Adding a feature to Apple Podcast

My Role: UX Research, UX Design

Duration: 2 weeks

Tools: Figma

Project Overview

Apple Podcasts aims to enhance the listening experience by introducing AI-powered features that provide quick access to key insights from podcast episodes. The new feature, SmartCast, will generate automated episode summaries and smart chapters to help users discover and navigate content more efficiently. 

Problem Statement

Podcast episodes can be long, making it difficult for users to decide whether to commit to an episode or find specific topics of interest. Currently, listeners must scrub through episodes manually or rely on vague timestamps from creators. This lack of accessibility reduces engagement and discoverability, especially for long-form content. 

Core Assumptions

Users want AI-powered summaries & smart chapters.

  • Assumption: Listeners will engage more if they can preview episode summaries and skip to key sections.

  • Risk: Some users might prefer manual exploration and feel AI-generated content lacks nuance.

Automatic chapter detection improves engagement.

  • Assumption: Users will find it easier to navigate episodes if AI creates smart timestamps.

  • Risk: AI may struggle to accurately segment topics, leading to incorrect or confusing chapters.


Siri integration enhances accessibility.

  • Assumption: Users will use voice commands (e.g., “Skip to interview”) to navigate faster.

  • Risk: Siri might misinterpret commands or struggle with different accents.


Podcast creators need control over AI-generated chapters.

  • Assumption: Giving creators the ability to edit AI-generated timestamps will encourage adoption.

  • Risk: Some creators may see AI-generated content as inaccurate or unnecessary.


Better discoverability leads to higher engagement.

  • Assumption: AI-powered indexing (keywords, topics) will help users find relevant episodes more easily.

  • Risk: AI might misinterpret context or fail to surface meaningful insights.

The Proposed Solution: SmartCast

SmartCast uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and AI-driven topic segmentation to enhance the podcast listening experience through:

  1. Auto-Summaries: AI-generated summaries provide users with a quick preview of each episode.

  2. Smart Chapters: AI detects topic shifts and automatically timestamps key moments.

  3. Voice-Activated Navigation: Siri integration allows users to navigate episodes with voice commands (e.g., "Skip to the main interview").

  4. Enhanced Searchability: AI indexes episode topics to improve search functionality.

Understand

Since this was an add-on feature, I started with competitive analysis to identify opportunities and avoid reinventing existing solutions.

Competitor Analysis

What do other podcast apps look like, how do they function, and what features do they offer?

The competitor analysis I performed included four additional podcast apps. I evaluated each app thoroughly to get familiar with their functionalities, strengths, weaknesses and key features. I also looked at what platforms support each app.

Design

Paper Sketches

After understanding the problem, making assumptions and hypothesis and completing a competitor analysis, I started to sketch out the screens that would be impacted by the addition of the key feature.

The goal of this step was to organize and implement the additional feature within the podcast app framework.

Once the wireframe structure was validated, I translated it into high-fidelity designs that aligned with Apple’s design system. The focus was on keeping the interface intuitive while ensuring AI-driven features felt native to Apple Podcasts.

Key Insights & Opportunities

1. AI-Powered Podcast Navigation is a Growing Trend

  • Spotify & Podbean leverage AI for transcripts and keyword tagging, but Apple Podcasts lacks automated chapters & transcripts.

  • Opportunity: Introducing SmartCast (AI Summaries & Smart Chapters) fills a gap in Apple’s feature set, improving discoverability and engagement.

2. Apple Podcasts is Strong in Curation but Weak in AI-Driven Features

  • Apple excels in human-curated recommendations but lacks AI-powered transcripts, keyword tagging, or smart navigation like Podbean and Spotify.

  • Opportunity: AI-powered summaries, transcripts, and topic-based navigation would enhance searchability and user experience.

3. Competitors Focus on Either Customization or AI – Not Both

  • Pocket Casts & Podcast Addict offer highly customizable playback but no AI-driven discoverability.

  • Podbean & Spotify provide AI-based features but lack deep customization tools.

  • Opportunity: Apple Podcasts can blend AI-powered navigation with a simple, intuitive UI, giving users structured yet seamless content discovery.

4. Monetization & Creator Tools are a Competitive Advantage

  • Podbean integrates AI-powered transcription and monetization tools for creators.

  • Apple Podcasts already supports subscriptions, but offering AI-generated chapters and summaries to creators could increase engagement & retention.

  • Opportunity: Allow podcasters to edit AI-generated transcripts & chapters, helping creators refine content while maintaining control.

5. Limited Free AI Features in the Market

  • AI-powered tools are often locked behind premium paywalls (Podbean, Spotify Premium, Pocket Casts Pro).

  • Opportunity: Offering AI transcripts and summaries for free (or as part of Apple One) could differentiate Apple Podcasts and drive higher adoption.

Digital Wireframes

Transforming sketches into low fidelity wireframes. Used wireframes to explore different layout possibilities for integrating AI-generated transcripts and Smart Chapters into Apple Podcasts. My goal was to create a seamless experience where user could view transcripts in real time, jump to key moments and use voice commands with minimal friction.

To test usability and validate design decisions, I created a clickable prototype demonstrating the AI-powered features. The prototype allows users to navigate a podcast episode using transcripts and chapters.

What’s Next

With the foundation of SmartCast established, the next steps focus on refinement, expansion, and user adoption:

  1. Refining AI Accuracy & Context Understanding – Continue improving NLP algorithms to distinguish between meaningful topic shifts and natural conversation flow.

  2. Expanding Multilingual Support – Enhance AI models to support more languages and regional dialects for broader accessibility.

  3. Improving Siri Integration – Fine-tune voice command functionality to recognize diverse accents and phrasing.

  4. User & Creator Customization – Allow users to personalize summaries (e.g., short vs. detailed versions) and give creators more control over AI-generated chapters.

  5. Measuring Success & Iterating – Track engagement metrics (e.g., increased play-through rates, reduced drop-offs) and iterate based on user feedback.

Long-term, SmartCast could integrate more deeply into Apple’s ecosystem, including cross-platform syncing with Apple Notes, Safari (for AI-powered podcast recommendations), and even Apple Intelligence features.

Reflection

What did I learn from the process?

I learned that AI can benefit both podcast listeners and creators. For listeners, it makes it easier to find key momentsand decide if an episode is worth their time. For creators, it helps increase engagement by making their content more discoverable and structured.I also gained a deeper understanding of Apple’s design system and how to integrate modern UI trends while maintaining a seamless experience.

What would I do differently if you revisited this project?

I would explore more customization options for both users and podcast creators, allowing for greater flexibility in how AI-generated content is used.

What aspect of this case study am I most proud of?

I’m most proud of how SmartCast improves podcast discoverability and accessibility by making it easier for users to find key moments in episodes. It transforms how people engage with long-form audio content, making it more efficient and enjoyable.