Earlier this year, reports emerged that YouTube would soon add a dedicated podcasts platform — a signal the company was getting more serious about its investments in podcasts and the potential ad revenue they could deliver. YouTube has now confirmed that the new podcasts destination is now live for US users after the URL was discovered to be live ahead of any formal announcement.
YouTube’s New Dedicated Podcasts Platform Will Help People Discover Popular Content
The dedicated podcast platform YouTube.com/podcasts went live sometime last month and is now linked, at least for some users, on YouTube’s existing Explore page alongside other top destinations like Gaming, Sports, Learning, Fashion, and others. It did not appear in the website’s sidebar navigation, however. “The podcast destination page on YouTube helps users explore new and popular podcast episodes, shows, and creators, as well as recommend podcast content,” said YouTube spokesperson, Paul Pennigton. “It’s currently available in the U.S. only.”
Last year, YouTube hired a podcast executive, Kai Chuk, to lead its efforts in the space and has been offering cash to popular podcasters to film their shows, reports said. This March, a site called Podnews leaked an 84-page presentation that detailed YouTube’s dedicated podcasts platform roadmap. In the document, YouTube revealed it had plans to pilot the feature by ingesting RSS feeds. It also mentioned a new URL, YouTube.com/podcasts, but the link didn’t work at the time.
YouTube Has Spent More than $1 Billion on the Generation of Digital Content
YouTube’s advances in podcasting follow significant investments on Spotify’s part into the medium. The company has spent more than $1 billion on related acquisitions. It brought studios and exclusive shows in-house, launched paid podcast subscriptions, and developed podcast ad tech platforms and services. Spotify hyped the revenue potential for its podcast efforts this June, noting that its podcasting business generated roughly €200 million last year, up 300% from 2020.
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