Spotify expands video podcast reach to Apple Podcasts and back again

Spotify said creators will soon be able to send video podcasts to Apple Podcasts without changing their existing setup, a sign that the two biggest distribution platforms are easing the technical walls that once kept shows locked inside one ecosystem. Spotify for Creators and Megaphone will support Apple Podcasts’ HLS video technology later in 2026, and Spotify said it will also support monetization for video content on Apple Podcasts.

The practical shift is straightforward but economically meaningful: a show hosted on Spotify can now travel farther without a second publishing process, while Apple Podcasts can receive the same video feed through a creator’s hosting provider. Apple said its video podcast experience, announced on February 16, 2026, lets users switch between watching and listening, move video into horizontal full-screen mode and download episodes for offline viewing. Apple also said creators can dynamically insert video ads, including host-read spots, through participating hosting providers and ad networks, while keeping control of metadata in their RSS feeds.

That matters because distribution friction has long been a source of bargaining power. When creators have to rebuild workflows for each platform, the platform with the easiest technical path often captures the audience, the data and the ad inventory. Spotify’s announcement, made in coordination with Apple, points in the opposite direction. Apple Podcasts says video is delivered through a creator’s hosting provider, and followers and downloads continue to work the same way as audio. Spotify says its podcast tools are built to let creators distribute, monetize and grow shows across major podcast apps, with ad revenue share through the Spotify Partner Program whether fans listen on Spotify or elsewhere.

The détente ran both ways on Wednesday. Spotify also said its Distribution API for video went live on Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans and Podspace, letting creators on those platforms send video directly to Spotify and monetize eligible content through the Spotify Partner Program, with direct sales coming later. Apple had initially said Acast, ART19, Triton Digital’s Omny Studio and SiriusXM, including SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz and Simplecast, would support HLS video at launch, and that availability would expand over time.

Taken together, the moves show video podcasts maturing from a walled-garden race into a broader creator market. Spotify says more than half a billion fans use its service, and both companies are now betting that convenience will attract creators faster than lock-in. The result is more distribution options, more monetization paths and a stronger hand for publishers deciding where their next ad dollar should land.