Spotify’s accidental investment in white noise podcasts may not be aligned with the company’s intentions. White noise podcasts, which feature repetitive relaxing sounds such as static, crashing waves, or rain, have seen surprising popularity on Spotify, partially due to the platform’s algorithmic push for talk content over music.
Incidentally, these creators profit from the ads that Spotify places during the episodes. Internal documents reveal that white noise podcasts accounted for 3 million daily consumption hours on Spotify as of January 2023.
According to a report from Bloomberg, the streaming platform could boost its annual gross profit by $38 million if it directs users away from these podcasts
The company considered removing these shows from its talk feeds, banning future uploads, and guiding users toward other content types. However, this proposal did not move forward, although some podcasters have reported their episodes mysteriously disappearing.
