According to Sounds Profitable, Acast opened video publishing on Apple Podcasts to all creators on its network after a four-month beta. Shows that added video "saw an estimated 25% increase in weekly sessions on Apple Podcasts," demonstrating audience appetite for the format.
Video has become a default format for many media platforms. For podcasting, it remains optional. Acast is accelerating that choice. According to Sounds Profitable, Acast removed the invitation gate and opened Apple Podcasts video publishing to all creators on its platform, ending a "four-month beta period."
The beta results show why the move makes sense. Shows that added video during the test "saw an estimated 25% increase in weekly sessions on Apple Podcasts." That is material growth. It is not inevitable growth; it reflects audience willingness to watch video when the creator chooses to offer it.
Notably, video remains optional. Acast is not pushing video as a requirement. According to the company's SVP of Business Development, "video is an option, not a mandate, and a creator who decides against it is making a legitimate editorial judgment." That framing matters. Creators can experiment without obligation.
For African creators on Acast, this opens a tactical choice: test video format on Apple Podcasts and measure the audience response. The 25 per cent session lift applies globally, not just to established creators. A smaller show testing video can see if their audience follows the format.
This continues a pattern: platforms are expanding format options for creators. Spotify has tested video, YouTube expanded beyond audio, and TikTok pushed full-length content. The narrative is not "video is the future." It is "format flexibility gives creators agency." A creator who wants to stay audio-only can. A creator who wants to experiment with video can. That choice, multiplied across a network, creates more reasons for audiences to stay engaged.