YouTube Music, the music streaming platform, is set to introduce a new service that focuses on podcasts for its 80 million paid subscribers, aiming to elevate its position in the competitive music streaming market currently dominated by Spotify. Kai Chuk, the head of podcasting at YouTube, revealed the platform’s podcast-related plans during a recent event. Chuk has not disclosed an exact timeline for the release of YouTube’s planned podcast service.
The new podcast service offered by YouTube Music will provide background listening for paid subscribers, free of advertisements, while non-paying users will be required to bear ads during their podcast streams. According to Chuk, the platform will be adding an array of enhanced library tools for podcast creators to experiment with advanced audio technologies, along with a podcast badge to identify audio-first shows.
“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,” added Chuk, who was appointed as YouTube’s head of podcasting in 2021.
While Spotify, the Swedish music streaming giant, has over 200 million paid users and exclusive partnerships with podcast celebrities for offering original content, YouTube Music is currently not considering such tie-ups. However, it may become part of its future roadmap.
Earlier this year, YouTube Music released a new Radio playlist feature that allows users to create a custom radio list, while also rolling out a redesigned library interface on Android and iOS devices with immediate access to playlists, songs, albums, and more.
With the introduction of its new podcast service, YouTube Music aims to offer enhanced value to its paid subscribers and provide a compelling alternative to other music streaming platforms. As the competition between the music streaming giants intensifies, it remains to be seen how this latest offering from YouTube Music will shape the industry in the coming years.
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