YouTube product head Steve McLendon has revealed the platform will be rolling out support for RSS uploads for podcasters by the end of the year, among other upgrades.
The new functionality has been under beta testing since the beginning of the year.
Prior to this announcement, the company only offered its music streaming service in the United States on iOS, Android, and the web; it had not yet reached other countries.
Additionally, the company disclosed that it would allow users’ ability to add RSS feeds, including private feeds, to their libraries within YouTube Music.
As a result, YouTube Music would be more competitive with other standalone podcasting services like Overcast and Apple Podcasts. In terms of allowing private RSS feeds, it puts YouTube Music ahead of Spotify.
For some time, YouTube has been working on expanding its role as a podcasting hub. Additionally, it was discovered that YouTube intended to include audio advertisements in podcasts distributed by Google and other partners.
