Spotify unveiled some new accessibility features that will be coming to its iOS and Android apps in a few weeks. Among them, the most prominent is that will automatically transcribe the podcasts hosted on the streaming service . In principle, this feature will only work with the original or exclusive episodes of the platform. But the goal is to extend it to all available shows.
According to the announcement, the transcripts will be accessible from the screen dedicated to each episode. Users can read them from their smartphones, with or without the audio playing in the background . The lines of text will be accompanied by their corresponding timestamps, and tapping on them will play the podcast from those specific points.
“This is just the first step to the podcast transcription experience – our overall ambition is to allow it on all Spotify podcasts,” they stated from the company.
In this way, Spotify continues to strengthen the structure behind its podcast platform . Recently, the streaming service added the function of sharing timestamps, in order to generate conversations and enhance discussions.
More accessibility options in the Spotify apps for iOS and Android
Spotify applications for mobile devices will not only incorporate the option to automatically transcribe podcasts. They will also add more accessibility functions, especially thinking of people with vision problems .
For this reason, the platform interface will present changes regarding the text format, color and dimension of the buttons. Another important addition will allow to increase the font size , via a slider.
This option will appear in the “Accessibility” section of the Spotify applications for iOS and Android; Under the section “Text and screen size”, people will be able to choose how big they want to see the letters on their mobile device . However, the service warns that if the font size is increased too much, there may be problems trying to interact with the interface.
That the most popular applications provide increasingly better tools for users with some type of disability, is always welcome. Spotify assures that it wants its product to be available “for everyone” and therefore sets its sights on a more inclusive experience for the people who access the platform.
