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• Spotify is adding podcast transcripts for many shows to its app, and the feature seems to have had a significant roll-out - even the Podnews Weekly Review (here’s what the auto-transcripts look like). Spotify will automatically produce transcripts of shows, but will now let creators upload their own transcripts using the industry-standard VTT or SRT files (which adds time-synching and named speakers). (We’ve yet to get that feature working for our show, though).
  • If you host your podcast with Spotify for Creators, Spotify now supports publishing those transcripts using open RSS standards - using the Podcasting 2.0 podcast:transcript tag, which is compatible with Apple Podcasts, Pocketcasts, and other apps. Creators will have to opt-in to make them available. It’s the first time that Spotify has supported a new, open, RSS feature like this. So - we thought we’d publish a special show on Spotify for Creators as a test, and while the RSS feed includes the new podcast namespace, sadly transcripts haven’t yet been enabled for our show. But let’s wait and see.
  • But - will Spotify support ingestion of creator transcripts the other way - using the podcast:transcript standard in the RSS feed from any podcast hosting company? “No timeframe to share at this time!” is the answer from a helpful Spotify spokesperson. That is not a “no”.
• Local podcasting could be the next big leap for the industry, says Mathew Passy, writing for Podnews today. “Your neighborhood pizza shop isn’t sponsoring The Daily. But they would support a show with listeners in their delivery zone.”
• iHeart Australia’s Corey Layton is given a full interview by Radioinfo. He’s the company’s Head of Audio.

> > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter.

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