New Zealand podcasters are now one of a select group of Spotify users who are able to create video podcasts to share on the platform.
The streaming company started allowing video podcasts for a limited number of creators in late 2021 and has just announced an extension to the programme.
All podcasters in Aotearoa, Australia, the UK, the US and Canada now have the ability to upload video content to Spotify through its creation tool Anchor.
"We've found that podcasters love having the option to accompany their audio with visual components, and fans love having the opportunity to more deeply connect with the content," the company said.
"Visual interactions allow fans to get to know their favourite podcast hosts even better, and allow creators to connect with their audiences in a much deeper way.
"But if you want to stick to the pure audio experience, that's great too - video on Spotify is backgroundable for all listeners, so you can immerse yourself in the content when you want to, or simply lean back and just listen."
Spotify is one of the world's most popular podcast apps, along with the likes of Apple and Google. Podcasters have often had to release audio only versions of their content via the podcast apps, with video versions having to be released separately on a platform like YouTube or Vimeo.
As well as expanding the pool of video podcasts, Spotify is also launching new functionality. That includes allowing podcasts to operate behind a paywall, with creators able to create their own monetisation models with exclusive content and gated video. Other tools are being worked on to support monetisation, the company said.
Other improvements include embeddable video podcasts playing automatically and a bulk-replace option so audio-only versions can be replaced easily with video podcasts.
Video-specific analytics will also give creators deep insights into their videos' performance on Spotify, enabling them to better understand their audiences, while interactive podcast features like polls and Q&A, will be available for videos.
"With this latest expansion, we're continuing to make video podcasting a great experience for creators - empowering them to reach new global audiences, own how they monetise their content, and interact with fans in new ways," the company said.
"We can't wait to see what creators bring to the table."
Spotify said it plans to open up video podcasting to more markets in the future.
