Podcasts are having a resurgence at the moment, with companies like Spotify and Apple investing millions of dollars in exclusive shows. YouTube is now entering the mix, starting with a new page dedicated to podcasts.
Google has created a new page at youtube.com/podcasts, which highlights popular episodes and playlists for video podcasts already on YouTube. However, some of the recommended videos aren’t strictly podcasts — there are a few “story time” videos, some reaction content, and even regular news clips from channels like NBC and Fox News. The definition of podcasts is fairly loose, especially on a video platform, but I’m not sure anyone thinks “that’s a podcast” when they see NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.
Podcasts have been commonplace on YouTube for years, even for shows without any visual content, but the new page is the first attempt from the platform to separate that content. Back in March, a leaked presentation indicated YouTube was working on more features for podcast publishers, including the ability to publish episodes to YouTube straight from an RSS feed (like how Spotify and Apple Podcasts work) and audio advertisements. The now-live podcasts page was also mentioned in the presentation.
YouTube will likely add more podcast features in the coming months, if earlier reports are accurate. It’s still not clear what will happen to Google Podcasts, the company’s current discovery tool and player for podcasts.
Via: 9to5Google
