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Tech | Platform updates

APPLE PODCASTS AND SPOTIFY VIDEO UPDATES 2026: WHAT UK PODCASTERS NEED TO KNOW

In brief

  • Apple Podcasts added native video built on HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) with iOS 26.4. Viewers can switch between watching and listening, go full screen and download video to watch offline.
  • For the first time on Apple Podcasts, creators can dynamically insert video ads, including host-read spots, through participating hosts such as Acast, ART19, Omny Studio and SiriusXM's Simplecast.
  • Spotify lowered the bar for its Partner Program in January 2026: 1,000 engaged audience members, 2,000 hours consumed in 30 days and 3 published episodes. The UK is an eligible market.
  • Since May 2026, shows hosted on Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans and Podspace can send video straight to Spotify. Spotify also says its own hosting platforms will support Apple's HLS video.

Apple Podcasts now plays video natively

On 16 February 2026, Apple announced a new video podcast experience for Apple Podcasts, based on its HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology. It arrived for the public with iOS 26.4 in March 2026.

According to Apple, listeners can now:

  • Switch seamlessly between watching and listening to a show
  • Watch in a horizontal, full-screen view
  • Download video episodes to watch offline
  • Get smooth playback on Wi-Fi or mobile data, because HLS adjusts the video quality automatically

Video episodes also appear in Apple's personalised recommendations and editorial picks on the New tab and on Category pages. Apple says the feature covers iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro and Apple Podcasts on the web.

What changes for creators on Apple Podcasts

The biggest change is money. Apple says creators can now dynamically insert video ads, including host-read spots, for the first time. Video also slots into existing shows without disrupting followers or downloads.

Creators publish HLS video through participating hosting providers and ad networks. At launch these were Acast; ART19, an Amazon company; Triton's Omny Studio; and SiriusXM, including SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz and Simplecast. Apple says more providers will follow.

Apple does not charge hosts or creators to distribute podcasts, whether by traditional RSS/MP3 or HLS video. It says it will charge participating ad networks an impression-based fee for dynamic ads delivered in HLS video, starting later in 2026.

Earlier iOS 26 upgrades for listeners

The video update builds on changes Apple made with iOS 26 in September 2025:

  • Enhance Dialogue, which uses real-time audio processing and machine learning to reduce background noise and make speech clearer, without altering the original audio
  • Playback speeds from 0.5x to 3x, which listeners can save for each show
  • The Browse tab renamed New, highlighting new shows through editorial curation and Top Charts
  • Category pages in Search, for topics such as True Crime, News and Sports

Apple also offers automatically created chapters, timed links and transcripts across more than 125 million episodes in 13 languages.

Spotify makes it easier to earn from video

Spotify's Partner Program pays eligible video podcasters through Premium video revenue and ad revenue. On 7 January 2026, Spotify broadened who can join. The thresholds changed:

  • From 2,000 listeners to 1,000 engaged audience members on Spotify in the last 30 days
  • From 10,000 hours consumed to 2,000 hours in the last 30 days
  • From 12 published episodes to 3

To apply, a show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators and the creator must have a legal address in an eligible market. The United Kingdom is on Spotify's list of eligible markets. To earn Premium video revenue, a video episode needs at least one ad break.

Spotify said on 17 September 2026 that the programme will expand to more than 35 new markets this autumn, including Italy, Spain, Brazil and Mexico. Its help page gives 20 October 2026 as the date for those markets.

Spotify also announced new sponsorship tools for video, rolling out from April 2026 across Spotify for Creators and Megaphone. Creators in the Partner Program can remove, replace and add host-read sponsorships in video episodes, schedule updates ahead of time and track how each sponsorship performed.

Video to Spotify from other hosts, and video to Apple from Spotify

In January 2026, Spotify introduced its Distribution API. It lets creators publish and monetise video on Spotify from other hosting platforms without re-uploading. On 14 May 2026, Spotify said Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans and Podspace were live.

In the same update, Spotify said Spotify for Creators and Megaphone will support Apple Podcasts' HLS video. That would let Spotify-hosted shows reach audiences on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts without changing their setup. Spotify said it was working on this with Apple and would share timeline details later.

Spotify still needs video to be uploaded directly to its platform rather than delivered by RSS. Your RSS feed stays your main route to audio-only apps.

What this means for UK podcasters

  • Video is now native on Apple Podcasts too. Ofcom's 2026 Podcast Survey found that Spotify (49%), BBC Sounds (45%) and YouTube (38%) are the services UK weekly podcast listeners use most. With HLS video, Apple Podcasts listeners can now watch as well as listen.
  • Check your host. On both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, what you can do with video depends on which hosting platform you use and which features it supports.
  • The audio still matters. Both platforms let fans switch between watching and listening, so a clean audio mix is as important as the picture.
  • Plan ad breaks and sponsor reads. Spotify requires an ad break for Premium video revenue, and Apple now supports dynamic video ads, including host-read spots.

Recording video and audio podcasts in London

London Podcasts, a Fitzrovia Post company, has 14 purpose-built recording studios, including four video podcast studios, at Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DJ. To book, email bookings@londonpodcasts.co.uk or call 020 7209 3474.

Plan your London podcast production

Compare our Central London video podcast recording and audio podcast studio options, or discuss a complete podcast production with our team.

See the BBC Curious Cases studio case study and check studio availability.

FAQ

Does Apple Podcasts support video podcasts?
Yes. With iOS 26.4, released in March 2026, Apple Podcasts plays video podcasts built on Apple's HLS technology. Listeners can switch between watching and listening, watch full screen and download episodes to watch offline.

How do I get my video podcast on Apple Podcasts?
Apple says creators publish HLS video through participating hosting providers and ad networks. At launch these were Acast, ART19, Omny Studio and SiriusXM, including Simplecast. Apple does not charge creators or hosts to distribute podcasts.

What do I need to join the Spotify Partner Program in the UK?
Your show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators, you need a legal address in an eligible market such as the UK, at least 3 published episodes, 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 audience members on Spotify in the last 30 days.

Can I put video on Spotify if my podcast is hosted elsewhere?
Yes, through Spotify's Distribution API. Spotify said on 14 May 2026 that Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans and Podspace were live, with more partners in progress.

Can Spotify-hosted shows publish video to Apple Podcasts?
Spotify said in May 2026 that Spotify for Creators and Megaphone will support Apple Podcasts' HLS video, and that it would share timeline details later.

Sources