Apple takes on YouTube and Spotify with a new video podcast push

• Apple is rolling out a new video podcast experience to rival YouTube and Spotify.
• It'll allow Apple Podcasts users to able to switch seamlessly between audio and video.
• The rollout is expected to take place this spring.

Apple is making a bigger push into video podcasts as the medium continues to shift beyond its audio-only roots.

The company said in a statement on Monday that it plans to roll out a revamped video experience in Apple Podcasts this spring, allowing users to switch between listening to an episode and watching it within the app. It also plans to add features, including the ability to download episodes for offline viewing.

While Apple helped popularize podcasting through iTunes and later the Apple Podcasts app, the medium has increasingly moved toward video, with creators filming shows for platforms like YouTube and Spotify — and audiences growing more accustomed to watching hosts in the studio. Monday's news signals that Apple is moving more aggressively into video as its rivals in the podcast space continue to invest heavily in the format.

"We're putting creators in full control of their content and how they build their businesses, while making it easier than ever for audiences to listen to or watch podcasts," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, said in a statement.

Apple said the update would also offer new revenue opportunities for creators. Podcasters using participating hosting providers will be able to insert video ads — including host-read spots — into episodes distributed on Apple Podcasts, tapping into a broader video advertising market.

At launch, Apple plans to work with hosting and ad platforms including Acast, Amazon-owned ART19, Triton's Omny Studio, and SiriusXM.

The new video streaming system is expected to roll out this spring across iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and the web.