After a spending spree on top-tier talent, Spotify is apparently considering letting you pay to only listen to podcasts

• Spotify is considering a separate paid subscription service specifically for podcasts, according to a survey the company sent out.
• Across the last several years, Spotify has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on top-tier podcast talent.
• Podcasts from Michelle Obama and Kim Kardashian are available exclusively through Spotify, with Joe Rogan's "The Joe Rogan Experience" becoming exclusive next year.
• Those podcasts are available for free (with ads) to all Spotify users, and without ads for paid subscribers, but Spotify is now considering a podcast-focused service too.

With nearly 150 million subscribers already paying for its streaming music service, Spotify appears to have its eye on a new subscription offering: Podcasts.

In a new survey the company sent out, first spotted by Variety Intelligence Platform president Andrew Wallenstein, Spotify asked users which podcast subscription service they would be most interested in. The options ranged from $3 to $8 per month, and included various features (ad-free podcasts, exclusive paid content, etc.).

Notably, the hypothetical service would be separate and distinct from Spotify's existing music-streaming subscription service. It's unclear how, if at all, the new podcast subscription service would impact the availability of Spotify's exclusive podcast lineup on its music streaming service.

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Across the last several years, Spotify has been on an podcast-acquisition spree.

From $340 million for Gimlet Media and Anchor in 2019, to $100 million for exclusive rights to "The Joe Rogan Experience" back in May, Spotify has been a market leader in paying for top-tier podcast talent. The company has also struck deals with Michelle Obama and popular sports/culture network The Ringer.

It's unclear when, if ever, the podcast subscription service will launch. A Spotify spokesperson told Business Insider that the company floats ideas in surveys that may or may become reality. "At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of surveys in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of those end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as important learnings."

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