[FAQ]

Hi,

I have a channel where I do long-form interviews, and for years I’ve just been uploading them as regular videos into a normal playlist. I’ve now seen that YouTube is really pushing this feature to set a playlist as an official “Podcast.”

I’m a bit skeptical, to be honest. Is there any real, tangible benefit to doing this? I’ve heard it might get your content featured on the YouTube Music app, but does that actually translate to more views or listens? It seems like a bit of a faff to go back and change everything if there’s no proper upside.

I’m just wondering if anyone who’s made the switch has seen a noticeable difference in their channel’s performance. Cheers.

[Jeff Bullas]

It’s a good idea to evaluate these new platform features.

Short Answer: The primary benefits are increased discoverability and improved accessibility. Designating your content as a podcast makes it eligible for distribution within the YouTube Music app and enables special branding formats on your channel.

Using this official “podcast” playlist format signals to YouTube precisely what your content is, allowing the platform to present its audio and video formats in new ways.

Adopting the official podcast designation provides several advantages. Firstly, it makes the audio format of your episodes available within the YouTube Music app, opening up your content to a new audience that prefers audio-only background listening. Secondly, it unlocks new visual formats on your YouTube channel, such as a dedicated “Podcasts” tab on your homepage and official podcast badging on your video thumbnails, which adds professionalism and makes the series easier for viewers to find. Thirdly, by explicitly categorising your content as this specific episodic format, you are providing YouTube’s algorithm with a clearer signal about its nature, which can improve its chances of being recommended to users who regularly consume long-form, conversational content.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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