Spotify is spending some huge cash on podcasts that don’t really contain any speaking. That’s according to a report from Bloomberg, which states the corporate may enhance its annual gross revenue by a whopping $38 million if it steers customers away from so-called white noise podcasts.
These sorts of podcasts play varied forms of enjoyable sounds on a loop — like static, crashing waves, or rain — they usually’re extra common than you might suppose. One of many causes for his or her reputation is that Spotify has been unwittingly pushing them in entrance of customers due to its “algorithmic push for ‘speak’ content material (versus music),” in keeping with Bloomberg.
The creators behind these “podcasts” earn cash off the adverts that play throughout its episodes. Final yr, a report from Bloomberg urged that white noise podcasters may rake in at the least $18,000 per yr from the adverts positioned by Spotify; now it experiences based mostly on inside paperwork that white noise podcasts made up 3 million every day consumption hours on Spotify as of January 2023.
When Spotify seen it was sending customers towards white noise podcasts, the platform reportedly thought of taking these reveals out of its speak feeds, banning future uploads, and nudging customers towards other forms of content material. Nonetheless, this plan by no means panned out. “The proposal in query didn’t come to fruition — we proceed to have white noise podcasts on our platform,” a Spotify spokesperson tells Bloomberg. The corporate didn’t instantly reply to The Verge’s request for remark.
Though Spotify says white noise podcasts are secure on the platform, issues may change. As reported by Bloomberg, some white noise podcasters have seen their episodes suspiciously disappearing from the platform.