How "Two Hot Takes" saw audience growth by putting community first on Spotify
July 10, 2025
Learn how “Two Hot Takes” used video and real-time engagement on Spotify to grow its audience by 14% and build a thriving creator community.
Meet the creator
Morgan Absher never set out to be a podcast host. But in the process of analysing relationship drama on the mic, she found something far more powerful than viral content: real-time connection. When she brought her audience closer through adding video on Spotify, her show "Two Hot Takes" exploded, with the audience growing by 14% from January to March.
Here’s what you’ll learn from Morgan’s journey:
How video on Spotify helped her grow her audience faster than ever
How a comment section became her creative yardstick
Why real-time feedback on Spotify now informs every episode she makes
Real-time engagement, the secret to a thriving community on Spotify
“Two Hot Takes” lives up to its name in more ways than one. Just as the show thrives on multiple perspectives for each story, so does Morgan’s creative process. She transforms what could be one-sided commentary into a genuine dialogue with thousands of fans, inviting them to contribute their own takes (hot or otherwise) and collectively shape the show's evolution.
This back-and-forth has become the heartbeat of Morgan’s workflow, helping drive impressive growth:
"My fan engagement on Spotify is one of my favorites," she shares. "I love how real-time it is. I post at midnight, and when I wake up at eight AM, I have thousands of responses on a poll. I basically immediately know what people think of the stories, the episodes, the guests."
My fan engagement on Spotify is one of my favorites. I love how real-time it is. I post at midnight, and when I wake up at eight AM, I have thousands of responses on a poll. I basically immediately know what people think of the stories, the episodes, the guests.
The instant, quality feedback (courtesy of Spotify’s interactivity features) is now essential to how Morgan crafts her content. Those pre-coffee poll results and comment sections filled with reactions help her understand exactly what resonates with her fanbase. "I feel like my Spotify audience is the most constructive," she explains. "They are the most invested in the show, especially when they write suggestions and comments, they really give meaningful feedback."
I feel like my Spotify audience is the most constructive. They are the most invested in the show, especially when they write suggestions and comments, they really give meaningful feedback.
The creator-fan relationship works both ways. Because she gives the audience a voice through polls and comments, Morgan turns passive fans into active participants who have a real stake in the show's direction. "Making the listeners feel heard really increases the sense of ownership of the show and involvement," she notes. “People sharing, answering polls, and boosting it in algorithms. It's really the only reason the show exists still—it's all thanks to them."
Video on Spotify, a new era for “Two Hot Takes”
Adding video to Spotify was a natural next step for Morgan, and only a week in, she was “shocked” at how enthusiastically her audience responded. “I knew they loved video, but they've been so happy to have it in one place—they don't have to leave an app to see our faces anymore, it's a one-stop shop for them," she explains.
Spotify makes it so easy to just upload what I'm already doing. It's not a heavy lift, which I think as a creator is so important. Our bandwidth can be stretched so thin, so when something's really easy, and it makes sense, why not do it?
Morgan finds that video transforms the listening experience into something more intimate. "It's so much more personal," she says. “You can see people. We're real, we're not just a voice. You can really connect with us. It also feels like you're hanging out with friends."
For creators who are already recording video content for other platforms, Morgan firmly encourages adding Spotify to the distribution mix. "Spotify makes it so easy to just upload what I'm already doing," she shares. "It's not a heavy lift, which I think as a creator is so important. Our bandwidth can be stretched so thin, so when something's really easy, and it makes sense, why not do it?"
Once she started uploading video, Morgan was quick to make the most of Spotify’s discovery tools. She’s particularly fond of Clips, “an easy snapshot for anyone exploring your show.” The bite-sized previews function as trailers, giving potential fans a taste of what to expect. "That's really helped increase listenership on new episodes," Morgan adds.
The ability to add clips to the episode is an easy snapshot for anyone exploring your show or trying to get a little synopsis of the episode. That’s really helped increase listenership on new episodes.
Her strategy for selecting clip-worthy moments is to let the audience guide her. "Listener reactions—you are going to know very quickly, thanks to comments, which moments resonated with people, and you just pull those. If the majority likes it, there's a good chance other people out there will, too."
Learn more about how creators are using Clips to drive discovery on Spotify.
Expand your reach and build community with video on Spotify
Morgan's advice to creators still hesitant about experimenting with video is to “just do it. Stop thinking about it. So many of you out there have so many amazing ideas, and you're probably your own biggest barrier," she points out.
The financial rewards of being a creator have allowed Morgan to make meaningful investments, both personal and professional. From buying her grandmother a car ("I think that's the most meaningful thing I was able to do with my podcast payments") to upgrading her equipment, she's seen firsthand how creating content can transform lives.
Learn more about how you can start earning with the Spotify Partner Program.
But Morgan's most valuable gain isn't material at all—it's the community that rallies around her show. "Without community, without listeners, a lot of our shows wouldn't exist," she reflects. “That sense of community is what keeps the show growing and successful." The addition of video on Spotify opened up new opportunities to strengthen that community bond.
