YouTube treats a podcast as a playlist of full-length video episodes. That structure matters because podcast designation can unlock additional discovery across YouTube and YouTube Music.
What counts as a podcast on YouTube?
A podcast show is a playlist, and each episode is a video inside that playlist. YouTube recommends that the podcast contain full-length episodes organized in the order they should be consumed. If the show has multiple seasons, they should generally stay in the same podcast.
Podcast discovery benefits
Eligible podcasts may receive:
- Inclusion in YouTube Music.
- Podcast badges on Watch and playlist pages.
- Exposure on youtube.com/podcasts.
- Improved discovery from Watch pages.
- Recommendations to listeners with similar interests.
- Podcast-focused search features.
How to create a podcast in YouTube Studio
- Open YouTube Studio.
- Select Create and then New podcast.
- Create a new podcast or convert an existing playlist.
- Add a descriptive title and description.
- Choose visibility.
- Upload a square podcast thumbnail.
- Add existing or new full-length video episodes.
Podcast artwork
YouTube recommends a square podcast thumbnail. The current help documentation recommends 1280 × 1280 pixels. This is separate from the landscape thumbnail used by an individual video episode.
MP3 files are not podcast episodes on YouTube
YouTube podcast episodes must be represented by videos. An MP3 file cannot be directly turned into a YouTube podcast episode. Audio-first creators can still publish a simple video version, but the podcast playlist itself contains video items.
Do Shorts belong inside the podcast playlist?
No. Shorts can be useful for promoting a podcast, but YouTube says supporting Shorts do not appear in YouTube Music as podcast episodes. Keep the main podcast playlist focused on complete episodes.
Title and description strategy
Avoid generic podcast names such as “Podcast” or “Full Episodes.” Use the actual show name and a clear description of the audience and subject. Each episode should also have a specific title that communicates the topic rather than relying only on an episode number.
Our YouTube SEO guide covers title and search fundamentals.
Podcast workflow for creators
- Keep full episodes in one official podcast playlist.
- Use Shorts and clips as discovery content outside that playlist.
- Create consistent episode thumbnails.
- Add chapters to long episodes when useful.
- Use captions for accessibility and search context.
- Review retention to identify sections listeners skip or replay.
Podcast monetization
Podcast videos can use normal YouTube monetization features when the channel and content are eligible. Live podcast recordings can also combine ads, Supers and memberships where available. See our YouTube Live Monetization guide for the live workflow.
Official source
See YouTube’s Create a podcast in YouTube Studio documentation.
Start the conversation
Corrections, useful experiences and focused questions are welcome. Keep discussion respectful and on topic.