Spotify is now allowing unhosted podcasters to upload videos to the platform, a new feature that the company quietly introduced last week, a Spotify spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch.
Previously, creators who wanted to upload video podcasts to Spotify had to sign up to host them with Spotify for Podcasters, a free platform for podcast creators, or a partner hosting company. Creators could also separate the video feed from the audio, but this wasn't ideal as it would be uploaded as two episodes. Now, any creator can upload directly to Spotify using their podcast hosting service of choice.
To use the new feature, creators need to go to the Spotify for Podcasters portal, find the audio-only version of their podcast episode, and click the three dots on the right to add a video version. The rollout was first reported by Podnews.
Spotify has been making a big push into video podcasts in recent years, and it appears to be working: The platform now has more than 250,000 video podcasts, up from 100,000 in 2023.
The company shared the new numbers with TechCrunch ahead of Vidcon next week, along with other stats about video usage on its platform. For example, more than 170 million people worldwide listen to video podcasts on Spotify, and the number of monthly active users listening to video podcasts has grown 40% year over year. Additionally, the platform has seen a larger increase in video viewing time compared to audio-only viewing time during the same period.
“Video is becoming a core part of Spotify's global experience,” Maja Prohovnik, Spotify's vice president of podcast product, said in a prepared statement. “The number of podcasters publishing video on our platform has grown nearly 70% over the past year, making it clear that video podcasts are resonating with users. We've also seen significant growth in demand for video content across Spotify's key content categories.”
Spotify has also introduced other features to improve the video podcast experience for creators and listeners, such as a “mini player” that allows premium subscribers to watch videos in a small desktop window on top of other windows.
Overall, the company is increasing its investment in video content: In March, Spotify said it would add music videos in select countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, Poland, the Philippines, Sweden and the U.K. The company is also testing a video education service in the U.K., featuring courses on subjects like music production.