YouTube Music has officially launched a podcast feature for listeners in the United States, offering a new way for users to access their favorite shows and discover new ones. The feature is rolling out on the YouTube Music app, both on iOS and Android, and allows users to access a variety of podcasts across a range of genres. The announcement was made today via a
YouTube Community post, making the feature official since it was reported that it was in testing phases back in February and announced to the media later that same month.
With the new podcast feature, YouTube Music is expanding its content offerings beyond music to include spoken-word content. This move is in line with the growing popularity of podcasts in recent years, as listeners seek out new forms of entertainment and information. By offering podcasts, YouTube Music hopes to attract more users to its platform and keep existing users engaged.The launch of podcasts on YouTube Music comes at a time when the podcast market is experiencing significant growth and the main YouTube app serving podcasts in the interim. As a listening experience that complements the podcast video experience on YouTube, this presents a significant opportunity for YouTube Music to tap into the growing demand for podcasts and expand its audience reach.
To access podcasts on YouTube Music, users simply need to search for their favorite shows or browse by category. New podcast recommendations and unfinished episodes will be accessible on the Home tab where you can filter by tapping “Podcasts” at the top of the home screen. The platform offers a range of categories, including: business, comedy, gaming, health & fitness, music, society & culture, and true crime. Users can also discover new shows through personalized recommendations based on their listening history and preferences.
Podcasts that were previously available in the main YouTube app will also be in YouTube Music, where they will be available on-demand, when offline, or while casting. You will also be able to effortlessly transition between the audio and video versions of a podcast, just as you can do now with music and music videos.
The podcast listening experience is different from the music listening experience on YouTube Music in that you do not need to have a Premium or Music Premium subscription in order to access some of the features. For those that are Premium subscribers, do note that the ad-free experience does not extend to host-read endorsements or sponsorship messages in podcasts.
As of right now, Podcasts on YouTube Music are only available in the United States. However, this may change in the future, according to the announcement. The feature is also rolling out gradually, so you may not see it in your YouTube Music app right away.
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