Spotify is expanding video podcast publishing to creators in six more countries – TechCrunch

Spotify is expanding the ability to post video podcasts for creators in six new countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico. This marks the first time the audio streaming company is making this feature available in non-English speaking countries.

“These are markets with especially strong podcast creator communities that have shown a healthy appetite for new ways to create and experience podcasts. Video-native podcasters will now have access to Spotify’s audience around the world, while audio-native podcasters will be able to start experimenting with video and deliver content that their listeners can engage with more deeply,” the firm said in a statement.

Spotify has been slowly making its video podcast tools available to a larger set of creators. After introducing them in a limited test in 2020, it rolled out video-based podcast publishing to a bunch of creators in 2021 through its Anchor platform.

In April, the company introduced these tools to all creators in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K. This rollout also included monetization tools like subscriptions and engagement features like Q&A and polls. Plus, Spotify allowed podcast creators to embed their video off-platform — just like you see a YouTube video on any site.

“Just as we’ve built a suite of innovative creation tools for podcasters, and we’re now doing the same for video content. Video podcasts are a historically underutilized medium, but one has the potential to grow by unlocking a new way to help audiences engage with their favorite podcasts. Video podcasts allow listeners to feel more connected to the creators behind their favorite shows, whether they’re listening on audio-only or watching the video, or even toggling between the two,” the company said.

Spotify has been heavily focusing on podcasting to make it a commercial success after spending more than $1 billion on related acquisitions. Last month, during its investor day event, CEO Daniel Ek said that while the company is in investment mode for podcasts, it believes the vertical has potential for a 40-50% gross margin. It also launched a test in New Zealand to allow users to record and publish a podcast clip directly from the Spotify app without any additional tools.