{"slug": "youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto", "title": "YouTube adds new podcast features, including an AI recommendation tool and ‘Auto speed’", "summary": "YouTube announced Thursday it is adding new podcast features for Premium users, including an AI-powered recommendation tool, an \"Auto speed\" setting that adjusts playback based on speech patterns, and an on-the-go listening mode with quick controls for multitasking. The update aims to strengthen YouTube's position against competitors like Netflix and Spotify by enhancing personalized discovery and hands-free listening for its over 1 billion monthly active podcast users.", "body_md": "YouTube [announced](https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/new-youtube-premium-features-podcast-fans/) on Thursday it’s introducing new podcast features for Premium users, including an AI-powered recommendation tool, an “Auto speed” setting, and a new on-the-go listening mode.\n\nThe update signals YouTube’s ongoing efforts to compete with other platforms for podcast audiences, especially as streaming giant [Netflix](https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/19/netflix-is-betting-on-podcasts-to-become-the-new-daytime-talk-show/) is investing heavily in video podcasts. Additionally, by focusing on personalized discovery and hands-free listening features, the company also appears to be targeting users who consume podcasts on audio-first apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.\n\nThe Google-owned platform’s “Ask Music” feature already lets Premium users generate personalized radio stations and playlists, and now users will be able to get podcast recommendations based on genres, their current mood, or shows they already enjoy.\n\nUsers will also get access to a new “Auto speed” feature designed to make listening more efficient by intelligently adjusting playback speed during slower speech or information-dense segments, creating a more streamlined experience without sacrificing comprehension.\n\nWhile you can already adjust your playback speed, it can be inconsistent if the hosts are speaking at different speeds or changing their tone. With this new feature, listeners will be able to listen to content at a speed that addresses these changes throughout the conversation.\n\nThe new on-the-go mode gives Premium users access to listener-friendly controls designed for activities like running, commuting, or multitasking. Users will get access to quick controls like skipping forward or backward, or jumping to the next episode. YouTube says the feature is designed to make it easier to get the most out of background playback.\n\nAuto speed and on-the-go mode are now available for Premium users on Android and are coming to iOS in the coming months.\n\nYouTube says Premium users watched over 800 million hours of podcasts in April 2026, and that YouTube Podcasts has over 1 billion monthly active users. With these new features, the company is looking to both retain and grow these numbers.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto", "canonical_source": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/28/youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto-speed/", "published_at": "2026-05-28 14:28:47+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-05-28 14:43:56.096844+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "ai-tools", "generative-ai"], "entities": ["YouTube", "Netflix", "Spotify", "Apple Podcasts", "Google"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/youtube-adds-new-podcast-features-including-an-ai-recommendation-tool-and-auto.jsonld"}}