source: techcrunch ai: spotify takes on google’s notebooklm with its new app
level: business
spotify released a standalone desktop app called studio by spotify labs. it lets users generate personal podcasts by connecting services like email, calendar, and notes. the app includes an agent that browses the web and fetches personal information to create custom audio. for example, it can produce a daily briefing or a podcast based on a user's schedule and emails. users can make multistep requests, such as asking for a road trip audio guide with calendar details, dinner recommendations, and podcast suggestions.
the generated podcasts are saved privately in the user's spotify library and sync across devices. they are not publicly available. spotify warns this is an early preview and ai may produce unreliable content. the app launches in research preview to over 20 markets for select users aged 18 and older. this follows spotify's recent command-line tool for coders, now extending podcast creation to non-coders.
the tool competes with google's notebooklm, which popularized podcast generation from source material. other companies like adobe and elevenlabs have adopted similar formats. spotify's move reinforces its focus on all things audio. future integrations could include capturing system audio for note-taking, similar to tools like granola. the app represents spotify's broader ambition to embed ai deeply into personal audio experiences.
why it matters: this shows how ai can turn personal data into private, on-demand audio content, offering a new way to consume information without reading.
source: techcrunch ai: spotify takes on google’s notebooklm with its new app