To launch its podcasting strategy, YouTube unveils a new landing page.

On a new page, top-rated podcast episodes and playlists are highlighted.

As a part of YouTube's promotion of podcasts, a new "Podcasts" tab was introduced. Some users will encounter a 404 error while visiting the website youtube.com/podcasts,

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while others will see a landing page with podcast content. 9to5 The page was only recently discovered by Google, although it has supposedly been slowly making its way online since last month.

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There isn't much activity on the podcast page right now. It only shows "Popular Episodes" and "Popular Podcast Playlists" for arbitrary shows.

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When you click through, all you still get is the regular YouTube experience. The plan calls for Google's media brand to heavily invest in podcasts, even though it's just a first step.

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In 2016, Google's search function gradually evolved into a podcasting service called "Google Podcasts." However, it didn't really start to take off as a viable service

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until the release of the iOS app in 2020. Before that, there were Google Play Music Podcasts, which were accessible from 2015 until 2020.

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Prior to that, there was "Google Listen," which lasted from 2009 to 2012 and was powered by Google Reader. YouTube Podcasts will be introduced by Google as its fourth podcasting platform.

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Although Google's continual stream of new products is irritating, the move to YouTube Podcasts makes a lot of sense because YouTube is its strongest media brand.

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YouTube already hosts podcasts, so it would be advantageous to encourage their expansion with better discoverability, an audio-only player, and a separate content stream.

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This strategy of developing a distinctive vertical for already-existing YouTube content would imitate other (often successful) verticals on YouTube, such as YouTube Music, YouTube Kids, and YouTube Gaming.

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YouTube Podcasts are only getting started, providing the company sticks with its tried-and-true "vertical" business model.

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YouTube is making an effort to compete with some of Google's and key YouTube's competitors, such as Spotify, Amazon, and Apple, who have invested millions (or billions) in technology

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and exclusivity deals related to podcasts. Recently, YouTube created the executive post of "Podcast Lead," with the duty of

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"managing the enormous volume of existing podcasts and links across the YouTube platform." The company has also been promising to cover the launch costs for

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popular podcasts who want to switch to video. According to a rumoured YouTube presentation for podcast producers, upgrades for creators included support for RSS uploads,

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enhancements to podcast search and discovery, better analytics, and audio-only advertisements.

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