Apple Inc. (AAPL  ) has announced its plans to launch a new integrated video podcast experience on its Apple Podcasts app this spring. Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services at Apple, revealed that the new feature is designed to empower creators with control over their content and business models, while also enhancing the user experience by making it easier to switch between audio and video podcasts. The update will introduce picture-in-picture support and enable users to download video episodes for offline viewing.

Although Apple Podcasts has supported video via RSS since 2005, the new update will add support for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), Apple's own streaming protocol, enabling adaptive playback and improved in-app video controls.

The HLS format will support dynamic video ad insertion, allowing creators to add video ads through participating hosts and ad networks. While Apple won't charge for content distribution, it will collect an impression-based fee from ad networks serving those ads.

Launch podcast hosting partners include Acast, Amazon-owned ART19, Triton's Omny Studio, and SiriusXM, all of which will support HLS video.

Apple Expands Podcasts Amid Rival Push

Apple's move to enhance its podcasting capabilities comes at a time when competitors like Netflix, Inc. (NFLX  ) signaled a push into new content formats. During the fourth-quarter earnings call, Co-CEO Ted Sarandos unveiled video podcasts, framed as a modern talk show experience, already generating strong engagement across hundreds of programs.

Notably, Alphabet's (GOOGL  ) (GOOG  ) YouTube and Spotify Technology SA (SPOT  ) have also made significant strides in the podcasting arena over the years. In 2025, YouTube celebrated 1 billion monthly podcast users, while Spotify invested over $100 million in podcast creators to challenge YouTube's dominance.

This development also aligns with Apple's broader strategy to bolster its streaming segment, as evidenced by its successful series "Severance" on Apple TV. The new podcasting feature could potentially add another dimension to Apple's content offering and further strengthen its position in the streaming market.

Price Action: On a year-to-date basis, Apple stock declined 5.62%, as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Friday, it fell 2.27% to close at $255.78.