Spotify is using one of podcasting’s biggest cultural moments to press its advantage.
As the Golden Globe Awards recognise podcasting for the first time on Sunday, January 11, Spotify has unveiled a sweeping expansion of its podcast strategy – from new monetisation tools and broader creator access to a major new studio opening in Los Angeles.
Taken together, the moves signal Spotify’s intent to tighten its grip on podcasting just as the medium steps onto Hollywood’s main stage.
A $10 billion marker for podcasting
Spotify estimates its investments across the podcast ecosystem have contributed more than US$10 billion to the industry over the past five years, driven by creator monetisation, audience scale and the infrastructure that underpins podcast businesses both on and off the platform.
That milestone lands as Spotify leans further into video, sponsorship and distribution – areas increasingly seen as the next phase of podcast growth.
Central to the announcement is an expansion of the Spotify Partner Program, launched last January to give creators multiple revenue streams, including audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium video engagement alongside advertising across Spotify Free and other platforms.
One year on, Spotify is lowering the bar for entry. Creators can now apply with:
• 1,000 engaged audience members
• 2,000 hours consumed in the past 30 days
• Three published episodes
The shift is designed to bring smaller and emerging shows into the monetisation pipeline earlier, while reducing friction across platforms.
Since the program’s launch, Spotify says monthly video podcast consumption has nearly doubled, with the average user now streaming twice as many video shows per month as before.
Video sponsorship and distribution upgrades
Spotify is also rolling out new sponsorship tools for video creators, addressing one of the sector’s biggest operational headaches.
From April, creators using Spotify for Creators and Megaphone will be able to update, schedule and measure host-read sponsorships in video episodes more easily.
Alongside this, Spotify will introduce a new Distribution API for video, allowing creators to publish and monetise video podcasts on Spotify directly from participating hosting platforms – without changing workflows or re-uploading content.
Launch partners include Acast, Audioboom, Libsyn, Omny and Podigee.
An Acast spokesperson said: “Acast has always believed in giving podcasters choice, empowering them to be heard and make money wherever their audience is. As the industry evolves, we’re bringing the same flexibility to video.
“Our partnership with Spotify is built on that principle of creator autonomy: providing the tools to scale and earn on every platform without compromising control. This is a major milestone in our mission to support stories, wherever they’re told.”
Spotify’s message to creators in Australia
For Australia and New Zealand, the strategy is being framed as a structural shift.
Prithi Dey, Head of Podcasts AUNZ at Spotify, said the changes are designed to lower barriers for video podcasting across the local market.
“The start of 2026 marks a pivotal shift in how we support the Australian creative community,” Dey said.
“Our evolved distribution strategy is designed to lower the barriers for video, from local independent creators to the major networks representing Australia’s most extraordinary talent.
“With these changes, we are reinforcing our commitment to a space where all creators can distribute, monetise, and deepen engagement with their audiences. We want Spotify to be a cornerstone of every creator’s multi-platform strategy; ultimately, our success is defined by their growth, and we are privileged to be part of that journey.”
Prithi Dey
A new studio, and a bigger Hollywood footprint
Spotify is also opening Spotify Sycamore Studios, a new podcast and video production hub in West Hollywood.
The facility will become the home of The Ringer podcasts, including The Rewatchables, RingerVerse and The Hottest Take, and will be made available – by invitation – to select creators in the Spotify Partner Program.
Bill Simmons, Founder of The Ringer and Head of Talk Strategy at Spotify, said the space is designed to support more ambitious storytelling.
“Ambitious shows need spaces that support big ideas. These studios give teams room to experiment and keep pushing what’s possible,” Simmons said.
“It’s our latest investment in creators, and having this additional home base in LA is vital for the next chapter of our storytelling.”
Podcasting’s next chapter
Spotify is also leaning into cultural relevance, co-hosting Golden Week Nominee Night in West Hollywood and continuing to position podcasting alongside film and television as a recognised creative force.
As podcasting evolves into a hybrid audio-video medium – and earns its place on awards stages once reserved for traditional entertainment – Spotify is betting that scale, monetisation, and infrastructure will be the levers that matter most.
For creators, the message is clear: fewer barriers, more tools, and a platform that wants to be at the centre of how podcasts are made, funded and watched.