When I saw Apple announce they’re adding video to Apple Podcasts…

I knew exactly what was about to happen.

Cue the “videos aren’t podcasts” debate.

And honestly?

I kind of love it when the internet spirals over this stuff.

But here’s the bigger picture no one’s really talking about: we are swimming in AI-generated everything right now.

Blog posts, captions, even videos.

And in a world where content is getting easier (and faster) to mass produce, showing up as a real human on camera is becoming one of the strongest trust-builders you have.

That’s why this moment matters.

With YouTube, Spotify, social platforms, and now Apple leaning into video, there has never been more opportunity for creators who are willing to be seen and heard.

But…

and this is important…

there’s a catch.

Actually…

a few of them.

The headlines made this announcement sound revolutionary.

It’s not quite that simple.

So before you pivot your whole content strategy or feel pressure to overhaul your podcast…

let’s slow down.

What does it really mean for creators like us?

Here, I break down the Apple Podcasts video update, the real story behind HLS streaming, and why showing up on camera is still the fastest way to build trust…

especially in a world flooded with AI content.

I’ll share what’s actually changing, which hosts support video, and why YouTube is still king for discoverability.

Let’s cut through the hype together!

VIDEO: Apple’s Video Podcasts: Here’s The Catch

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Why Video Content Matters More Than Ever

Let me be transparent for a second.

I’m biased.

I’ve been creating content on YouTube for over 11 years, and I teach business owners how to grow their audience through video inside Video Brand Academy.

So yes, I’m very much pro-video.

But even with that bias, something still surprises me.

Even in 2026, there are still people actively encouraging creators to avoid video.

You’ll hear things like:

“Don’t worry about being on camera.”
“Just record audio.”
“You don’t need a video version of your podcast.”

Now listen, if audio is all you can manage right now, that’s completely fine. Audio podcasts are still valuable and still reach audiences.

But here’s the question I always come back to:

Why would we encourage creators to limit their reach when they could expand it with the same effort?

If you’re already preparing content, recording ideas, and sharing expertise, adding video can dramatically increase your visibility.

Video gives you:

More discoverability
More personality
More connection with your audience

And in a digital landscape filled with automated content, being human on camera becomes a competitive advantage.

The Human Touch in an AI World

We’re inundated with AI nonsense everywhere we look. And it’s so much easier to just be a human on camera.

Real faces, real voices, real personalities…

that’s what builds trust.

That’s what creates a connection. That’s what the algorithm actually rewards because that’s what audiences want.

What Apple Actually Announced (And Why It’s Confusing)

When headlines first started circulating, many creators assumed something simple:

“Great! I can just upload my YouTube videos directly to Apple Podcasts.”

Unfortunately, it’s not.

In order to understand the announcement properly, we need to talk about something many people don’t realize.

The Big Announcement: Apple Podcasts Is Adding Video

At first glance, the news sounds incredible.

If you’re already creating video podcasts and distributing them on platforms like YouTube or Spotify, you might assume you can now simply upload those same videos to Apple Podcasts.

Sounds easy, right?

Not exactly.

Once I dug into the actual announcement, I realized that things are a little more complicated than the headlines make them sound.

In fact, there are multiple catches creators should know about before they start changing their podcast strategy.

Apple Has Actually Supported Video Podcasts Before

One surprising thing many people don’t realize is that Apple Podcasts has technically supported video podcasts for a long time.

The problem was the way those videos were distributed.

Previously, video content had to be delivered through RSS feeds, just like audio podcasts. That meant creators had to manage two separate feeds:

One RSS feed for the audio podcast
Another RSS feed for the video version

As you can imagine, that system felt awkward and confusing. Managing multiple feeds added unnecessary complexity for creators, which made the feature far less appealing to use.

The new Apple announcement introduces a completely different approach.

The Technology Behind Apple Video Podcasts: HLS

Instead of using RSS feeds for video files, Apple is introducing a technology called HLS, which stands for HTTP Live Streaming.

At first, this caused a lot of confusion in the podcasting world.

Some people assumed Apple was announcing live streaming capabilities inside Apple Podcasts. But that’s not actually what’s happening.

HLS is simply a method for distributing video content efficiently.

The easiest way to understand it is with a simple analogy.

Imagine trying to eat an entire chocolate bar in one bite. It wouldn’t work, you’d probably choke and make a mess. But if you break the chocolate bar into small pieces, you can easily eat the whole thing.

That’s essentially how HLS works.

Instead of delivering one massive video file, the system sends small pieces of the video, allowing it to load smoothly across different devices, internet speeds, and network conditions.

So the technology itself makes sense.

But the bigger issue is something else entirely.

The Hershey Bar Explanation

When I asked Claude to explain HLS in the simplest way possible, it used an analogy that makes perfect sense.

Imagine trying to eat an entire Hershey bar by stuffing the whole thing into your mouth.

That wouldn’t work very well.

But if you break the chocolate bar into small pieces, you can enjoy the entire thing without choking or making a mess.

That’s essentially how HLS works.

Instead of sending one massive video file to viewers, the system breaks the content into smaller pieces, allowing it to stream smoothly across different devices, internet speeds, and network conditions.

So the technology itself is actually pretty clever.

But here’s where things start getting complicated.

The Major Catches You Need to Know About

Even if you’re excited about this feature and thinking, “Great! I make video podcasts, and I can put them on Apple Podcasts too!”…

you might not actually be able to. At least not yet.

It’s Still in Beta

First, this feature is still in beta.

I don’t keep close track of when different OS versions come out, but as of right now, if you open your Apple Podcast app, you may or may not see videos in there.

The rollout isn’t complete yet.

The Real Catch: Very Few Hosting Platforms Support It

Even if you’re excited about Apple video podcasts, you may not be able to use the feature at all.

At least not yet.

Right now, only a very small number of hosting companies can distribute video podcasts to Apple using this new system.

Those hosting companies include:

Acast
Art19
Omny Studio
Simplecast

If your podcast is hosted somewhere else, you won’t be able to distribute video to Apple Podcasts using this system.

For example, I personally use Buzzsprout for the audio version of my podcast. Buzzsprout has never been particularly enthusiastic about video podcast hosting, so it’s unclear whether they’ll support this feature in the future.

There are also other podcast hosts that allow video hosting, such as Podbean, but they are not currently integrated with Apple’s new video system.

That means the number of creators who can actually use this feature right now is extremely limited.

And that’s not the only obstacle.

Video Podcast Hosting Can Be Expensive

Another issue is cost.

When I first started researching video podcasting a couple of years ago, I quickly noticed that hosting video podcast files could get very expensive.

Many hosting plans offer limited storage space, yet they still charge high monthly fees.

In some cases, you might only get a small amount of storage while paying around $100 per month.

Compare that to YouTube, where creators can upload unlimited video content completely free.

From a business perspective, that’s a huge difference.

If you’re going to pay a significant monthly fee just to host your video files—and those videos will be distributed on a platform that isn’t great for discovery, it raises an important question:

Is it actually worth it?

Apple Podcasts Still Struggles With Discoverability

One of the biggest limitations of Apple Podcasts is its search functionality.

If you’ve ever tried to find a specific podcast episode in the Apple Podcasts app, you’ve probably noticed that it’s not exactly user-friendly.

For example, there aren’t clear ways to filter results by:

Episodes published in the last week
Episodes published in the last month
Recent content within a niche

Compared to platforms like YouTube, discoverability is extremely limited.

YouTube functions as both a content platform and a search engine, which makes it incredibly powerful for creators who want their content to reach new audiences.

Apple Podcasts, on the other hand, has historically focused more on distribution than discovery.

And that difference matters.

The Real Motivation Behind Apple Video Podcasts

At first glance, the announcement might make it seem like Apple is trying to compete with YouTube in the video space.

But when you look more closely at the details, that doesn’t appear to be the main goal.

Instead, the announcement seems heavily focused on advertising infrastructure.

Specifically, Apple wants to expand its ability to support dynamic ad insertion inside podcast content.

By integrating HLS technology into Apple Podcasts, the platform gains more flexibility in how ads are inserted and delivered to listeners and viewers.

In other words, the shift toward video may be less about content discovery and more about expanding advertising opportunities.

What Apple’s Announcement Is Really About

At first glance, the announcement might look like Apple is trying to compete with YouTube for video dominance.

But after digging deeper into the details, that doesn’t seem to be the main goal.

Instead, the announcement appears to focus heavily on advertising infrastructure.

Specifically, Apple wants to expand its ability to support dynamic ad insertion.

The current system doesn’t give Apple much opportunity to benefit from those ads. Integrating HLS into Apple Podcasts allows the platform to manage ads more effectively.

In other words, this update isn’t necessarily about building a discovery platform like YouTube.

It’s largely about advertising opportunities.

It’s About Advertising Revenue

The key point of this announcement is really centered around advertising. Apple wants to benefit from dynamic ad insertion. The way things are set up right now, they don’t really profit from that. This HLS technology being integrated into Apple Podcasts has a lot to do with ads, ad insertions, and Apple wanting to get its slice of that pie. It’s not that Apple is trying to build a discovery engine like YouTube, where people can easily find your content. At least, that’s not what I’m gathering from the actual announcement.

What This Means for Content Creators

So what should you actually do with this information?

For most creators, the answer is simple:

You don’t need to change anything.

Right now, the new Apple video podcast feature is:

Still in beta
Only supported by four hosting platforms
Potentially expensive to implement
Limited in discoverability

Because of that, there’s no urgent reason to adjust your strategy.

Instead, the smartest approach is to continue focusing on platforms that already work.

That means continuing to:

Create video content
Publish consistently
Show up as a real human on camera
Build trust with your audience

Those fundamentals are far more important than chasing every new platform feature.

Why Showing Up on Camera Still Matters

One of the biggest takeaways from this entire conversation is that human content matters more than ever.

We’re entering an era where AI-generated content is everywhere. Some people even refer to it as AI “slop” because so much of it feels generic and impersonal.

That’s exactly why being human on camera has become such a powerful differentiator.

People connect with:

Personality
Authenticity
Real stories
Real experiences

And video allows creators to communicate those things much more effectively than audio alone.

That doesn’t mean audio podcasts are bad. If audio is the format that works best for you, it’s still a great option.

But if you have the ability to incorporate video into your content strategy, it opens the door to more reach, more visibility, and more connection with your audience.

Staying Ahead in an Always-Changing Video Landscape

The reality is that the world of video and podcasting is constantly evolving.

Just in the past few years alone, we’ve seen:

The rise of video podcasts
The explosion of AI-generated content
New features across major platforms
Changes in how creators distribute and monetize content

That’s exactly why I love the work we do inside Video Brand Academy.

Inside the program, we meet regularly for coaching calls where we talk about what’s working right now on YouTube and across the broader video landscape.

Instead of trying to keep up with every platform change on your own, you get guidance on:

What content to create
How to grow your YouTube channel
How to build a binge-worthy video brand
How to generate consistent revenue from your content

Because the truth is, this industry isn’t slowing down.

It’s only going to keep evolving.

Conclusion

Apple’s announcement about Apple video podcasts sounds exciting on the surface, but when you look closely, it’s not quite the game-changer many headlines made it seem.

The feature is still in beta, only supported by a handful of hosting companies, and may require costly video hosting solutions. On top of that, Apple Podcasts still lacks the strong discoverability tools that platforms like YouTube provide.

For most creators, the smartest move right now is to stay focused on what already works.

Continue showing up on camera, creating valuable content, and building trust with your audience. In a digital world filled with automated content and AI-generated media, authenticity stands out more than ever.

Platforms will continue evolving. New features will continue appearing. But the creators who succeed long term are the ones who stay consistent, adapt thoughtfully, and keep showing up as real humans online.

So don’t get distracted by the hype.

Just keep showing up on camera, and you’ll be exactly where you need to be.

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