Why Apple is quietly betting on video podcasts now

Apple’s latest move is not a hardware tweak or a new subscription bundle.

It is a quiet signal that podcasting’s center of gravity is shifting from audio-first feeds to video-first discovery.

Apple says it will expand Apple Podcasts to support a full video podcast experience this spring, giving creators new publishing and ad tools and letting listeners move seamlessly between watching and listening.

The push lands as YouTube dominates podcast consumption in the US, and rivals, including Spotify and Netflix via partnerships, lean harder into video formats.

What Apple is rolling out

Apple said the updated Apple Podcasts experience will support video podcasts built on HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), a streaming method that can adjust quality automatically based on network conditions.

Inside the app, users will be able to switch between video and audio playback, watch in a horizontal full-screen view, and download video episodes for offline viewing.

Apple also said video episodes will plug into existing discovery surfaces, including personalized recommendations and editorial curation across the New tab and category pages.​

For creators, Apple framed the shift as a format and business upgrade.

The company said creators will distribute through participating hosting providers and ad networks while “maintaining complete control” of content and monetization.

A key change is advertising.

Apple said creators will be able to dynamically insert video ads, opening access to a broader video ad market, while keeping creative control.

Apple said it does not charge creators or hosting providers to distribute podcasts on Apple Podcasts via RSS/MP3 or HLS video, but it will charge participating ad networks an impression-based fee for delivery of dynamic ads in HLS video starting later this year.

Apple said HLS video is available for testing in beta versions of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4 and visionOS 26.4, with the full rollout coming to iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro and the web this spring.​

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The race for podcast discovery

The strategy is driven by where audiences already are: Edison Research data shows 31% of weekly podcast listeners in the US say YouTube is the service they use most, ahead of Spotify at 27% and Apple Podcasts at 15%.

Edison also found that video is a defining habit for younger listeners, with 84% of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners saying they ever listen to or watch podcasts with a video component.​

That gap in video-native discovery has become a competitive problem for Apple’s audio-first legacy platform.

Apple itself pointed to its historic role in mainstreaming podcasts via iTunes and later the dedicated Apple Podcasts app, with Services chief Eddy Cue calling the video update a “defining milestone” aimed at giving creators “full control” while making it easier for audiences to “listen to or watch” shows.

Competition is also moving beyond the usual podcast apps.

Spotify has been expanding video podcast tools and distribution, and in October, it announced a partnership with Netflix to bring select video podcasts from Spotify Studios and The Ringer to Netflix beginning in early 2026.

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That kind of cross-platform push raises the stakes for Apple as creators want reach and revenue, and audiences increasingly expect a show to be watchable as well as playable.

Apple’s bet is that if it can make video podcasts feel native, while keeping an open, creator-controlled distribution model, it can defend its role in podcasting’s next phase, not just its first.