Global podcast platform Pocket Casts has rolled out a major update, introducing a long-requested playlist feature for its users. The new tool, which became available on Monday, 24th November 2025, allows listeners to create custom sequences of episodes from various shows, enhancing user control over their listening experience. This development is particularly relevant for Kenya's burgeoning podcast market, which has seen explosive growth and is largely driven by a young, digitally-native audience.

The feature, part of the version 8.0 update, was announced by Pocket Casts, which is owned by Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com and Tumblr. It enables users to manually build playlists for specific moods, topics, or activities, such as a long commute. More significantly, the update introduces "Smart Playlists," an automated function that curates episodes based on user-defined rules. These rules can include episode duration, release date, and download status, effectively replacing the app's previous "filters" tool. For instance, a Kenyan user could create a smart playlist of all unplayed news podcast episodes under 20 minutes for a morning briefing or compile a series of interviews with a specific public figure across different shows.

Implications for the Kenyan Market

The introduction of advanced curation tools arrives as podcasting solidifies its place in Kenya's media landscape. According to 2025 data from Spotify, Nairobi accounts for over 93% of all podcast streams in the country, with Gen Z listeners (ages 18-24) making up nearly half of the audience. The gender split is almost even, with women at 50% and men at 49%, indicating broad appeal. Peak listening hours are between 8 AM and 6 PM, suggesting integration into daily routines like commuting and work breaks.

This new feature could directly impact content discovery for Kenyan creators. With listeners able to build queues of local shows like "The Messy Inbetween," "The Mkurugenzi Podcast," or "So This Is Love," creators may see increased engagement with their back catalogues. The ability to create themed playlists could also help listeners explore Kenya's most popular podcast genre, 'Society & Culture,' more deeply.

The Kenyan podcast scene has matured significantly from 2019 when a study by Africa Podfest noted the medium was still largely unknown. Today, video podcasts are outperforming traditional media uploads on platforms like YouTube in terms of engagement, according to a 2025 report from Nairobi-based firm Odipo Dev. This indicates a highly engaged audience that values the authentic, direct-to-consumer nature of the medium—an audience that stands to benefit from enhanced organizational tools.

Competitive and Strategic Context

Pocket Casts' move is part of a broader strategy to solidify its position against larger platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. By focusing on user-centric features, Automattic aims to cultivate a loyal base of listeners who value cross-platform syncing and powerful playback controls. The playlist feature follows a previous decision to make the web and desktop versions of the app free, lowering the barrier to entry for new users. Founded in 2010 by Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson, Pocket Casts was acquired by a consortium of public radio organisations in 2018 before being sold to Automattic in July 2021. The co-founders continue to lead the app's development.

The feature is available immediately on the web and desktop apps and is rolling out to Android users, with an iOS update expected shortly, as confirmed in a company blog post on Monday. For Kenya's growing podcast audience, this tool offers a more sophisticated way to navigate a vibrant and expanding audio landscape, putting more control into the hands of the listener.