Branded podcasts are a thing. Everyone from eBay to Slack has dabbled in the format of late, with the aim of capturing an audience and (of course) promoting their products. The latest company to release a podcast series is popular dating service Tinder.
Now, before you tune out and turn off, we understand it’s easy to balk at the idea of a sponsored podcast, but Tinder may be on to something. And, at the very least, it sounds like it’s trying to create something substantial.
“DTR,” short for “Define the Relationship,” is its aptly titled first attempt at the humble podcast, reports The Wall Street Journal. The show is produced by Gimlet Creative, a company that found considerable success with its branded podcast for eBay, dubbed “Open for Business.” Tinder’s audio show sees host Jane Marie (music supervisor for celebrated public radio show This American Life, and former editor at Jezebel) explore the weird and wonderful world of online dating. “I’ll be your guide through this wild new world of dating, love, and sex, in cyberspace,” says Marie in a quote on Gimlet Creative’s website.
A typical episode will reportedly see Marie dish out online dating tips (such as how to craft an appropriate profile) and include real-life anecdotes — for example, in the podcast’s trailer, Marie is heard asking a guest if they’ve ever sent a nude pic.
“Each episode explores the good and bad, the hilarious and awkward, the wonderful and bizarre aspects of defining relationships in today’s world,” reads the show’s blurb.
The main question for brands trying to break into the podcasting space is whether there is an actual audience for what they’re producing? In Tinder’s case, the answer is a resounding yes. Consider the fact that on any given day the web is full of articles on online dating. Additionally, Tinder itself has been releasing a steady stream of data from its vaults regarding user behavior, such as the types of GIFs people use to kick-start a conversation, and the profession most likely to land you a match. The dating service even has its own in-house sociologist, Jessica Carbino, who specializes in matching user data with in-app experiences — and isn’t shy about discussing her findings with the media. Therefore, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Carbino popped up on the show as a future guest.
DTR kicks off on Thursday, and will include six episodes in total. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, or listen in on SoundCloud.
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Most of us have learned to tune out the usual in-app upsells, whether it’s a glowing upgrade banner or a pop-up about a premium plan. A floating hand hovering over your draft is much harder to ignore, and that’s probably the whole point.
Scroll through any app for five minutes, and you’ll find someone maxxing something. Their skin, their sleep, their protein intake, even their Friday night on the couch. That little suffix has been everywhere this year, and now it has a trophy to show for it. In a recent announcement, Dictionary.com named maxxing its 2026 Word of the Year.
What are people actually doing when they’re maxxing?
Instagram is testing a new format for long-form videos called Features. It allows select creators to upload horizontal videos running up to 90 minutes long. Instagram has already tested the new format with creators in Brazil, and now, it's expanding to tens of thousands of creators across the US.
How will Instagram's new Features format work?