pple Inc. is officially entering the video podcast battlefield, and it’s doing so inside its own ecosystem.
This spring, Apple will launch a redesigned video podcast experience inside Apple Podcasts, allowing users to seamlessly switch between watching and listening to shows. The update will leverage the company’s proprietary HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) video technology, giving creators and viewers a smoother playback experience.
The new feature allows users to:
- Instantly switch between audio and video versions of a podcast
- Rotate into a horizontal full-screen viewing mode
- Download video episodes for offline viewing
- Stream via Apple’s optimized HLS video infrastructure
The update is already available for testing in beta versions of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4.
Video podcasting is no longer niche, it’s mainstream.
According to Edison Research:
- 51% of the U.S. population has consumed a video podcast
- 37% watch video podcasts monthly
That surge has fueled aggressive moves from competitors.
YouTube revealed last year that it now sees more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content.
Spotify reported in November that it hosts over 500,000 video podcasts, with nearly 400 million users having watched video podcast content on its platform.
Even Netflix has entered the format through partnerships with iHeartMedia and Spotify.
Apple’s move is clearly strategic: keep creators and audiences inside its ecosystem rather than losing engagement to rival platforms.
In a press release, Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, framed the move as a continuation of the company’s long history in podcasting.
He noted that Apple helped take podcasting mainstream through iTunes two decades ago and later introduced the standalone Apple Podcasts app. Now, the company aims to redefine the category again, this time with a video-first approach.
The goal?
- Give creators more control over distribution and monetization
- Reduce dependency on YouTube and Spotify
- Strengthen Apple’s services ecosystem
- Increase engagement time within Apple’s platform
This isn’t just about podcasts, It’s about:
- Attention economy dominance
- Creator monetization tools
- Platform retention
- Ecosystem lock-in
YouTube dominates discovery.
Spotify dominates music + hybrid podcast listening.
Netflix experiments with personality-driven content.
Apple, however, controls hardware, operating systems, and distribution — a powerful advantage.
If executed well, the update could:
- Increase Apple Podcasts engagement
- Improve subscription opportunities
- Offer creators alternative monetization routes
- Reduce reliance on external video platforms
The full rollout arrives in the spring. Early beta testing will determine performance stability and creator adoption.
Read Also: Spotify Adds Exciting Audiobook Update,15 Extra Hours! Now Family Members Can Tune In Too
The real question isn’t whether Apple can build the feature.
It’s whether creators will shift distribution priorities away from YouTube, where discoverability is unmatched, to Apple’s more controlled ecosystem.
The next phase of podcasting may not just be about audio.
It may be about platform power.
