Spotify Embraces Apple’s HLS Tech for Video Podcasts, Simplifying Cross-Platform Publishing

Spotify announced today that its creator platforms — Spotify for Creators and Megaphone — will soon support Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology for video podcasts. The move, developed in coordination with Apple, will let creators upload video content once and distribute it seamlessly to both Spotify and Apple Podcasts without any changes to their existing workflow.

Spotify Embraces Apple’s HLS Tech for Video Podcasts, Simplifying Cross-Platform Publishing Apple first rolled out the enhanced HLS-based video podcast experience at the end of March 2026 in Apple Podcasts on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and the web. The technology improves streaming quality, playback reliability, and overall viewer experience for video shows.

Spotify’s adoption of the same standard means that any podcast hosted on its platforms can now reach Apple’s audience using the identical video files and configuration already in use for Spotify.

“Starting this year, Spotify for Creators and Megaphone will support Apple Podcasts’ HLS video technology,” the company stated. “This will enable Spotify-hosted creators to distribute their video podcast content across platforms, reaching audiences on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts without changing their existing setup — a major step toward truly platform-agnostic video distribution.”

Spotify Embraces Apple’s HLS Tech for Video Podcasts, Simplifying Cross-Platform Publishing Spotify also confirmed it will extend monetization support for video content delivered through Apple Podcasts. Creators will be able to earn revenue from views on Apple’s platform using Spotify’s existing tools, removing the need to choose between audience reach and income.

The company said it is “actively working on this integration in coordination with Apple” and will share specific timeline details soon.

In a separate but related announcement, Spotify revealed that video podcast integrations with several major third-party hosting providers are now live. Starting today, creators using Libsyn, Podigee, Audioboom, Audiomeans, and Podspace can distribute video content directly to Spotify via the Spotify Distribution API and begin monetizing eligible shows through the Spotify Partner Program. Additional monetization options, including direct sales, are expected to roll out to these partners in the near future.

Spotify Embraces Apple’s HLS Tech for Video Podcasts, Simplifying Cross-Platform Publishing Spotify noted that while it still requires direct uploads for full “Spotify-first” features such as engagement-based monetization and real-time analytics, the new HLS support and hosting integrations make it far easier for creators to maintain a single workflow while publishing everywhere.

The news is being welcomed by the podcasting community. Video podcasts have grown rapidly in popularity, but until now creators often faced technical hurdles when trying to optimize the same show for both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

By aligning on Apple’s HLS standard, Spotify is helping close that gap and accelerating the shift toward modern, high-quality video podcasting across the industry.

Spotify emphasized that the changes reflect its broader commitment to giving creators powerful tools regardless of where their audience listens or watches. With the new integrations already active for major hosts and HLS support coming later in 2026, video podcast creators can look forward to simpler distribution and better monetization opportunities on both of the world’s largest podcast platforms.