First look at YouTube's Podcast directory
YouTube just launched a dedicated podcast page on its website. Limited to visitors from the United States at the time, it is designed as a central hub for all-things podcasts on the video streaming site.
Podcasts started as audio-only streams, but video podcasts have been on the rise lately. Most producers publish podcasts on several platforms, e.g., on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and some of the free podcast directories. Many upload podcasts in video form, either with still-images or a recording to YouTube as well.
Internet users from the United States may point their browser at https://www.youtube.com/podcasts to take a look at the first iteration of the Podcasts page on YouTube. Those from outside the United States may use a VPN connection to a United States city to gain access as well.
The rather bare-bones page uses YouTube's traditional design to highlight popular episodes and podcast playlists, recommendations, popular podcast creators, and podcasts in different genres such as Comedy, True Crime or Sports.
Most of the podcasts highlighted on the page may already be listed under recommendations and suggestions on YouTube's main website.
The provided controls are identical. Click or tap on a video to play it, or use the add to queue or watch later options to postpone the watching.
Compared to podcast directories of Apple and Spotify, YouTube's listing lacks functionality. There is no dedicated search option to search through podcasts only. While there are some categories, five in total, they pale in comparison to the categories and subcategories that other podcast directories have. A new and upcoming section is missing as well.
YouTube may very well be the biggest unintentional podcasting site on the planet, even if you discount the lack of audio-only podcasts on the site, but the general presentation on the site is convoluted because of a missing directory and entry point. Maybe that is why Google decided to create the Podcasts page on YouTube to streamline the experience by just a bit.
It is possible that work continues on the page to make it more attractive, e.g., by adding a dedicated search option, more categories and the aforementioned new and rising section.
For now, it may be more a show of good will regarding podcasts on YouTube's part than something that podcast fans can work with to improve their experience on YouTube.
Now you: do you listen to podcasts or watch them? Any good ones that you can recommend?
Article states that “There is no dedicated search option to search through podcasts only.”
What is odd IMO is that I tried searching for podcasts on [www.youtube.com/podcast] with 3 search engines which all failed to find anything for, i.e. “Musk” :
[https://search.brave.com/search?q=Musk+site:www.youtube.com/podcast]
[https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Musk+site:www.youtube.com/podcast]
[https://startpage.com/sp/search?query=Musk+site:www.youtube.com/podcast]
This is a FYI only. I don’t run YouTube (Piped handles it) and unfortunately haven’t any specific podcast to share, but innovation is interesting always. My device is in Europe, no VPN nor proxy, so I won’t be able to share either my experience with YouTube’s podcasts.
Google keeps ruining YouTube. There is no off option for any of this First shorts crap and now podcasts. Never understood the hype around listening to someone ramble. I rather listen to white noise on loop.
Would that not depend on what the ramble is? Podcasts are the last thing I would say is ruining YouTube, IMO.
It does not look as if Google is putting much effort into Podcasts. Shorts on the other hand, is prominently pushed throughout the site.
Just use some INVIDIOUS instance like iteroni.com or freetubeapp.io and NewPipe. You don’t have to bow down to Google making YouTube worse.
Agreed, and if you are on Android, try something like NewPipe instead: https://www.ghacks.net/2022/07/07/huge-update-for-third-party-android-youtube-client-newpipe-released/
>Now you: do you listen to podcasts or watch them? Any good ones that you can recommend?
Why yes of course!
Are controversial (good) podcasts in their list?
Like:
[https://www.youtube.com/c/RealCoffeewithScottAdams/videos]