Podcasts are now accessible on YouTube Music for users in Brazil and Canada, broadening the service’s reach beyond its initial US-only launch. The feature caters to both YouTube Premium subscribers and free users, offering the same set of features. The feature was first made available in the States in May.
To include their content on YouTube Music, podcasters need to upload a video variant of their podcast. The platform also accommodates a static image or other dynamic video format in lieu of a video podcast.
Much like their US counterparts, listeners in Brazil and Canada can listen on-demand to podcasts in the background or without internet connectivity. YouTube Music will, in turn, provide host-read endorsements or sponsorship messages to all podcast listeners on the platform. Casting capability for podcasts is also available, with the option to toggle between the audio and video versions.
Although only video versions of podcasts are currently supported, YouTube announced plans for future support of audio-only podcasts via RSS feeds. This move could enhance the competitiveness of YouTube Music against rivals like Spotify, even though YouTube appears less inclined towards signing exclusive podcast deals.
