Apple embeds HLS video support in Apple Podcasts to accelerate video podcast monetization

Apple is rolling out an integrated video layer inside Apple Podcasts, built on HLS, to deliver adaptive streaming, picture-in-picture, and offline video downloads while enabling dynamic video ad insertion. The update unifies audio and video streams in a single feed so listeners can switch formats without separate RSS entries, and creators can place video ads through participating hosting partners.

Apple says distribution will remain free for creators and hosts, but it will collect an impression-based fee from ad networks that deliver dynamic spots via HLS. Launch hosts spelled out by Apple include Acast, ART19, Omny Studio and SiriusXM, which will support the new streaming and ad workflows.

This move arrives as consumption patterns tilt toward visuals: Edison Research finds roughly 37% of people aged 12+ watch video podcasts monthly, and YouTube reports about 1 billion monthly podcast viewers on its platform. Spotify has also increased video podcast investment, having paid creators more than $100 million in a recent quarter, underscoring the commercial pressure to supply video ad inventory.

Technically, adopting HLS standardizes adaptive playback and enables server-side ad stitching, which improves latency and measurability compared with static file-based delivery. That architectural shift gives ad buyers finer control over impressions and creative swaps, and it lets host-read spots be served as video creatives inside the same episode feed.

For creators, the practical gains are feature parity with rival platforms: inline video, picture-in-picture on mobile, and offline video downloads for audience retention. For hosting providers and ad platforms, the update creates new operational paths for monetization and measurement, but also introduces an additional fee layer that will shape revenue splits.

• Launch partners: Acast, ART19, Omny Studio, SiriusXM

Apple did not break out podcast-specific revenue, though its broader Services segment reported $30 billion in the most recent quarter, signaling strong capacity to subsidize platform upgrades. The company’s recent acquisition of Israeli AI startup Q.ai suggests Apple is also seeking audio and voice ML capabilities to augment discovery, moderation, or ad targeting.

Strategically, Apple’s entry accelerates a three-way competition with Spotify, YouTube and Netflix, each pushing exclusive formats and original video podcast programming. The net effect will be more ad inventory and higher production demands on creators who now face a premium on video-capable shows.

Operationally, ad networks must integrate with Apple’s HLS delivery and account for the new impression-based charge when modeling CPMs and yield. Publishers that do not support dynamic HLS ads risk lower monetization rates as advertisers prefer server-side insertion for targeting and measurement.

Overall, the update turns Apple Podcasts from a primarily audio-centric distribution channel into a competitive video-capable platform, raising the bar for hosting tech, ad delivery, and creator production workflows while expanding monetization levers.