What you should know
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- YouTube Music is introducing new features to enhance the podcast listening experience, including a filtering option that allows users to sort podcasts by criteria such as newest, oldest, most popular, and soon, in progress, unplayed, and played episodes.
- The ability to search for artists by name when creating a radio station is being added, offering users more customization and control over their music selection within the radio station.
- YouTube’s Chief Product Officer, Johanna Voolich, discussed the dual approach to podcasts on YouTube: traditional, highly produced content and “eyes optional” content that is suitable for both listening and watching, available on YouTube Music and YouTube main.
- Despite the controversy over moving podcasts from the Google Podcasts app to YouTube Music, YouTube is committed to redefining the podcast experience to include visual and listen-only content, leveraging YouTube’s discovery tools to enhance podcast discovery and engagement.
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Full Story
Oh, have you heard? YouTube Music’s got some new tricks up its sleeve, aiming to jazz up the whole podcast listening vibe. Someone on Reddit couldn’t help but notice – and now, we’re all ears. They’ve sneaked in a nifty filter on show pages. What’s the big deal? Well, now you can sort your podcasts just how you like ’em. Newest first, or taking a trip down memory lane with the oldest? Your call. They even threw in a “most popular” option, because why not?
And get this – 9to5Google’s whispering about more goodies on the way. Soon, you’ll be able to sift through your podcasts like a pro. In progress, unplayed, played – it’s all there. Hunting for that one episode or keeping up with the latest? Piece of cake.
But wait, there’s more. Ever fancied creating your own radio station? Well, now you can, and it’s as easy as pie. Just search for your favorite artists by name. Talk about putting you in the driver’s seat of your music journey. Though, heads up – these features are still rolling out, so you might need a bit of patience.
Now, onto the bigger picture. YouTube’s not just tinkering around. They’re dead set on moving podcasts over to YouTube Music. Had a chat with Rene Ritchie, YouTube Creator Liaison, and Johanna Voolich, the big boss of product at YouTube, spilled the beans. They’re looking at podcasts from all angles. The traditional, cozy listening experience? Check. But also, they’re eyeing something you can feast your eyes on too. Yep, podcasts that are a treat for the ears and the eyes, available on both YouTube Music and the main YouTube platform.
But here’s the rub. Not everyone’s thrilled about saying goodbye to the Google Podcasts app. And truth be told, there are a few kinks to iron out. Features like marking episodes as played or getting pinged about new ones are still MIA. And RSS-out for podcasts? Not on the radar, they say. But hey, they’re all about RSS-in, giving creators a key to a kingdom of two billion users.
So, what’s the endgame for YouTube? They’re dreaming big, envisioning a podcast world that’s as much about watching as it is about listening. And they’re not shy about leveraging YouTube’s discovery magic to make it happen. Fingers crossed, with these updates rolling out, they might just win back some hearts and ears. Here’s hoping it’s not too little, too late.
