YouTube is making its app better for podcast playback, but only for Premium users

YouTube has gradually morphed into some kind of quasi-podcast player for millions of users, but traditional podcasts are still designed with audio-first listening in mind. To that end, YouTube is rolling out a handful of changes that promise to improve podcast playback, but they’re only coming to paying Premium subscribers.

On-the-go mode is the most promising of Google’s trio of new YouTube features, and it’s already starting to roll out. This tool allows you to quicky toggle on an audio-listening mode for your podcasts when listening on mobile, delivering easier controls and a static image without forcing you to lose your spot. The company says it’s already available on Android, though unfortunately, all I’m stuck with at the moment is that awful new Subscriptions tab placement. It’s coming to iOS “in the months ahead.”

YouTube is also gaining a new “auto speed” feature, which “intelligently adjusts playback speed” during slower speech and “information-dense” segments, though I’m a little unclear as to how this will work — or, for that matter, if it’ll actually impact the overall feel of the podcast. Most real podcast applications have toggles for cutting out longer pauses in addition to the typical speed controls, though this feels like its own separate beast. The “information-dense” phrasing is equally strange, since presumably, you would want that portion slowed down, not up. Google says it’s already available on Android and coming to iOS “soon,” but like with on-the-go mode, your mileage may vary.

Update: Google confirmed to us that auto speed does both increase and decrease your playback speed dynamically, so those information-dense portions should play at a slightly slower speed than they otherwise would.

Finally, YouTube is bringing Ask Music to podcast episodes. If you’re in a region that supports Ask Music within YouTube Music, you can now choose to ask for podcast recommendations instead. Filters include genres, moods, and shows similar to what you already listen to. Sure, literally any chatbot — Gemini included — can do this for you right now, but if you’re a paying subscriber, now you have one more route to learn about Serial.