Spotify just made a move that might surprise people who follow the long-standing rivalry between the biggest names in tech. The company announced that its two main podcast tools, Spotify for Creators and Megaphone, will start using Apple’s video streaming technology. Specifically, they are adopting something called HTTP Live Streaming, or HLS. This is a big deal because it means that video podcasts that used to be stuck exclusively on Spotify can now show up on the Apple Podcasts app too.
This shift follows a change Apple made back in February. With the release of iOS 26.4, Apple added HLS support to its own podcast app. Now that Spotify is hopping aboard the same train, the walls between these two massive platforms are finally starting to crumble. In the past, if you wanted to watch a video podcast, you usually had to pick one app and stay there. Now, creators can reach everyone, no matter what phone they use or which app they prefer.
Apple actually invented HLS years ago to make video look better on the iPhone. It has become an industry standard because it works so well. One of the best things about it is how it handles different internet speeds. If your connection drops by even 1.5%, the technology adjusts the video quality automatically so your show doesn’t just stop and buffer. It makes the whole experience feel much smoother for the person watching, especially when they are moving around or using cellular data.
For the average listener, this change brings a few very handy features. Shows using HLS can switch back and forth between a video stream and an audio-only stream without a hitch. This is great if you start watching a show at home on your tablet but then have to jump in your car and just want to listen through your speakers. It also makes offline downloads much easier to manage. Since most major companies like Microsoft, Google, and Twitch already use HLS, it makes sense for Spotify to finally join the club.
Of course, money is a huge factor in this decision. The podcast industry is growing fast, and some experts predict that video podcast ad revenue alone could soon top $1 billion a year. HLS is very friendly to advertisers because it supports something called dynamic ad insertion. This allows podcasters to swap out old commercials for new ones automatically. It ensures that the ads you hear are relevant to you right now, rather than hearing a coupon code for a store that went out of business three years ago.
While this sounds like a total win, there is a small catch that some tech purists are worried about. Technology like RSS, which powered podcasts for decades, is an open standard. That means nobody owns it and anyone can use it for free. HLS, however, is proprietary technology developed and owned by Apple. Some people in the industry worry that this gives Apple too much power over how we watch and listen to content. However, most users probably won’t care about the back-end politics as long as their favorite shows work perfectly every time they hit play.
Spotify isn’t just changing its tech; it is also opening up its system to more partners to grow its reach. The company is letting other podcast hosting platforms use its specialized Distribution API. Big names like Audioboom, Libsyn, Audiomeans, Podigee, and Podspace are already on the list of supported partners. These platforms can now send video content directly to Spotify and use the company’s fancy analytics tools to see exactly who is watching. It is up to those individual partners to decide which features they want to offer, but it gives creators more choices than they ever had before.
The company hasn’t given an official timeline for when all of these changes will be fully implemented. They are moving carefully to make sure the transition is stable. If you use an older app that doesn’t support the new video technology, Spotify promised that they will still provide a standard audio-only RSS feed. They don’t want to leave anyone behind just because they haven’t updated their phone or software in a few years.
Ultimately, this is a move toward convenience for everyone involved. When the biggest companies in the world agree to use the same set of rules, the fans usually win. Podcasters spend a lot of time and money making their shows, and they want as many eyes on their work as possible. By adopting Apple’s standards, Spotify is making it easier for those creators to get paid and for fans to watch their favorite shows on whatever device they happen to have in their pocket.
