Apple announced Monday that it’s rolling out a major overhaul to Apple Podcasts this spring, introducing native video support that lets listeners seamlessly switch between audio and video without juggling separate show feeds.
Until now, if a podcaster wanted to offer both audio and video versions of their show on Apple Podcasts, they needed two separate listings, one for audio, one for video. The new system ditches that approach entirely. Using Apple’s own HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology, creators can now offer a single show feed that includes both formats.
“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,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said in a statement. “Today marks a defining milestone in that journey.”
The update lands as nearly 4 in 10 Americans over age 12 now watch video podcasts monthly, according to Edison Research.
A new push for creator revenue
Beyond viewing features, Apple is also opening the door to new advertising opportunities.
With HLS support, creators distributing through participating hosting providers and ad networks will be able to dynamically insert video ads, including host-read spots. That allows podcasters to tap into the broader video advertising market.
Apple says it will not charge creators or hosting providers to distribute podcasts, whether through traditional RSS/MP3 or the new HLS video format. However, the company will charge participating ad networks an impression-based fee for delivering dynamic video ads through HLS later this year.
At launch, Apple says support for HLS video will include hosting and ad partners such as Acast, ART19, Omny Studio, and SiriusXM, including SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz, and Simplecast.
Greg Glenday, CEO of Acast, said in a statement from Apple, “Apple Podcasts is synonymous with podcasting itself. Bringing video to the platform is a defining moment — expanding what’s possible for creators, advertisers, and the medium as a whole.”
Stepping into a crowded field
Apple’s renewed focus on video comes as competition intensifies.
YouTube has said it now sees more than 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers. Spotify has expanded its video podcast strategy and previously reported paying out more than $100 million to podcasters in a single quarter as it invests in creator monetization.
Even Netflix has entered the space, striking deals and launching original video podcast programming, including The Pete Davidson Show.
Apple Podcasts is available in more than 170 countries and features millions of shows across hundreds of categories. The platform sits within Apple’s fast-growing Services business, which generated roughly $30 billion in revenue in its most recent quarter.
As of Monday, HLS video support is already available for testing in beta versions of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4. The feature will officially launch this spring across iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and on the web.
For more Apple ecosystem updates, check out our coverage of Apple’s plan to phase out Rosetta 2 as Intel app support winds down in macOS 26.4 and beyond.
