YouTube Music will soon offer podcasts, YouTube’s head of podcasting, Kai Chuk, told Ariel Shapiro at Hot Pod Summit this morning.
The new feature would turn it into a bigger competitor for Spotify as it already provides music streaming services.
Chuk and Steve McLendon, Google’s product lead for podcasting, said they want to add podcasting to help people make shows.
YouTube Music podcasts and other new features
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A YouTube spokesperson broke the news to TechCrunch with the following statement:
“We will soon start to bring both audio and video-first podcasts to YouTube Music for users in the US, making podcasts more discoverable and accessible, with more regions to come.”
Kai Chuk explained the upcoming podcast feature further. “If someone wants to watch a podcast, we have a solution,” he said.
“If someone wants to listen to a podcast only, we should have a great experience for that as well,” Chuk added.
Consequently, the podcasting head said YouTube Music would allow free background listening to podcasts with ads.
In other words, you may listen to podcasts for free while using other apps, but you will occasionally receive ad breaks.
Chuk also said the company would provide “enhanced library and podcast badges to designate audio-first shows.
He and McLendon explained their goal: “Our focus is on creators, so as long as they find it successful and helpful, that’s success for us.”
“We’re just focused on the YouTube users and ecosystem and bringing podcasts into that fold.” However, reports from the Hot Pod Summit say YouTube isn’t interested in signing exclusive deals with podcasters.
In contrast, it has been a major strategy for Spotify. As a result, people may find it easier to start their podcasts on YouTube Music.
Aside from YouTube Music podcasts, the app recently implemented the Radio Builder feature. It lets people create radio stations playing music from up to 30 artists.
Alternatively, your station could play songs similar to your favorites. You could also apply filters like “chill songs” or “new discoveries.”
Conclusion
Head of Podcasting Kai Chuk announced YouTube Music podcasts are coming soon. It would allow people to play talk shows in the background for free.
Meanwhile, its competitor Spotify has a new DJ feature that creates playlists with artificial intelligence. Also, it announces songs with an AI voice.
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