Podcasts appear to be of interest to YouTube in addition to paying producers to produce videos. A podcast Explore page has been secretly introduced on YouTube. Those who can see it on desktop or mobile will see popular channels, episodes, and playlists in addition to categories and suggested series. Even if you are a YouTube Premium subscriber who often sees listening-oriented options, you will currently only see basic video thumbnails and playing controls.

Although it appears that the Explore page went live around the end of July, it is only now becoming more publicly accessible. It’s unclear what will happen to Google Podcasts if anything. The new area shows the Google brand is establishing itself as a rival to popular podcast clients like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, even though YouTube’s longer-term goals aren’t immediately clear. If so, it wouldn’t be unexpected. Numerous podcasts are already available on YouTube, especially those with video versions. More people may become aware of those works thanks to the Explore page, which may also inspire further podcasters to upload their work to YouTube.