Khaberni - The giant streaming network Netflix has announced a partnership with the audio platform Spotify, enabling the network to launch its first step in the world of video podcasts.
Under the agreement, Netflix will begin broadcasting video versions of 16 podcast programs in the fields of sports, culture, entertainment, and crime that Spotify has produced, early next year.
The partnership prevents the broadcasting of these programs on the YouTube platform, Netflix’s biggest competitor, aiming to attract the growing audience of visual podcasts.
A New Chapter in the History of Podcasts
Lauren Smith, Vice President of Netflix, said in a statement: "With the growing popularity of visual podcasts, our partnership with Spotify ensures the full visual versions of these popular programs are offered", adding that "this opens up completely new distribution opportunities for creators."
For his part, Roman Wazenmuller, Vice President of Spotify, said that the deal "represents a new chapter in the history of podcasts".
The podcast industry has seen radical changes in recent years due to the popularity of visual podcasts and the emergence of short clips, such as those published on TikTok.
Typically, podcasts generate revenue from ad sales, and use views and episode downloads to set prices. However, because visual podcasts today are consumed in more than one way and are often segmented and distributed via social media platforms, their true popularity does not always accurately show in download numbers.
Netflix has been exploring the possibility of adding podcasts to its video streaming service for a while, drawing the attention of podcast executives at other companies.
There is substantial demand for visual podcasts, according to a recent study by "Cumulus Media" in the US, as 72% of podcast listeners expressed a preference for programs that include video.
In the view of observers, this partnership represents a shift in the digital content distribution scene, as it unites two of the largest companies in the audio and video fields and opens a new market for the convergence of visual and auditory media.
