The presentation includes info on the company’s future podcast plans such as a potential layout for the new feature, complete with timestamps and thumbnails, as well as playlists. The presentation reveals that YouTube wants to integrate podcast RSS feeds into its podcast venture, which hints at the possibility of adding the said playlists to their current RSS feeds for easier viewing. Unfortunately, the presentation doesn’t reveal when YouTube will integrate podcasts into the website and app, but the phrase “partner-sold audio ads” will come in 2022 suggests that the latest YouTube expansion could arrive before the year ends. From what we can tell, Google and its partners will provide ads that should look similar to the existing YouTube advertising model. Hopefully, this also means that having an active YouTube Premium subscription will remove these ads without a price increase. Technically, YouTube already supports podcasts albeit in video format. Unlike Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud, YouTube does not have a dedicated section for podcast creators on its platform. Instead, content creators will have to upload their podcasts to YouTube in video format, which isn’t always possible and limits which podcasts make their way to Youtube. However, just because YouTube will start supporting podcasts doesn’t mean that podcast creators will start hosting their content on its platform. This leaves the question of what YouTube will do to give content creators a reason to switch platforms. The good news is that Google owns YouTube, giving YouTube access to powerful and robust analytics tools that aren’t available on other platforms. It also has near-unlimited funds that it can throw around at the biggest podcast content creators to migrate platforms, albeit this does come with a certain level of risk. YouTube’s foray into the world of podcasting feels more like an eventuality, if a little late. YouTube has never hesitated to try out new things since 2005, launching dedicated services for everything from Music to Gaming and even Originals. By adding podcasts to its ever-expanding roster, YouTube is giving users another reason to continue flocking to the entertainment hub for the foreseeable future.
