Urgent: Podcasts & key categories (Documentary, Comedy) disabled in Bangladesh — request official st

[HRmusaed]

Hi Spotify Team,

I’m writing from Bangladesh to escalate an availability issue that’s materially impacting user productivity and learning use cases.

Problem statement

• Podcasts and related categories (e.g., Documentary, Comedy) appear disabled for Bangladesh.

• Any attempt to open podcast content redirects back to Home with no explanatory messaging.

Recent support confirmation
On Sep 14, 04:16–04:18 PM (Asia/Dhaka), Support confirmed the behavior:

“Podcasts and some features aren’t available in Bangladesh at the moment, which is why the link redirects you back to the home screen… access is restricted based on region.” — Minh T

Repro steps

1. Open Spotify (mobile or desktop/web) from Bangladesh.

2. Search for any podcast show or episode.

3. Tap to open.
   Actual: Redirected to Home with no reason shown.
   Expected: Podcast content opens, or a clear banner explains regional limitations.

Environment

• Country: Bangladesh

• Platforms tested: Android (latest), Windows desktop app (latest), Web Player (Chrome latest)

• Account: [Free/Premium — please confirm]

• Network: Multiple ISPs, no VPN

• Troubleshooting tried: Reinstall, clear cache, sign-out/in, device restart — no change.

Why this is urgent
This is not just entertainment. Many of us rely on podcasts for ongoing education, industry updates, language learning, and productivity routines. The silent redirect degrades UX and erodes trust because users don’t know why content is unavailable or when it will be resolved.

Requests

1. Official status & ETA — A clear statement on podcast availability for Bangladesh and any planned rollout timeline.

2. Transparent in-app messaging — If licensing limits apply, show a banner/toast instead of redirecting to Home.

3. Category visibility — Enable (or visibly gray out with explanation) “Podcasts,” “Documentary,” and “Comedy” under Browse all, so users understand current scope.

4. Interim access guidance — Any compliant workaround (e.g., following shows for later access while traveling, region-agnostic show pages, or a waitlist/notify-me toggle).

5. Changelog/Status Page — A public, region-by-region feature matrix to prevent confusion going forward.

Success criteria

• Users in Bangladesh can open podcast pages without redirects (or receive clear, localized messaging).

• Documentary and Comedy categories are visible and actionable (or transparently labeled as region-restricted).

• A documented roadmap or confirmation that Bangladesh is under review with target milestones.

Please treat this as high priority. Happy to provide additional diagnostics (logs, exact app versions, sample show URIs) if that accelerates triage.

Thanks,
Musa
Dhaka, Bangladesh

[ribezaz]

Hey, welcome to the community!

Thank you for sharing such a detailed report. Currently, podcasts and some specific categories are not yet available in Bangladesh due to regional licensing restrictions, which is why I'm automatically redirected to the home screen without warning. I understand the frustration—especially when podcasts are part of study and productivity routines. I recommend submitting your suggestion on Spotify Community Ideas. In the meantime, there's no official solution or compatible workaround for accessing podcasts in Bangladesh, but following the community announcement channels is the best way to stay informed when there's any news.

Keep me updated.

Cheers, ribezaz

[HRmusaed]

Hum understood, but really needed that options

[ribezaz]

Hey again!

I really understand! However, for now, this is the most effective way to ensure your idea can be implemented in the future 🙂