Spotify is making it much easier for podcasters to earn money from their videos on the platform. The company has significantly lowered the eligibility requirements for its video monetization program. Now, creators only need to have published three episodes, achieved 2,000 consumption hours, and have 1,000 engaged audience members over the last 30 days.
This is a major reduction from the original criteria. When the program launched last year, podcasters needed 12 published episodes, 10,000 consumption hours, and at least 2,000 people streaming their content in the previous 30 days.
The program compensates creators based on the number of premium users who watch their videos, plus a share of the ad revenue generated from viewers on Spotify’s free tier.
Alongside this change, Spotify is introducing new sponsorship tools. These will allow creators to update, schedule, and measure the performance of host-read sponsorship spots within their video ads. These tools will be available in the Spotify for Creators app and on Megaphone, the company’s podcast hosting suite, starting in April.
In a clear move to compete more directly with YouTube, Spotify is also launching a new API. This will let creators use their existing hosting platforms to publish and monetize video podcasts directly on Spotify. At launch, tools like Acast, Audioboom, Libsyn, Omny, and Podigee have already adopted this new API.
These strategic shifts come as Spotify seeks new avenues for user growth and to build upon its subscription revenue. The company reports that since the partner program’s launch, consumption of video podcasts on the app has nearly doubled. The average podcast user on Spotify now streams twice as many video shows per month compared to before the program began, though this increase could also be a result of the platform surfacing more video content.
Finally, Spotify is opening a new studio for recording podcasts and videos in West Hollywood. This studio will serve as a base for the Ringer podcast network and will also be made available to select creators from the partner program. Spotify already operates similar studios in the LA arts district, New York, Stockholm, and London.