What you need to know
- YouTube Music podcast is now available in Brazil and Canada, with local language support.
- All of the podcast features are available to both YouTube Premium and free users.
- To make their content available on YouTube Music, podcasters must upload a video version of their podcast to the platform.
If you felt a bit disappointed when YouTube Music only released podcasts in the United States at launch, you’re in for a treat as the feature is finally coming to international markets.
As spotted by 9to5Google, podcasts are now available to YouTube Music users in Brazil and Canada. This means that if you’re watching podcasts on the core YouTube app, you now have the option to continue listening to your favorite channel on the platform’s music streaming service.
In YouTube Music’s home tab, there’s a new “Podcasts” filter that displays a dedicated feed of recommended episodes and various topics that may be of interest to you. It’s also accessible via the “Explore” tab, with a dedicated option for Podcasts at the top.
Like in the U.S., you can listen to on-demand podcasts in the background or even without an internet connection, whether you’re a free user or a YouTube Premium subscriber. In exchange, YouTube Music will serve up host-read endorsements or sponsorship messages to all users listening to podcasts on the platform.
Podcasts are also available while casting, and you can switch between the audio and video versions. However, only podcasts with a video version can be uploaded to YouTube Music. Alternatively, podcasters can add a static image or other dynamic video format to their podcast to make it available for upload.
Nonetheless, YouTube promised that in the future, creators would be able to upload audio-only podcasts via RSS feeds, which should have been the default format from the get-go.
The addition of podcasts to YouTube Music should help the platform better compete with Spotify. However, unlike Spotify, YouTube doesn’t seem to be keen on signing exclusive deals with podcasters.
