YouTube Music to add Podcasts to its library soon

YouTube currently has 2 billion free and paid users signed up to the platform.

Podcasts are coming to YouTube Music. Google’s music streaming platform is one of the biggest in the world but unlike its competitors, Spotify and Apple Music, YouTube Music doesn’t offer access to podcasts. However, that will change soon.

YouTube’s Head of Podcasting, Kai Chuk, told The Verge that the Podcasting feature would be arriving on YouTube Music “in the near future”. Chuk said, “If someone wants to watch a podcast, we have a solution. If someone wants to listen to a podcast only, we should have a great experience for that as well.”

Podcasts on YouTube Music will be accessible for both free and Premium tier users. Chuk said YouTube Music will allow free ad-supported background listening to podcasts and offer “enhanced library tools”. Additionally, audio-first shows will also receive a special podcast badge.

Chuk also noted that YouTube wasn’t focusing on adding exclusive shows or licensed originals to the platform. Instead, it will focus on creators and users and the ecosystem. YouTube currently has 80 million subscribers for its Premium service, which includes YouTube Music.

However, that number is still lower than Spotify’s 200 million paid subscribers. The addition of podcasts will help YouTube add more paid subscribers to the platform. YouTube currently has 2 billion free and paid users signed up to the platform and has proven to be an effective tool for discovering podcasts.

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