Spotify challenges Google’s NotebookLM with new app

Many companies now build AI-powered features that connect email, calendar, documents, and notes to produce a daily briefing in text or audio. Spotify is following suit with a new standalone desktop app called Studio by Spotify Labs.
Today, Spotify launched the ability for users to explore a topic by generating a podcast about it. The tool also incorporates personal context, and because 2026 apps can’t resist adding agents, the Studio app includes an agent that browses the web and fetches personal data to create a personalized podcast.
For example, the tool can generate a daily briefing or podcast based on your email and calendar. Users can make multi-step requests like “Create a daily audio brief for my road trip through Italy. Walk me through my day using my calendar and bookings. Recommend a memorable dinner spot near where I’ll be. And end with a podcast recommendation I’d love for the drive” to produce a tailored podcast.
All AI-generated podcasts are saved in your Spotify library for personal listening and synced across devices. They are not shared publicly.
Spotify noted that this is an early preview of the app, and AI may make mistakes or produce unreliable content at times.
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The company is releasing this app in research preview to over 20 markets. It will be available to select users who are 18 years or older.
This tool will compete with Google’s NotebookLM, which popularized podcast generation from selected source material a few years ago. In true Google fashion, the company also released a separate feature to create a daily podcast based on the Discover feed. Since then, the format of generating podcasts to explore topics or get daily briefings has been adopted by companies like Adobe and ElevenLabs, as well as apps like Hero and Huxe.
Spotify’s launch of the desktop app follows the company’s recent debut of a command-line tool for users of coding tools such as Claude Code or Codex to create personal podcasts and save them to their Spotify library. With the new Studio app and personal podcast feature, non-coders can now also take advantage of this offering.
This launch is another example of Spotify’s ambition to be involved in all things audio. With its desktop app, Spotify could offer more integrations for podcast creation in the future. Additionally, the app could capture system audio to become a Granola-style notetaker. While this is speculation, startups like Rewind and Cluely have become meeting notetakers, so this could become another area of interest for the company down the line.
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Many companies now build AI-powered features that connect email, calendar, documents, and notes to produce a daily briefing in text or audio. Spotify is following suit with a new standalone desktop app called Studio by Spotify Labs.
Today, Spotify launched the ability for users to explore a topic by generating a podcast about it. The tool also incorporates personal context, and because 2026 apps can’t resist adding agents, the Studio app includes an agent that browses the web and fetches personal data to create a personalized podcast.
For example, the tool can generate a daily briefing or podcast based on your email and calendar. Users can make multi-step requests like “Create a daily audio brief for my road trip through Italy. Walk me through my day using my calendar and bookings. Recommend a memorable dinner spot near where I’ll be. And end with a podcast recommendation I’d love for the drive” to produce a tailored podcast.
All AI-generated podcasts are saved in your Spotify library for personal listening and synced across devices. They are not shared publicly.
Spotify noted that this is an early preview of the app, and AI may make mistakes or produce unreliable content at times.
Loading the player…
The company is releasing this app in research preview to over 20 markets. It will be available to select users who are 18 years or older.
This tool will compete with Google’s NotebookLM, which popularized podcast generation from selected source material a few years ago. In true Google fashion, the company also released a separate feature to create a daily podcast based on the Discover feed. Since then, the format of generating podcasts to explore topics or get daily briefings has been adopted by companies like Adobe and ElevenLabs, as well as apps like Hero and Huxe.
Spotify’s launch of the desktop app follows the company’s recent debut of a command-line tool for users of coding tools such as Claude Code or Codex to create personal podcasts and save them to their Spotify library. With the new Studio app and personal podcast feature, non-coders can now also take advantage of this offering.
This launch is another example of Spotify’s ambition to be involved in all things audio. With its desktop app, Spotify could offer more integrations for podcast creation in the future. Additionally, the app could capture system audio to become a Granola-style notetaker. While this is speculation, startups like Rewind and Cluely have become meeting notetakers, so this could become another area of interest for the company down the line.
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