Apple updates app to let users watch and download video podcasts

Apple podcast users will be able to switch between watching and listening

Apple Podcasts will allow users to watch video podcasts from the spring as the popularity of the format continues to skyrocket.

Users will be able to switch between watching and listening, move to a horizontal full display and download videos for offline viewing following the update.

Meanwhile, Apple said the app’s enhanced video podcast capabilities will give creators more control over their content and deliver the highest quality video experience for users.

The move comes as the popularity of video podcasts continues to rise, with YouTube stealing a march on Apple as the main destination for the format, after Apple helped bring podcasts to the masses back in the 2000s via the iPod.

In 2025, Bloomberg reported that a billion people are now watching podcasts on YouTube every month, but the shift has caused consternation among hardcore podcast fans who are keen to see the format preserved as an audio medium.

Netflix last year unveiled a wide-ranging US deal with Spotify through which a selection of video podcasts would be available on both services, including The Bill Simmons Podcast and several sport-focused shows from pod network The Ringer and Spotify Studios.

That pact is set to officially begin early this year, along with another agreement Netflix signed with iHeartMedia giving it exclusive access to more than 15 video podcasts from the studio. Both deals required the podcast owners to remove full episodes from YouTube, although clips will remain.

Netflix recently launched a weekly talkshow fronted by comedian Pete Davidson, branding it as a video podcast. However, it is not available on any podcast platforms, leading some online to question whether it can be classified as a podcast at all.

Elsewhere, the BBC in the UK has found success with video podcast companion shows to some of its biggest hits, such as The Traitors with The Traitors Uncloaked, available on both BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer. It has also had a linear TV slot on BBC Two after The Traitors aired.

“Twenty years ago, Apple helped take podcasting mainstream by adding podcasts to iTunes, and more than a decade ago, we introduced the dedicated Apple Podcasts app,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior VP of services.

“Today marks a defining milestone in that journey. By bringing a category-leading video experience to Apple Podcasts, we’re putting creators in full control of their content and how they build their businesses, while making it easier than ever for audiences to listen to or watch podcasts.”

Sharon Taylor, chief revenue officer at digital audio technology and advertising company Triton Digital, said: “Video is becoming an increasingly important way audiences engage with audio content, and Apple’s move into this space marks a meaningful step forward.

“An open approach that enables publishers to retain control over their audiences, advertising, and measurement – while expanding access to content across formats – supports long-term growth and greater choice for listeners.”