YouTube Might Launch a Podcasts Section

It appears that YouTube has plans to compete with podcast giants such as Spotify and Apple — a roadmap for the platform allegedly includes introducing a new homepage dedicated entirely to podcasts. Rumor has it that an 80-something-page document has been leaked in which YouTube’s strategy is shared for the nearest future. Specifically, it’s focused on YouTube’s potential collaboration with podcast publishers and is said to deal with how YouTue can improve its intake of and engagement through podcasts.

The report that was the first to refer to the document originates from Podnews. The company states that an 84-page presentation has been leaked to it that illustrates YouTube’s strategy in the context of podcast publishing. While Podnews doesn’t share the full version of the presentation, it does provide some details on the section titled Looking Ahead. According to the report, a new homepage is to be added to YouTube to reflect the new focus on podcasts. The link provided for it doesn’t appear to work at present. However, Podnews states that it will let you search for podcasts in a more convenient and efficient manner.

Apart from the above, it is said that YouTube might be incorporating audio ads by Google and other partners, targeting the audience attracted by the music, podcasts, and other audio genres. The platform’s analytics is also reportedly expecting an update with a focus on the needs of audio-first publishers. This step will likely ensure smooth integration with world-class podcast-specific analytics providers. While we can’t be sure that the changes will ever take place, it’s never a bad idea to speculate a bit on what’s about to come. Do you feel like these ones are going to be for the better? Why, or why not? Leave a comment to let us know your opinion.