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YouTube is improving its podcast experience

Gaurav Kumar
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Gaurav Kumar
ByGaurav Kumar
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3 Min Read
Highlights
  • On-the-Go Mode enables an audio-first experience, making podcasts easier to enjoy while commuting, exercising, or multitasking.
  • Auto Speed Control intelligently adjusts playback speed, speeding through less important sections while slowing down for key moments.
  • Podcast Growth Strategy reflects YouTube's commitment to becoming a major destination for podcast listeners and creators.

YouTube Takes a Step Closer to Becoming a Dedicated Podcast Platform

YouTube’s continued move into the podcasting sector with new features to improve the user experience for podcast fans. Traditionally, YouTube is regarded as a video platform, but podcasts have been gaining popularity on the platform. The most recent news is that the company is slowly but surely becoming a more formidable player in the podcast realm.

A new ‘On-the-Go’ Mode for Audio-Only Listening

Perhaps one of the most significant features is the new On-the-Go Mode that will be coming to this Android version first, and then later to the iOS version of YouTube Premium. This feature converts the viewing experience into an audio-centric interface, allowing users to enjoy listening to podcasts during their commute, workout or while multitasking.

The mode replaces a video with a static image, adds enlarged and simplified video controls, and shows video chapters in the timeline for easier video navigation. YouTube also can automatically propose this mode when it feels that the users are moving around while viewing content.

Smarter Playback with Auto Speed Control

There is also a feature for podcast listeners, Auto Speed, which automatically adjusts the playback speed according to the content that is being played. YouTube will increase the speed of less important or slower parts of a podcast, and drop back to the original speed at key moments, with the minimum preferred speed set by the user.

This feature can aid listeners in navigating long-form material effectively, preventing them from having to manually tweak their playback settings frequently.

AI-Powered Podcast Discovery

YouTube will also be rolling out the Ask Music AI feature beyond music recommendations, with podcasts now being part of its offerings. It’s a feature that can be found in the YouTube Music app and enables users to use conversational prompts to find podcasts.

Listeners can ask for suggestions according to genres, producers, interests, or actions, which makes it easier for them to discover podcasts. This step follows the trend in the industry, where media streaming companies are also adopting AI to make better recommendations for their content.

If you’re a listener, what does this mean?

The new additions are a sign of YouTube’s dedication towards podcast listening and not just hosting. The platform’s audio-centric controls, AI-powered discovery and intelligent playback features are tackling some of the most important priorities of podcast listeners.

While these upgrades are just for Premium users, they’re important steps toward making YouTube a more comprehensive podcast platform. YouTube’s gradual transition might make it a more viable alternative to traditional podcast applications in the future as competition in the audio streaming space has been increasing in the past few years. 

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