Spotify has expanded its video podcast distribution network through integrations with five hosting platforms and plans to support Apple Podcasts video distribution later this year, extending its push to make video podcasting easier to distribute and monetize across major listening platforms.

Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans, and Podspace are now live with the Spotify Distribution API, enabling creators on those platforms to distribute video content directly to Spotify and monetize eligible content through the Spotify Partner Program.

In the announcement, Spotify said that additional partner integrations are in progress and that direct sales will become available to API partners in the near future.

Apple Podcasts Distribution on the Way

Spotify for Creators and Megaphone will support Apple Podcasts’ HLS video technology later this year, according to the announcement. The integration is intended to let creators hosted on Spotify’s platforms distribute video podcast content to Apple Podcasts through their existing Spotify for Creators or Megaphone workflows.

Spotify said it will also support monetization for video content distributed to Apple Podcasts, allowing creators to generate revenue from both platforms.

The company said it is working on the Apple integration in coordination with Apple and will share timeline details at a later date.

A Broader Video Push

The hosting platform integrations and Apple distribution support extend Spotify’s effort to make video a larger part of its podcast offering. Spotify for Creators provides free hosting for audio and video podcasts, along with integrated recording, analytics, and monetization tools. The platform already enables creators to distribute video natively within the Spotify app.

Monetization through the Spotify Partner Program is eligibility-based, with access depending on factors including audience size, geography, and hosting status.

“Eligibility-based monetization shifts power from creators to platforms. You’re not selling ads against your audience anymore. You’re qualifying for platform revenue sharing based on criteria Spotify controls,” said Nii Ahene, Net Influencer’s founder. “That’s fundamentally different from traditional podcast advertising, where creators own sponsor relationships and set their own rates.”

Spotify’s scale gives the distribution changes broader implications for podcast creators as they assess where to host, publish, and monetize video shows. The company reports reaching more than 700 million users in more than 180 markets.

Video Podcast Value

The distribution push comes as podcasters and advertisers continue to compare the relative value of video podcast engagement across platforms.

Podcast analytics platform Podstock has published benchmarking data showing that a single Spotify stream generates, on average, 1.5 times more listening time than a YouTube view of the same podcast episode. Podstock analyzed thousands of episodes released in video format on both platforms and found that Spotify audiences spent more time with content in 95% of episodes examined.

“Today, Spotify streams are a more valuable indicator of fandom and advertiser value than YouTube views,” said Michael Paretzky, CEO of Podstock. “But that’s only half the story. Time spent is incredibly valuable for understanding engagement with your core audience, but it often moves in the opposite direction when you’re investing in growth.”

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