We know it’s the home of videos, but podcasts on YouTube will be getting their very own homepage soon. Could YouTube dominate podcasting?

Podcasts are getting popular. Yes, they’re already very popular, but the fondness for them certainly isn’t slowing down. Various audio-only streaming platforms have invested in podcasting. Apple began first in 2005, and Spotify invested heavily in 2019, providing curated recommendations for listeners.

YouTube, known and loved for its endless wealth of video content, is now throwing its hat in the ring.

Actually, its hat was kind of already invariably blown into the ring by a rogue gust. A huge number of people have already been getting their podcast fix from YouTube. Most things tend to appear on YouTube eventually, so podcasting became a minor portion of its content output inadvertently.

New discoveries reveal that YouTube is now decisively working on making podcasts a firmer part of its plans.

Podcasts on YouTube

Ahead of any official launch, a URL linked to a YouTube podcasts homepage was found to be live. According to 9to5Google, the page debuted in July, but has been rolling out more widely since then. Accessible only to some in the US, youtube.com/podcasts will present a 404 error for the majority of users.

Currently, the new podcast page is fairly basic, showing trending shows, as well as already incredibly popular channels. You can choose from categories, “Popular episodes”, or “Popular podcast playlists”.

Unlike platforms like Spotify, there isn’t much in the way of curation. However, this could all change in the future, since things are very much in the early stages still.

Although, it’s unclear just how much effort and tweaking will go into podcasts on YouTube. Some reports suggest that YouTube is already outperforming Apple in the podcasting sphere. This could be thanks to a familiar and easy to use interface, along with the rise of video podcasts.

Back in June, YouTube began offering creators money to film their podcasting sessions, in a push for a new type of video content. This came not long after Spotify announced it would be making video podcasts more widely available to its creators.

If you can’t access the link, the new podcast homepage can be found on the Explore Page (US only, remember!), alongside top categories like Trending, Gaming, and Music. The dedicated podcast space does not feature in the side navigation bar.

Announcement Pending

Not too much else is known about podcasts on YouTube at this stage. Speaking to TechCrunch, YouTube said the feature is not globally available at this time. Paul Pennington, a YouTube spokesperson said:

“The podcast destination page on YouTube helps users explore new and popular podcast episodes, shows and creators, as well as recommend podcast content.”

No further questions were answered around the new feature. YouTube is holding a creator event next month, where big announcements are typically made. It’s safe to assume that the company is probably waiting until then before giving any more away.

If you’re keen to create your own podcast, check out our tips on starting a podcast, and all the essential gear you’ll need to get going!