YouTube takes baby steps to being a real podcast app

New features coming to YouTube could make it better for listening to podcasts, rolling out to Premium subscribers starting today on Android and coming later to iOS.

A new “on-the-go mode” shifts YouTube into an audio-first layout, with larger, simplified playback buttons, a still image in place of the video, and a timeline showing video chapters. YouTube says you can turn on this new mode in a video’s settings — a pop up will also appear if YouTube detects you’re moving around while watching a video.

If you like to speed up your podcasts to get through episodes faster, YouTube’s new auto speed feature can help you automate that process. It automatically adjusts playback speed based on a video’s content and the minimum speed you set. During slower or less important moments of a video or podcast, it will quicken playback and return to your baseline speed afterward.

YouTube is also expanding its Ask Music AI search feature to include podcasts. In the YouTube Music app, you can use chatbot prompts to ask for podcast recommendations based on genre, activity, or creator. Spotify similarly began offering podcast suggestions through chatbot prompts earlier this year.