According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Spotify paid $49.4 million for podcast discovery platform Podz last summer to help expedite the streamer’s significant podcast expenditures.
Spotify is now beta-testing a feature that uses the startup’s technology to help customers discover new podcasts they might enjoy, according to the company. Podz had attempted to solve the problem of podcast discovery with something it dubbed the “first audio newsfeed”.
The functionality may also be used to help Spotify figure out how users would react to such a feature, which could then be used to drive future product development. Spotify stated that it is evaluating Podz’s technology as part of this experience, but declined to provide a launch date or plans.
