Threads targets podcasters with new features and aims to become a hub for show discussions

Meta’s X competitor, Threads, starts targeting a specific type of creator: podcasters. The company announced Tuesday that Threads will focus on bringing more podcast discussions to the app and helping creators promote their shows.

First, Threads plans to roll out some new features to help on this front. For one, it gives podcast links in your feed a unique, eye-catching look with a colorful background and image thumbnails, making them easier to find.

Creators, on the other hand, will be given a dedicated spot to add links to their podcasts in their user profiles. Threads says these links are designed to be prominent as well, helping podcasters better promote their shows and grow their audience.

These features will be followed next year by other features focused on serving podcasters and their listeners, a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch.

Meta explained that he is interested in the podcast community because he sees the potential to become a de facto place for people to talk about shows and interact with creators. Today, such discussions are distributed on social media such as Reddit, X, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on platforms where podcasts are streamed, such as YouTube and Spotify (the latter added support for comments last year).

The company is also looking to capitalize on podcasts’ deep connection to culture. This will encourage discussion and encourage interaction. Threads currently has more than 400 million monthly active users and more than 150 million daily active users, fewer than rival X, which claims 600 million monthly active users. Capturing the podcast community, or any part of it, could help close that gap significantly.

However, while Threads is aimed at discussions that arise from podcasts, the company told TechCrunch that it has no intention of becoming a podcast distribution platform.

Instead, the company will focus on providing podcast hosts with more insight and analysis into whether the conversations surrounding their shows are resonating with fans. We also plan to develop more features to help users find podcasts they might like and connect podcasters and listeners through conversations.

This isn’t the first time Threads has targeted creators as a way to differentiate its social network from X, Bluesky and others in the industry.

In May, the company offered creators the ability to add up to five links to their profiles, allowing them to promote their presence more broadly on the web, including on other social media sites, video platforms, blogs, and portfolios. The company recently started allowing creators to share longer thoughts and perspectives through a text attachment feature.

Meta said users can expect Threads to explore more features focused on podcast discussions in the coming months.