Video Distribution (Beta)

Podspace supports video podcast distribution to three platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Enable each platform from your Distribution page, and any video you add to an episode publishes automatically to every platform you've turned on.

When you upload a video episode, Podspace automatically extracts the audio. There's no need to also upload a separate audio file. Platforms that only support audio get a clean audio-only version, while video platforms use the same embedded audio for listeners who prefer to listen rather than watch.

A note on upload times: video files are much larger than audio files, so uploads take longer than you're used to. How long depends on the platform and your internet connection. Please plan to upload well ahead of your publish date, especially for your first few video episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Apple Podcasts delivers video through HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), on top of your existing RSS feed. Enabling video on Apple doesn't change how your feed works.

Metrics and reporting

Video episodes are measured the same way as audio ones. Apple downloads video in varying quality and in chunks depending on the listener's connection, which provide an opportunity to track more granular consumption data. This data follows IAB measurement guidelines, so it's included in your Poddindex/Poddtoppen reporting with your regular audio numbers.

Monetization

Podspace Ads currently run in the audio portion of your Apple episodes, the same as they do today. We're actively building the capability to serve Podspace Ads and sponsorships directly inside the HLS video stream. Once that ships, your video episodes will carry the same ad and sponsorship inventory your audio episodes do.

Premium episodes on Apple currently play audio only.

Spotify

Video publishes to Spotify through Spotify's Distribution API rather than through RSS.

Important — this is a one-way switch (mostly): once you enable video, Spotify stops pulling your show from RSS entirely and future episodes publish only through the API. Reverting to RSS afterward is possible, but it isn't self-serve, it requires manual work so treat this as a durable decision rather than something to toggle back and forth.

If you have previously uploaded videos manually to Spotify alongside the RSS distribution, Spotify will remove these videos when you enable video uploads through your host. If you need help to replace these videos, please reach out to our support.

Metrics and reporting

All consumption data for API-published shows comes directly from Spotify rather than being measured by Podspace. In your dashboard, this shows up as Spotify Streams and Spotify Listeners, kept separate from IAB Listens and IAB Listeners, so you can tell them apart. Because Spotify's measurement methodology doesn't follow IAB guidelines, this data can't be reported to Poddindex or Podtoppen, and it won't be directly comparable to the RSS-based numbers you're used to seeing from Spotify.

Monetization - please read before enabling

This is the biggest thing to know before turning on Spotify video today: Podspace can't yet serve Podspace Ads or sponsorships on any show published through the Distribution API, audio or video. That's because ad delivery on Spotify's Distribution API requires an integration with Spotify's ad server, which both Podspace and Spotify are actively working to support. Until it ships, enabling Spotify video means giving up Podspace ad inventory on that show for both your audio and video episodes there, and losing a meaningful share of premium-listener impressions along with it.

Eligible shows on the Distribution API have the option to join Spotify's own Partner Program. This lets Spotify:

• Fill your unsold ad inventory with its own ad network (audio for premium listeners; audio and video for free listeners)

• Pay you a share of revenue from premium listeners consuming your video episodes

To join the Partner Program, please reach out to your Podspace representative or contact us through any of our support channels.

What's coming: once our Spotify ad server integration is live, Podspace will be able to serve ads on audio episodes for both premium and free listeners, and on video episodes for free listeners plus sponsorships on both audio and video episodes for premium and free listeners alike. This will also unlock larger payouts through the Partnership Program. We'll update this article the moment it's available.

In the table below you can get an idea about the difference in ad impressions in Spotify when publishing through RSS versus API.

Please note that audio ads and sponsorships will play in your audio-only episodes. Video ads and sponsorships will play in video episodes, regardless of whether the user is listening to or watching the episode.

Premium episodes on Spotify play both audio and video.

YouTube

Connect a YouTube channel and a podcast playlist from your Distribution settings, and your video episodes upload to that playlist automatically.

Metrics and reporting

Performance data is imported from YouTube and shown separately in your dashboard as YouTube Views, so it's easy to distinguish from your other consumption metrics. YouTube doesn't follow IAB guidelines, so this data can't be reported to Poddindex or Poddtoppen, and YouTube doesn't provide reach data.

Ads monetization

Podspace doesn't currently insert dynamic ads into your YouTube videos. You can monetize directly through the YouTube Partner Program; publishing through Podspace doesn't affect your eligibility or payouts.

Good to know

Once a video has uploaded to YouTube, Podspace can't replace or edit it for you. If you need to update a video after it's live, you'll need to do that directly from YouTube Studio.

Quick summary

Have questions about which setup is right for your show? Reach out to our support team and we're happy to walk through the trade-offs and opportunities with you.

Please note that video distribution is in Beta

Beta features is functionality that are available to use but is still in a testing phase. We encourage users to try out beta features, but please be aware that:

• Beta features might change quite quickly as we learn from the feedback provided by users

• We might reach out to ask for feedback on your experience using the beta feature

• Pricing and/or price plan eligibility of features might change as they go out of Beta and are made generally available, in which case we’ll reach out to all current users in good time before the changes are implemented