Will Spotify try to copy TikTok verticals scroll feature?

According to Bloomberg, Spotify is set to introduce some significant changes at the Stream On event in Los Angeles in March, and one of those changes could be a vertically scrolling homepage similar to TikTok’s Discover functionality. This feature has been in development since it was previewed at an investor day in June 2022. Spotify routinely conducts tests to improve user experience, and while they have not provided any further details on this feature, the new scrolling feed could highlight videos, audiobooks, and podcasts.

The introduction of this new feature may be an effort to attract the 18-24 demographic, as one in three Spotify users fall into this age group. CEO Daniel E has previously acknowledged that the company could be doing better in terms of appealing to this demographic.

Spotify’s expansion into podcasts was intended to help with this goal, but the company has been experiencing some setbacks. Dawn Ostroff, the architect responsible for the direction of Spotify’s podcast strategy, will be leaving her role as Chief Content Officer and Advertising Business Officer later this year. Additionally, the company has cancelled several podcast shows and laid off 40 people. According to data from Listen Notes, new podcast creation has dropped by 80% in 2022, indicating that interest in the format has waned following its pandemic explosion in 2020 and 2021.