Spotify has now enabled all podcasters to upload video content, significantly broadening its video podcast offerings. This feature, which rolled out last week, allows creators to use any podcast hosting service to upload their videos directly to Spotify. Previously, video uploads were restricted to those hosted on Spotify for Podcasters or through a partner hosting company, often resulting in separate video and audio episodes.
To utilize this new feature, creators can go to the Spotify for Podcasters portal, find the audio version of their episode, and use the three-dot menu to add a video version. This update, first reported by Podnews, reflects Spotify’s growing emphasis on video podcasts, which has seen the number of video podcasts on the platform rise to over 250,000 from 100,000 in 2023.
Ahead of VidCon, Spotify shared with TechCrunch that over 170 million users globally are watching video podcasts on its platform. The number of monthly active users engaging with video podcasts has increased by 40% year-over-year, and video consumption hours have outpaced audio-only consumption hours during the same period.
“Video is becoming core to the global Spotify experience,” stated Maya Prohovnik, Spotify’s vice president of podcast product. She highlighted the 70% growth in the number of podcasters publishing videos on Spotify over the past year, indicating a significant rise in user demand for video content across all major content categories on the platform.
In addition to expanding video uploads, Spotify has introduced features like the “Miniplayer,” which allows Premium subscribers to watch videos in a smaller window on their desktops while multitasking. The company is also increasing its investment in video content, adding music videos in select countries and testing a video education offering in the U.K. focused on topics like music production.
