Google is reportedly planning on a dedicated podcast section on YouTube

Sections of a leaked document reportedly prepared by Google for podcast publishers have leaked recently and possibly revealed the company’s podcast plans. While Google has a Podcast app already, the company appears to be working on making podcasts a key feature integrated on YouTube.

Several slides from a reported 84-page presentation from YouTube have leaked in a report on Podnews. The publication shared several pages from the proposal’s “Looking Ahead” section.

The pitch includes a mockup of the supposed layout of YouTube’s podcast section. The page could be accessed through the youtube.com/podcasts link, which is currently inactive for now. While the document indicates it is only a mockup, the layout resembles the UI YouTube Music app. A podcast page of a publisher or creator would have a banner where their headline podcast show would be displayed.

There could also be a “Top episodes of the week” panel under the banner. Meanwhile, other publishers and creators would be featured on the lower section of the screen labeled “Top podcasts.” While the actual layout and UI could change upon launch, it appears that Google is planning to use similar arrangements in terms of thumbnail and key information per podcast episodes like how videos and songs appear on the regular YouTube and YouTube Music apps.

Google’s pitch also says there would be, “Ingestion improvements to make uploading easier and more simple.” The same slideshow also shows a mockup of what could be a “search and discovery” page. YouTube’s podcast section could offer easier ways to find new shows to follow based on several categories, such as “Top creators” and genres like “news & politics,” “true crime, and “comedy.”

On another leaked page, the company says there will be Google-sold and partner-sold audio ads designed for audio content hosted on YouTube, including podcasts and music. The document also mentioned that Google will offer new metrics that feature “updated analytics” to guide audio-first creators.

The company has yet to confirm any specific plans about integrating podcasts on YouTube. But this is not the first time that Google has been reported to be making huge steps in the podcast space. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Google has been reaching out to podcast networks and creators with grant proposals of up to $300,000 that they could use in setting up productions for audio-focused content.

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