Spotify is testing podcast quote cards you can share on social media. These cards include quotes from the podcast you're listening to on Spotify. Plus a link back to the podcast to encourage people to click through and listen for themselves. Starting with The Michelle Obama Podcast.

How Spotify's Shareable Quote Cards Work

These shareable quote cards aren't yet available to everyone. But if you're one of the "select users" in the test, you'll see the cards when you play the first episode of The Michelle Obama Podcast. A new original podcast available exclusively on Spotify.

The quote cards include a quote taken directly from the episode in question, along with a timestamp. If you tap on the card you want to share, you'll see sharing options for the main social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

Your followers on social media will then see the quote card. Which serves a dual purpose. First, the quote may inspire a discussion amongst family and friends. Secondly, and more importantly, the quote cards link back to the episode in question. Which should get more people listening to it.

There's no guarantee that the use of shareable quotes will be expanded beyond this experiment. In a statement to Engadget, Spotify said, "We routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of those tests end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning."

Spotify Needs People to Listen to Podcasts

Spotify has been heavily investing in podcasting of late, throwing money at Joe Rogan and launching lots of other original podcasts. Including The Michelle Obama Podcast. The problem is getting people to listen to them in large enough numbers to justify the investment.

These shareable quote cards provide Spotify with an easy way to promote podcasts, with social media users doing the work for the streaming service. Which makes perfect sense for pods such as The Michelle Obama Podcast, in which both Michelle and Barack Obama say some profound things.

You Can Also Watch Video Podcasts on Spotify

As well as testing shareable quote cards, Spotify has started offering video podcasts. This means you can watch, as well as hear, your favorite podcasts on the streaming service. While only a handful of video podcasts are available at the time of writing, more are sure to be added over time.