What do you do when you want to relax? Some people sleep, others go to a spa, while others watch videos.
One of the best websites to visit if you are looking for video content is YouTube. It has almost all the things you could wish for. Films? There are films on the platform. Video game Let’s Play videos? YouTube has those too.
YouTube also has some content you can consume even if you are busy. There are podcasts on the platform. The most popular podcast series like “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Crime Junkie,” and “Call Her Daddy” are on YouTube.
Aside from those, there are more niche podcasts like “Trash Taste” and “KQM TC RoundTable podcast.”
You can play most of these videos even when you are cooking, commuting, or even when you are working. That’s because you don’t really have to watch. You can just listen to the hosts and guests talking to each other. And since they typically talk about interesting topics, you find yourself engrossed in the conversations. It is literally laid-back content.
Thus, podcasts are popular on YouTube. Hence, if you are a YouTuber, you may want to see if you can fit in this scene. Remember, podcasts are often as long as live streams. That would keep your subscribers spending more time on your channel, which is good for its growth.
Keep that thought in your mind. Why? Because based on some hints, YouTube is about to invest more in podcasts.
YouTube Could be Launching a Podcast Homepage
Some rumors say YouTube is getting more serious about podcasts. Reports say that the Google-owned video-sharing service has hired Kai Chuk, a podcast executive. According to the reports, Kai is going to lead YouTube’s efforts in the podcasting space.
Aside from that, YouTube has offered up to $300,000 to get podcasters to film episodes or create other content.
And now, a leaked document revealed the tech giant’s plan in this area. According to the document, a podcast homepage is coming to YouTube, along with other monetization features.
Podnews, a website for daily news about the global podcasting and on-demand audio industry, published the story. The website got its hands on the 84-page presentation where YouTube detailed its podcasts roadmap.
In the presentation, YouTube said it would improve the podcast ingestion on YouTube by piloting the ability to pull in podcast RSS feeds.
Moreover, the company noted plans to centralize podcasts on a new homepage at YouTube.com/podcasts. That’s similar to YouTube Music (YouTube.com/music) or YouTube Gaming (YouTube.com.gaming).
Don’t try the URL now because it does not work yet, and it does not redirect to the YouTube homepage.
Google wanting to use podcasts to expand its advertising business on YouTube is not surprising. The leaked documents suggest that Google and other partners would be selling ads on YouTube Podcasts. Also, it mentioned the support of “new metrics” designed for audio-first creators.
There’s also mention of the ability to integrate YouTube data into industry-standard podcast measurement platforms. The document had a page with a list of partners, which includes brands like Nielsen, Chartable, and Podtrac.
YouTube v.s. Spotify
YouTube has highlighted the largest content categories on the platform by giving them their individual homepages. It introduced YouTube Gaming in 2015 after noticing the amount of Let’s Play videos on the service. Then, it launched YouTube Fashion – now Fashion & Beauty – in 2018. That makes it easier for people to find fashion vlogs and makeup tutorials, which are very popular.
Music content is also popular on YouTube. And the platform helps its parent company, Google’s music streaming service.
YouTube Music competes with other streaming services like Spotify. But it is at a disadvantage. Spotify doesn’t contain only songs; it also has podcasts.
Spotify wants to dominate the podcast advertising market. It’s clear as day. The platform has made numerous acquisitions to bring related Ad tech in-house.
That enabled Spotify to sell its own ads and launch its own audio ad marketplace. Spotify also introduced ad-insertion technology. On top of those, the streaming service is testing out new ad formats.
Thus, YouTube has a lot of catching up to do. Without a dedicated page for podcasts, that would not be extremely difficult to do. Hence, adding a “podcasts” vertical is a logical next step for the platform.
YouTube has its advantage over Spotify, though. It offers video podcasts instead of audio-only podcasts; you can see the hosts and the guests. And sometimes, that helps contextualize the conversations.
Furthermore, podcast hosts have more opportunities to sell their merchandise if they have that. Their viewers can see the product on their screens. That could make podcasters more inclined to make YouTube Podcasts their main platform.
Why Is YouTube Getting A Podcast Tab(And Why Would It Change Everything?)
There are a few reasons why YouTube could potentially launch a dedicated podcast tab:
- To tap into the growing podcast market: Podcasts have become increasingly popular in recent years, with a growing number of people listening to podcasts regularly. By launching a dedicated podcast tab, YouTube could tap into this growing market and offer a new way for users to discover and listen to podcasts.
- To expand its content offerings: YouTube is known for its vast library of video content, but a dedicated podcast tab would allow the platform to expand its offerings to include audio content as well. This could help YouTube attract a new audience of podcast listeners and keep users engaged on the platform for more extended periods of time.
- To compete with other podcast platforms: YouTube is not the only platform that offers podcasts, and a dedicated podcast tab could help the company better compete with other podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. By offering a dedicated space for podcasts, YouTube could differentiate itself from these other platforms and potentially attract a new audience of podcast listeners.
- To monetize podcasts: Finally, launching a dedicated podcast tab could also help YouTube monetize podcasts. YouTube could potentially offer ad spots within podcasts or charge creators for access to the podcast tab, similar to how it monetizes its video content.
Overall, there are several reasons why YouTube could potentially launch a dedicated podcast tab. By tapping into the growing podcast market, expanding its content offerings, competing with other podcast platforms, and monetizing podcasts, YouTube could potentially benefit from launching a dedicated podcast tab.
When Will The Update Arrive?
Podnews did not publish the document in its entirety. So, when the document was first produced and distributed is unknown. And thus, we can only use some clues to know when the update will arrive.
One reference to launch says it is coming “in 2022.” Another hint is the mention of Chartable. It is a company that Spotify acquired last February. So, it is likely that the Podcasts homepage’s launch was pushed back. Either that or the list contains companies YouTube has worked with instead of companies it will work with.
Podnews says it has contacted YouTube. But as of this writing, the video-streaming giant still has not replied.
Related News
YouTube is offering podcasters a grant of up to $300,000. This is a move to entice them to create video podcasts and upload them on YouTube. According to the Bloomberg report, the company is extending offers of $50,000 to individual shows. Meanwhile, the company offers $200,000 to $300,000 to podcast networks.
The recipients of the funds should use the money to make filmed versions of their episodes and other video content.
This move makes more sense now that we know the company plans to launch a homepage for podcasts.