After being in development for the last few months, Twitter’s finally launching its new integrated podcasts display in the Spaces tab, which will now be renamed its ‘Audio’ tab instead. The new Audio tab will highlight Podcasts and Spaces content, both LIVE and pre-recorded within a single display. Broadcasts will be separated into specific topics or ‘Stations’ as Twitter calls them.
Audio Check
The new tab might just help out Spaces discovery, by aligning them with already-established podcasts, while also better enabling Twitter to categorize the audio Feed, preventing users from just being bombarded with a plethora of random Spaces broadcasts in the tab.
As Twitter explains:
“The new Stations in the Spaces tab will make it easy to listen on the go and multitask while listening to your favorite conversations – be it Spaces or podcasts. Once you visit the Spaces Tab, you will see three sections: on the top, you will see Stations, which scroll horizontally and will feature a variety of themes and Topics to listen to (like News, Movies & TV, Music, etc.). Below that, you will see Spaces spotlight, listing some of the top curated broadcasts. And last, you will see a list of upcoming Spaces so you can plan accordingly if you want to attend those live.”
The idea here is that the expanded selection improves Spaces discovery, which has been the platform’s key problem for as long as anyone can remember. Because while giving everyone the capacity to do their own audio broadcast, one setback is that a good portion of those streams will be low quality. Tapping over to the Spaces Tab will show you a list of topics you’re probably not interested in, which will cause you to eventually stop looking. This integration makes a lot of sense in that regard, at least when it comes to boosting key Spaces discussions within more contextual parameters.
The updated display also better aligns with Twitter’s real-time engagement approach, with Twitter vouching it being ‘the home of breaking news and updates’. True enough, Twitter has established itself as the leader in real-time engagement around media events, but trying to capitalize on this has proven challenging for the app.
For years, Twitter has tried to incorporate real-time discussion and events into a single stream, via experiments with live TV broadcasts. These tests never really did pay off, but by bringing podcasts together into a single stream, along with related Tweet discussions, that could be another way to tap into a more comprehensive real-time content approach that better enables broadcasters to build community, making Twitter a more important tool in their efforts.
The Wrap
Really, it’s Spaces that Twitter wants to amplify and this could end up being the thing that helps it take Spaces to the next level and helps creators connect with a bigger audience in the app – if people do use Twitter as a podcast platform. There seems to be a clear connective logic here – as Twitter notes, 45% of people who use Twitter also listen to podcasts. It seems like a solid addition, which does have the potential to make Spaces a bigger consideration, for both creators and marketers.
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