news, today we start testing the new Spaces tab
even better news, it includes podcasts, themed audio stations and (of course) recorded + live spaces pic.twitter.com/TGS2aVsUI1
— Spaces (@TwitterSpaces) August 25, 2022