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New tech | Platforms

YOUTUBE, APPLE AND SPOTIFY: HOW PODCAST DISCOVERY IS CHANGING

In brief

  • At Made on YouTube on 23 September 2026, YouTube announced Custom Feeds, built from prompts such as "Witty podcasts for my daily 30-minute commute", and "your podcast lineup", a weekly AI audio guide to recommended shows in YouTube Music.
  • Podnews reported on 2 October that signed-in Apple Podcasts users now see an algorithmic, personalised view in Home and New, rather than editorial picks targeted by country. Apple told Podnews, on background, that its editorial approach is unchanged.
  • Spotify's Podcast Subscriptions become Memberships on 20 October 2026. New memberships carry a 10% platform fee; subscriptions carried over from the old system keep the 5.5% processing fee plus any foreign exchange fee until the subscriber cancels.
  • The common thread: listeners are increasingly asking an app for what they want, and getting a short personal list back. Clear show descriptions, consistent formats and strong clips matter more than ever.

YouTube: ask for a podcast, get a feed

YouTube used its annual Made on YouTube event on 23 September 2026 to announce several discovery features that touch podcasts directly.

  • Custom Feeds. Viewers will be able to create their own tabs on the YouTube homepage by describing what they want in plain language. YouTube's examples include "Witty podcasts for my daily 30-minute commute" and "Evening wind down with long documentaries". Several feeds can be saved, and each updates automatically with fresh recommendations. YouTube says Custom Feeds will reach users in the US on web, mobile and TV first.
  • Your podcast lineup. A personalised AI audio guide in the YouTube Music app that gives a quick, weekly spoken preview of recommended shows, explains why the listener might like them, then moves into suggested episodes. YouTube describes it as "completely eyes-optional and hands-free".
  • Ask Music. A conversational feature in YouTube Music that works across podcasts and a catalogue of more than 300 million songs, letting listeners shape their queue by asking for it.

Your podcast lineup and the Ask Music updates are coming soon to YouTube Music and Premium subscribers worldwide, which includes the UK. YouTube says more than 20 million videos are uploaded to the platform every day, so being easy to describe and easy to match is becoming part of being found.

Apple Podcasts: a personal front page

On 2 October 2026 Podnews reported, citing multiple sources, that Apple Podcasts is no longer showing a country-based editorially curated view in the Home and New sections of the app. Instead, each user sees an algorithmic view that Podnews says is designed to follow what Apple calls user types.

Podnews also reported that:

  • Apple's feature request form, which producers use to pitch shows for promotion, was changed in June or July and no longer offers a way to target a geographical audience. "It's all global now," one producer told Podnews.
  • A UK producer said it is no longer possible to know whether a show has been selected for promotion.
  • Apple gave a statement on background suggesting that nothing had changed and that its editorial approach remains consistent. Podnews said that was at odds with what producers had been told and with what is visible in the app.

An independent check by Media Morpheus on 5 October looked at the public, non-personalised web versions of Apple's New page in six English-speaking storefronts. It found the pages were still hand-curated, but grouped more by region than by country. The UK and Ireland shared 49 entries, including all 16 shows on their video shelf, while each still had about half its page to itself.

For UK shows, the practical point is that a local editorial feature can no longer be relied on as the main route to new listeners. Titles, descriptions, artwork and listener behaviour carry more of the weight.

Spotify: Memberships from 20 October

Spotify first announced Memberships at its Investor Day on 21 May 2026 as a way for creators to build recurring revenue from their most engaged fans. It said creators would own the relationship with their audience, with direct access to subscribers, the ability to import and export across platforms, and audience insight tools. Creators who run subscriptions elsewhere can keep distributing gated content through Spotify Open Access.

Spotify for Creators' fee schedule now confirms the switch: "Podcast Subscriptions is evolving into Memberships on October 20th, 2026." From that date:

  • New memberships carry a 10% platform fee, which Spotify says includes payment processing, foreign exchange and payout fees, plus any taxes due in the member's region.
  • Legacy Podcast Subscriptions migrated to Memberships keep the old 5.5% payment processing fee, plus foreign exchange fees of 0.8% to 1.6% where they apply, until the subscriber cancels.
  • Earnings are paid out through Stripe on a rolling 30-day schedule, once a creator has earned at least US$10 (or the local equivalent) in the period.

Spotify notes that some monetisation services may not be available in every country, so UK creators should check their own Spotify for Creators account for what is switched on.

At the same Investor Day, Spotify said more than 500 million users have streamed a video podcast, up nearly 50% year on year. It also said that more than half of listeners who have used Prompted Playlists for podcasts have discovered a new show, and announced Personal Podcasts, AI-generated private audio episodes linked to relevant shows, starting with eligible Premium users in the US.

What this means for UK podcasters

  • Write for the prompt. If listeners ask for "a 30-minute comedy podcast for the commute", the shows that get matched are the ones whose titles, descriptions and episode notes say clearly what they are, how long they run and who they are for.
  • Keep a consistent format. A predictable length, tone and release day makes a show easier for both people and recommendation systems to place.
  • Do your own promotion. With Apple's front page now personal to each listener, the push has to come from guests, clips, trailers, newsletters and social media.
  • Decide what a member pays for. Spotify Memberships, Patreon and similar tools all work best when the offer is clear: bonus episodes, early access, ad-free feeds or live events.
  • Film it. Video now runs through YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. One well-shot session can serve the full episode, the clips and the trailer.

London Podcasts, a Fitzrovia Post company, has 14 purpose-built recording studios at Academic House, 24-28 Oval Road, Camden, London NW1 7DJ. Four are permanently configured for video podcasts, and every podcast studio booking includes an experienced engineer. Audio-only sessions start from £200 per hour + VAT and video podcast sessions from £230 per hour + VAT, with a one-hour minimum. Finished edits, trailers and social cuts are available, and complete production starts from £1,250 + VAT per episode.

Book online at londonpodcasts.co.uk/book, email bookings@londonpodcasts.co.uk or call 020 7209 3474.

FAQ

What is YouTube's "your podcast lineup"?
It is a personalised AI audio guide in the YouTube Music app, announced at Made on YouTube on 23 September 2026. It gives a weekly spoken preview of recommended shows, explains why the listener might like them, then plays suggested episodes. YouTube says it is coming soon to YouTube Music and Premium subscribers worldwide.

Has Apple Podcasts stopped featuring UK shows?
Podnews reported on 2 October 2026 that signed-in Apple Podcasts users now see a personalised, algorithmic view in Home and New rather than editorial picks targeted by country. Apple told Podnews on background that its editorial approach is unchanged, and public web storefronts are still hand-curated, though grouped more by region.

When do Spotify Podcast Subscriptions become Memberships?
On 20 October 2026. New memberships carry a 10% platform fee covering payment processing, foreign exchange and payouts. Subscriptions migrated from the old system keep the 5.5% processing fee plus any foreign exchange fee until the subscriber cancels.

How can a podcast get recommended by AI-powered features?
None of the platforms has published exactly how it matches shows to prompts. The safest approach is a clear title and description that say what the show is about, who it is for and how long episodes run, a consistent format, and regular clips and trailers that people share.

How much does it cost to record a podcast at London Podcasts?
Audio-only sessions start from £200 per hour + VAT and video podcast sessions from £230 per hour + VAT, with an engineer included and a one-hour minimum. Complete production starts from £1,250 + VAT per episode. Book at londonpodcasts.co.uk/book or call 020 7209 3474.

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