Spotify's Synched Feeds allows creators to display their free and subscriber-only content in one feed

Spotify is expanding its Open Access API, allowing you to see your favorite creators' subscriber-only podcast episodes in the same feed as free content.

Called Synched Feeds, the update gives users a more streamlined experience on the app. Because through Synched Feeds, creators can now display their free and subscriber-only content in one feed.

Previously, a creator might have posted a teaser of a premium episode with a link to their content elsewhere or had two separate podcast feeds one for free and the other for subscriber-only content. Now, a subscriber-only episode will appear within the creator's feed on Spotify with the option to subscribe to listen to it.

To participate, creators enable Synced Feeds through their Spotify for Podcasters account. Creators must use Spotify's Open Access API to enable distribution on Spotify from another platform. Then, listeners link their premium account from the other platform to their Spotify account, unlocking the subscriber-only content. Spotify does not take a cut of creator revenue from subscribers.

Spotify launched Open Access in 2021 as its work around for manually uploading RSS content to the platform. According to TechCrunch, it's the only major podcasting platform that doesn't allow manual uploads, which is how users listen to subscriber-only episodes on other platforms. Last year, Open Access integrated with Patreon, Memberful, Supercast, and Supporting Cast. And beginning next month, The New York Times will make its audio subscription available for purchase through Spotify.

According to a press release, since launching Open Access with Patreon last year, nearly half of podcasters earning money on Patreon take advantage of it. Those same creators saw 15 percent of their Spotify listeners who visited their Patreon sign up for a paid membership.