Spotify is making it much easier for creators to start earning money from video podcasts on its platform, a move that signals how seriously the company is taking its push into video. The latest update dramatically lowers the thresholds podcasters need to meet to join Spotify’s video monetization partner program, opening the door for smaller and newer shows to qualify sooner.
Under the updated eligibility rules, creators now need just three published episodes, at least 2,000 consumption hours, and 1,000 engaged audience members within the last 30 days. That’s a major shift from last year’s requirements, when podcasters had to publish 12 episodes, generate 10,000 consumption hours in 30 days, and reach at least 2,000 people streaming their content over the same period.
For creators who qualify, Spotify’s partner program offers two main revenue paths. Podcasters get paid based on how many premium subscribers watch their video podcasts on Spotify, and they can also earn a share of advertising revenue generated from listeners and viewers using the free tier. In other words, Spotify is rewarding video performance directly while still providing an ad-based upside.
To help creators capture more sponsorship dollars, Spotify is also rolling out new sponsorship tools designed specifically for host-read ads inside video content. These tools will let creators update and manage sponsorship placements, schedule when sponsorship reads appear, and measure performance more effectively. Spotify plans to bring these features to the Spotify for Creators app as well as Megaphone, its podcast hosting and monetization platform, in April.
Spotify is also expanding how video podcasts get published to the service by launching a new API that aims to streamline publishing and monetization for creators who already use other podcast platforms. At launch, several podcast hosting and distribution providers are adopting the API, including Acast, Audioboom, Libsyn, Omny, and Podigee. The idea is to reduce friction for creators by letting them keep their existing workflows while more easily distributing video podcasts to Spotify.
These updates come as Spotify looks for new ways to attract users and strengthen its subscription-driven business. The company says video podcast consumption on the app has nearly doubled since the partner program launched, and that the average Spotify podcast listener now watches about twice as many video shows per month as before the program began. While increased visibility for video content in the app could be contributing to that growth, Spotify is clearly betting that video can boost engagement and retention.
On the production side, Spotify is also investing in creator infrastructure. The company is opening a new recording studio in West Hollywood that will serve as a base for The Ringer podcast network, while also being made available to select creators who are part of the partner program. Spotify already operates studios in multiple major hubs, including Los Angeles, New York, Stockholm, and London, and the new West Hollywood location adds another strategic foothold for podcast and video production.
For podcasters looking to monetize video, the message is clear: Spotify is lowering the barrier to entry, improving sponsorship tooling, and making it easier to publish video at scale. That combination could make the platform far more appealing to creators who want to grow their audience and start earning earlier in their podcasting journey.
