Spotify Update Changes The Way You'll Share Podcasts

Spotify is getting a new update today that serves up some intriguing features for those who use the platform to listen to podcasts or create Canvas videos to share on social media. You'll now be able to share timestamped podcasts, which allows your friends to begin listening precisely when you want them to. Spotify is also expanding the platforms supported by Canvas, spreading beyond just Instagram.

Avid podcast listeners will tell you that being able to share a timestamped podcast is a pretty big deal indeed, because it allows you to share a specific part of the podcast with friends instead of linking them to the whole thing. In order to do this, you'll need to tap the share button while listening to an episode, then select "switch to share" at the current playtime and choose where you want to share it.

Those who click on the link you share will automatically be taken to your timestamp, so in that way, it works a lot like YouTube timestamps. Spotify has been trying to become a major destination for podcasts in recent years, and letting users share timestamped podcasts could be one way it stands out from other podcast platforms.

Aside from podcasts, we're also seeing new features for Canvas, which allows users to turn "static song pages into video-art showcases." Previously, the only platform you could share a Canvas to was Instagram Stories, but as of this update, you can also now share them to Snapchat.

In addition, Spotify says that it has updated the sharing menu on mobile, allowing users to see a preview of what they're sharing before they send it off to the internet masses. This applies to Canvas as well, so you can now look at a preview of your Canvas before it's published the Instagram or Snapchat. You'll even see a list of social media and messaging apps to share to that's based on the apps you currently have installed. These features are live in Spotify today on iOS and Android beginning today, so update your app and take them for a spin.