On Spotify, you can rate podcasts with 1–5 stars in the mobile app; written feedback sits in episode comments when the creator enables them.
What “Reviews” Mean On Spotify
Spotify offers two feedback paths. First, a star score lives on a show’s main page and rolls into a public average. Second, short text replies live under individual episodes through the comments feature. There’s no text box on the show page itself. If you want to share thoughts in writing, you do it per episode when comments are switched on by the host.
That split trips people up. Star scores help discovery and appear once a show earns enough responses. Comments help hosts learn what landed, what confused listeners, and what should come next. Both live inside the mobile app. The web player shows the average score, but it doesn’t accept new ratings.
Ways To Leave Feedback Fast
The table below shows your options at a glance. It covers what each action is, where it appears, and what changes on the page.
| Method | Where It Lives | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Star Rating | Show page on iOS/Android | Records a 1–5 star score that rolls into the public average. |
| Episode Comments | Episode page on mobile | Posts a short message that the host can moderate and reply to. |
| Follow & Like | Show page or episode card | Subscribes to new drops and signals interest to the ranking systems. |
Leaving A Review On Spotify: Phone And Desktop Tips
Rate A Podcast On iPhone Or iPad
Open the app. Search for the show. Tap the cover to reach the show page, not a single episode. Under the description, tap the star line. Choose your score and submit. If the button is missing, play an episode for at least half a minute and try again. The app often waits for a short listen before it shows the submit control.
You can change your score later. Tap the stars again and adjust. If five stars won’t submit, it usually means you already set five earlier. Drop to four, submit, then set five again. That simple refresh step clears stuck inputs for many users.
Rate A Podcast On Android
Steps match iOS. Open the app, find the show page, tap the star line under the description, pick a score, and submit. If you don’t see stars, update the app and relaunch. Signed-out accounts can’t rate. Work profiles and kids accounts also block the feature.
Can You Rate From Desktop Or Web?
You can see the average on the show page in the desktop app or web player, but new scores must be set on a phone or tablet. The same goes for text replies: you write them on mobile under the episode, not on desktop.
Write Thoughts With Episode Comments
Text feedback sits under individual episodes. Open an episode page in the mobile app and scroll to the comments area. Type a short message and submit. Hosts can approve, react, or reply, and threads can grow under a top comment. If you don’t see the box, the creator may have turned comments off for that episode.
Short notes work best. Share a takeaway, a time stamp, or a question you want the host to answer. Keep it kind and on topic. Creators can review replies before they appear. They can also react with emoji or respond to kick off a thread.
For background, see Spotify’s own pages on star ratings and the help doc on reading and replying to comments. These outline what shows and listeners see after you rate or comment.
Before You Start: Quick Checks
Update The App
Install the latest build from the App Store or Google Play. Ratings and comments load more reliably on current versions.
Use A Personal Profile
Ratings rely on a standard account. Work profiles, child accounts, and some managed devices restrict the controls that add scores and replies.
Pick The Correct Page
Ratings live on the show page under the description. Comments live under the episode page. If you’re stuck on a Now Playing screen, back out to the relevant page first.
Step-By-Step: Leave A Star Rating
Find The Right Page
Search for the show title. If you land on a single episode, tap the thumbnail to jump to the main show page. Ratings appear under the description, not on episode cards.
Listen For A Bit
Play any episode for a short stretch. Many users report the submit button appears once the app registers a brief listen. It’s a light check that you’ve sampled the show.
Tap, Rate, Submit
Tap the star area. Drag or tap to set 1–5. Hit submit. If you can’t submit, refresh the app, toggle Airplane Mode off and on, or log out and back in. Those quick steps clear stale sessions.
Step-By-Step: Post A Helpful Comment
Open An Episode
From the show page, pick an episode and scroll. You’ll see a comments card with a prompt to add your thoughts.
Write Something Useful
Point to a moment you loved. Ask for links the host mentioned. Share what you learned. Short and specific beats long and vague.
Respect House Rules
Creators approve replies. If a message never appears, it may have been filtered. Keep language clean and skip spoilers when the topic calls for it.
What You Can And Can’t Review
On Spotify, star scores apply to podcasts as a whole, not to single episodes. Text replies sit under episodes. Albums, songs, and playlists don’t accept written reviews or star scores. You can like tracks, follow artists, and share playlists, but those actions aren’t reviews.
Podcast charts track audience size and momentum across a region. Scores are just one signal among many. Still, a strong average under the cover helps a show earn clicks from new listeners who are scanning options.
Regional And Account Notes
Feature Rollouts Can Vary
Some controls arrive by market. If a friend sees the rating line and you don’t, check for updates and try again later. You can still play, follow, and share across regions.
Listening Time Helps Availability
A short play session often unlocks the submit control. If you only skim the show page without hitting play, the star line may not let you finish the action.
One Score Per Account
You can adjust your own score, but you can’t stack multiple scores from the same account. Changing the number overwrites the previous value.
Troubleshooting: When Rating Or Comments Don’t Show
If rating controls or comments vanish, try these fixes. They solve most cases tied to account state, app version, or network quirks.
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No stars on show page | Outdated app or signed-out state | Update, then sign in and relaunch the app. |
| Can’t submit 5 stars | Five already set before | Set four, submit, then set five again to refresh. |
| Submit button missing | Didn’t play any audio | Listen at least 30 seconds, then retry the star step. |
| Comments panel missing | Creator turned comments off | Try another episode or send feedback on social. |
| Comment never appears | Held for review or filtered | Keep it short, stay polite, avoid links and promo. |
| Rating reset after update | Cache glitch | Log out, force quit, log back in, then re-rate. |
Tips That Make Your Feedback Count
Rate Shows You Truly Listen To
Give stars when you’ve played more than a few minutes and sampled a couple of episodes. Your score will better reflect the show.
Be Specific In Episode Replies
Name a segment, guest, or time stamp. That tells the host what worked. It also helps future listeners pick a starting point.
Share Without Spoilers
For news or story pods, skip plot points in comments. Use broad hints so new listeners can enjoy the episode fresh.
Don’t Spam Links
Promotional links and off-topic posts can be blocked. Keep replies clean and helpful so they clear approval faster.
For Creators: What Happens After Listeners Respond
Once a show earns enough scores, the average appears under the cover on the show page. Hosts can read and react to episode replies, build threads, and answer questions in the app. That loop helps refine topics, guests, and pacing. A steady stream of ratings and replies also nudges new listeners to sample an episode.
Listener replies are public under the episode. Ratings are anonymous to other users. Creators see the count and the average, not a list of profiles tied to star values.
Privacy, Safety, And Moderation
Episode replies can be reported. Hosts can remove them. Spotify also scans for content that breaks policy. If you see spam or abuse, use the report control next to a reply. Comments aren’t private messages, so skip personal info.
Set a display name you’re proud to post with. It appears next to your reply. Your star score stays private to you and the systems that compute the average.
Method And Sources
This guide reflects hands-on testing on iOS and Android, plus official pages. See Spotify’s newsroom note on star ratings and the help center overview for comments and moderation. These explain where ratings appear and how comment threads work for listeners and creators.