Overview
- Apple’s update brings native HLS video to Apple Podcasts, letting users switch between watching and listening, with adaptive quality and offline downloads.
- HLS video is available now in developer betas of iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, and visionOS 26.4, with broader availability on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and the web this spring.
- Creators can deploy dynamically inserted video ads, including host-read spots; Apple will charge participating ad networks an impression-based fee later in 2026 but will not charge creators or hosting providers for distribution.
- Initial HLS video support comes from Acast, ART19, Triton’s Omny Studio, and SiriusXM, including SiriusXM Media, AdsWizz, and Simplecast, with additional providers expected to join.
- Apple frames the shift as a response to surging video podcast consumption, integrating video episodes with existing recommendations and editorial to better compete with YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix.