This illustrated photo taken in Poland on June 5, 2024 shows Apple Podcasts from the App Store displayed on a mobile phone screen. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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apple announced on Monday that it will be introducing a new unified video podcast experience to Apple Podcasts this spring.
The move comes as video viewership continues to reshape podcasting. According to Edison Research, approximately 37% of people over the age of 12 watch a video podcast every month.
This update brings Apple Podcasts more in line with its competitors. spotifyYouTube, and now Netflixis leaning more and more towards video podcasting.
“Twenty years ago, Apple helped mainstream podcasting by adding podcasts to iTunes, and more than a decade ago we introduced the dedicated Apple Podcasts app,” Eddie Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said in a statement. “By bringing the category-leading video experience to Apple Podcasts, we’re giving creators full control over how they build their content and business, while making it easier than ever for viewers to listen to and watch podcasts.”
Within the Apple Podcasts app, users can seamlessly switch between watching and listening to shows from the same feed. You can also use picture-in-picture mode and download video episodes to watch offline.
Apple Podcasts has supported video via RSS since 2005, but those feeds were kept separate from audio versions of the same show. The new update introduces support for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a streaming protocol developed by Apple that enables adaptive video playback and greater control within apps.
The new HLS format also introduces dynamic video ad insertion. Creators who distribute through participating hosting providers and ad networks will be able to insert video ads into their episodes, including spots read by the host.
Apple said it will not charge creators or hosting providers for content distribution. However, when serving dynamic video ads via HLS, participating ad networks are charged an impression-based rate.
These launch podcast hosting partners include Acast; Amazon– Owned by ART19, Triton’s Omny Studio, and SiriusXM all support HLS video.
The announcement comes as competitors continue to invest in video podcasts. YouTube announced last year that it had more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content on its platform. Spotify has also expanded its offering of video podcasts, saying it paid more than $100 million to podcasters in the first quarter of last year.
Netflix has also entered the video podcast space. The streaming platform signed a deal with Spotify last year to bring video podcasts to Netflix and has started investing in original video podcast programming, including “The Pete Davidson Show,” which launched in January.
Apple doesn’t release revenue specifically for Apple Podcasts, but its services division, which includes digital content and subscription businesses, generated $30 billion in revenue in its most recent quarter.
In January, the company acquired Israeli artificial intelligence startup Q.ai for an undisclosed amount. The company did not disclose details of the acquisition, but Q.ai’s website indicated that the company is working on audio-focused AI tools.
