Spotify is now working with Anchor to allow more creators to publish video podcasts to the platform. Spotify launched video podcasts last year, but it was limited to a tiny number of select shows and creators. Relative to the massive market of podcasts, video podcasts are a blip on the radar.
The term "video podcast" is very broad. In most cases, video podcasts indicate that a traditionally audio-only podcast also features a video component. While in some other scenarios, video podcasts are precisely that: video-only podcasts with no audio-only version available. But the more significant issue is that some podcast players don't even support playing video podcasts at all, making the discoverability of video podcasts that much more challenging.
Nonetheless, Spotify is pushing forward and is now enabling even more creators to publish video podcasts to its platform through Anchor. While anyone and everyone can publish video podcasts, Anchor requires creators to join a waitlist. At the time of publication, it's unclear how long the waitlist is and how soon creators are getting approved for publishing video podcasts to Spotify. But creators can join this waitlist starting today. Spotify vaguely says it will begin with "key creators" and expand to "more original video podcasts from Spotify in the future."
Will Spotify Help Video Podcasts Take Off?
Watching video podcasts on Spotify is straightforward. Users can find video podcasts the same way audio podcasts are found. Furthermore, users can play video podcasts on Spotify's mobile app, desktop app, web player, game consoles, in the car, and on most smart TVs. Of course, creators will be able to monetize video podcasts through the same subscription system that's in place for audio podcasts. And while creators can set pricing and what's included in subscriptions, Spotify says creators are more than welcome to lock video content, including the entire video podcast, behind a paywall.
Only time will tell if Spotify can succeed at video podcasts. For the most part, the vast majority of podcasts are audio-only. Not that video podcasts will never take off, but the reality is that only a small number of podcasts offer a video component. Spotify has some work to do, though, as there's no easy way to filter just video content when searching or browsing through Spotify. Hopefully, the company can sort that one out, given how little video content is available relative to audio-only podcasts and the considerable amount of music available through Spotify.