Spotify is expanding video podcast access for creators
Updated October 29 with availability details
More than a year after launching video podcasts, Spotify is finally expanding access to its video platform for more creators. Don’t get too excited yet: you still have to apply, and Spotify is going for the creme of the podcasting crop first.
Spotify originally hyped video podcasts in July of 2020.
But though the company’s podcast creation and distribution tool Anchor immediately launched a video uploading tool, it stripped the video and accepted only the audio for the vast majority of podcasters.
But a spokesperson now says they’ll be “rapidly” expanding.
“Spotify is expanding its video podcast offering for creators and listeners through Anchor, allowing fans to better experience their favorite podcasts,” a Spotify representative told me via email. “Starting today, creators who apply for access to video capabilities in Anchor can publish their video podcasts to Spotify and unlock its audience of nearly 400 million listeners.”
Spotify is expanding video podcast access for creators
“We’ll be rapidly expanding the number of creators with access - starting with beloved shows including Marques Brownlee, The GaryVee Audio Experience, The Mindset Mentor, The WAN Show, Crash Course and more - so listeners can expect to find a greatly expanded catalog of video podcasts in the coming weeks and months.”
(I immediately applied for my TechFirst podcast, which I distribute through Spotify’s Anchor service. I was accepted, and I’ve uploaded a video podcast episode to Spotify, but as of October 29 the video is not available yet on Spotify’s website, Mac app, or iPhone app.)
Interestingly, Spotify says one thing the company has learned from the demo is that people like to switch between audio and video depending on their contexts and how deeply they’re engaging with the content. That makes sense: the podcast experience you want while walking the street in New York City is decidedly different from the one you might enjoy while on the subway. So the platform will enable active switching between video and audio streams.
Spotify has been aggressively growing its podcast business, fighting both Apple for the audio listener and YouTube for the video listener/watcher.
This, clearly, is a big step to cut YouTube out.
One note: this is not a live-streaming option. That, if Spotify intends to incorporate it, remains something for the future.
