YouTube continues its commitment to host podcasts on its platform. The company will make it easier for podcasters to add subscriptions via RRSS at the end of the year. YouTube Product Lead Steve McLendon confirmed the arrival of these RSS subscriptions, having been in beta testing since earlier this year, as a strategic invitation-only pilot. This announcement was made during the Movemen Podcast conference.
This novelty is complemented by the support of these programs in the YouTube Music service. The company announced a few months ago that it would be adding podcasts to its music streaming service in the US on iOS, Android and web, but hasn’t expanded to other markets yet. As of April, it was only available in the US with the free account. Additionally, the social network noted that all users can listen to podcasts on-demand, offline, in the background and during casting, and seamlessly switch between audio and video versions of YouTube Music.
Integration of RRSS feeds in user libraries
On the other hand, The company announced the integration of RSS feeds into user libraries, including private feeds. This will make it easier to watch broadcasts from different services in the same player. This would make YouTube Music competitive with independent podcast apps like Overcast and Apple Podcasts.
YouTube wants to offer a better user experience and become the platform for listening to podcasts. It added its own podcast landing page last year, a sign that the platform is more serious about its investments in podcasts and the potential ad revenue that comes with them. In return, YouTube plans to include audio ads in podcasts sold by Google and other partners.