Apple is set to enhance its podcasting platform with a new video experience launching this spring. Users will have the ability to seamlessly toggle between watching and listening to their favorite shows within the Apple Podcasts app, utilizing the company's advanced HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology. Additionally, listeners can opt for a horizontal viewing mode and download videos for offline enjoyment.
This initiative aligns with the growing trend of video podcasting, which has captured the interest of audiences. Recent data indicates that over 51% of the U.S. population has engaged with video podcasts, with 37% tuning in on a monthly basis.
The improved video podcast feature positions Apple to compete more effectively against platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix, which have already embraced this format. YouTube reported having over 1 billion active viewers for podcast content each month, while Spotify announced last November that it hosts half a million video podcasts, enjoyed by nearly 400 million users. Netflix has also entered the arena by collaborating with iHeartMedia and Spotify to introduce video podcasts on its platform.
By enhancing the video podcast experience, Apple aims to retain its users and prevent them from migrating to competing services for their favorite shows.
Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services, remarked, "Twenty years ago, Apple helped take podcasting mainstream by adding podcasts to iTunes, and more than a decade ago, we introduced the dedicated Apple Podcasts app. Today marks a defining milestone in that journey. By bringing a category-leading video experience to Apple Podcasts, we're putting creators in full control of their content and how they build their businesses, while making it easier than ever for audiences to listen to or watch podcasts."
While the new video features will officially launch in the spring, they are currently available for testing as part of the beta versions for iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4.
