In late August, Twitter announced that podcasts are officially coming to the social media platform. Though you may think of the Twitter app as a forum for sharing your thoughts, following your favorite celebrities or high-profile figures, or even for tracking the latest news, it also looks like Twitter is becoming a podcast destination. In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about this recent development, and how you can listen and make podcasts on Twitter spaces.
TL;DR
- Twitter recently updated its Spaces to include podcasts
- You can now host live Spaces and upload podcasts to Twitter
- Podcasts will be curated into personalized ‘Stations’ that match listener interests and preferences
- Twitter podcasts will give podcasters access to a huge global audience & enhanced discoverability
What is a Twitter Podcast?
Twitter’s expansion into the podcasting world isn’t actually that surprising. As Twitter put it in their announcement post, their platform is all about connecting people,and podcasts will help them to ‘take that connection to a whole new level’.
Podcasts are now an integrated feature of the Twitter Spaces tab.
Twitter Spaces and Podcasting
If you haven’t heard of Twitter Spaces or don’t really know how it works, let us explain. Spaces is where Twitter users go to take part in and tune into audio conversations. With the most recent update, Spaces now includes personalized hubs (‘Stations’) that have thematically grouped audio content so that you can access both live and pre-recorded audio that matches what you’re interested in.
As part of this redesign, Twitter Spaces is also becoming a hub for podcasts. In those hubs we mentioned earlier, you’ll also now be able to browse the most popular podcasts.
Twitter spaces and podcasts are currently in a soft launch phase, so it’s only actually accessible for a selection of english-speaking audiences.
What are ‘Stations’ in Twitter Spaces?
Stations are the ‘hubs’ that we mentioned. They’ll be tailored to individual preferences and interests, and will dynamically suggest personalized content based on individual users’ activity and interactions across the platform. These hubs will recommend live and pre-recorded Spaces as well as podcasts.
Why do Twitter Podcasts matter?
Here’s why Twitter podcasts are most definitely going to make waves for the industry:
Tap into a global audience
There are approximately 450 million active monthly Twitter users around the world. And according to Twitter’s own research, 45% of the platform’s US users also listen to podcasts every month. Podcasters looking to gain traction and expand their reach should most definitely tap into this huge audience pool.
Get ahead of the curve
There have been indications that the addition of podcasts to Twitter Spaces is part of a wider move to start building out what the platform calls an 'all-in-one, personalized audio destination'. If the Twitter app does become a hub for podcasts, podcasters will want to get in on the momentum early.
Diversify your podcast destinations
Admittedly, Twitter Spaces is a unique place to distribute your podcast to. But maybe that’s the appeal. Twitter will help you to maximize your podcast’s discoverability and searchability, you’ll gain elevated exposure because of the mixed nature of the platform (social media meets listening platform).
Go live & publish podcasts in the same place
Twitter Spaces is the platform’s rendition of the COVID sensation ‘Clubhouse’. It allows users to go live (either on a whim or in a prescheduled session) and upload pre-recorded audio. In many ways, this will allow podcasters to connect with their listeners in a more organic and natural setting and develop a closer relationship with their community.
Read more: A Guide To Live Podcasting | Audio & Video (2024)
Benefits of Podcasting on Twitter Spaces
Offer bonus content
One of the huge benefits of podcasting on Twitter Spaces is that you can offer different kinds of interactions and content in one place. You can post your new podcast content there, choose to host live events, upload bonus content, or just engage in conversation threads with your listeners.
Easy to use
Twitter is free and easy to use, so why not post your podcast? Plus, if you’ve already got a substantial following on the platform, you can funnel your listeners in-app to interact with your new content.
Enhance discoverability & cross-promotion opportunities
As we said earlier, podcasting on Twitter offers immense discoverability as well as an abundance of cross-promotion opportunities.
How to listen to podcasts on Twitter Spaces
To tune into a Space on Twitter, all you need to do is head to the Spaces tab on the Twitter app, tap on a Space that appeals to, then hit ‘start listening’.
Remember, however, that Twitter Spaces with podcasts isn’t available to everyone. If it is, however, here is how to listen to a podcast:
First, head to Spaces. Then you’ll see the ‘Stations’ which are the personalized hubs that we mentioned earlier. You can browse freely here to find a podcast that falls under a theme you’re interested in. Alternatively, head to Spaces Spotlight to see what selection Twitter has curated for you.
How to Create or Host a Twitter Space
Starting a Space on Twitter is super straightforward. Remember that Spaces are public which means that anyone on Twitter can join in. You can have up to 13 people speaking in a Space at once.
Step 1: Head to your Twitter app and hold down on the ‘+’ button if you’re on iOS or the ‘compose tweet’ button on Android on your home timeline. From there, select ‘Spaces audio’.
If this is your first time using Spaces, you will need to give Twitter permission to access your mic.
Step 2: Name your space and then click ‘start your space’ and select up to 3 topics. Also choose whether you want to record the space.
You can also choose to schedule your Space for a later time by clicking ‘schedule for later’.
Step 3: When you’ve started your space, you can send requests to audience members to ask them to be a host or speaker. Do this by tapping on the ‘people’ icon and then adding co-hosts or speakers.
Step 4: Tweet out a link to your Space by tapping the share icon.
How to promote your podcast on Twitter
1. Leverage your hosts and guests’ following
When you’re promoting your latest podcast episode, make sure to mention your host and guest speakers. Encourage everyone involved to retweet in order to maximize the reach of your promotional material.
2. Share a sneak peek
When you’re tweeting about your latest upload, including a small audio preview or snippet of the episode is a great way to capture people’s attention and tempt them to listen to the whole thing.
3. Create conversations around your podcast
Leverage Twitter to create a buzz around your podcast. You could do this by interacting with your fans directly, replying to their questions and tweets.
4. Offer bonus material for Twitter listeners
Make use of Twitter Space’s versatility by offering bonus content (episodes or live events) to your audience who listen to your podcast through the platform.
FAQs on Twitter Podcasts
Where can you post podcasts on Twitter?
Twitter just launched the option to post your podcast on Twitter Spaces. Previously, all you could do was tweet about your podcast and link to another listening platform.
Is Twitter Spaces a Podcast?
Twitter Spaces is not a podcast in itself - it’s a destination for listening to live and pre-recorded audio that’s integrated into the Twitter interface.
How do you do a live podcast on Twitter?
If you’ve heard of Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces offers a pretty similar thing. You can create a ‘live podcast’ on Twitter by heading to Spaces (as per our instructions above). Here you can talk live with up to 13 people and interact with your live Twitter audience. This is a great option if you have a big audience on Twitter, but is a little exclusive if many of your listeners don’t also use Twitter.
How do I get my podcast verified on Twitter?
To get that coveted blue Verified badge on Twitter you need to fulfill certain criteria. First off, your account needs to be ‘notable and active’ and fall under one of Twitter’s 6 designated categories (for podcasts, this is likely to be Entertainment).
You can apply directly for verification through the Settings and Privacy section of your account. Head to ‘Account Information’ and then hit ‘Request Verification’.
Does Twitter have podcasts?
Yes, Twitter now has podcasts. With its latest update to its Spaces feature, the Twitter app now acts as a podcast listening platform.
What are the best hashtags for Twitter podcasts?
According to Twitter’s own ‘best practice’ blog post, podcasters looking to elevate their podcast’s presence on Twitter should use one specific hashtag when tweeting about it.
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