TikTok Begins Letting Creators Link Videos to Podcast Episodes

TikTok / PodNews

TikTok has started sending in-app messages to podcast creators with instructions on how to upload their podcasts to TikTok via an RSS feed. According to a screenshot from Marcus dePaula, creators can upload their podcasts by clicking an upload icon and selecting the "link podcast" tab. They can then enter the link to their RSS feed, select an episode, and choose videos to link to the podcast. This allows viewers to listen to the podcast episode from the linked videos.

This move expands on TikTok's previous test of a native podcast feature that allows users to listen to the audio of a video on the new "Podcast" page while the app is in the background. By allowing creators to link videos to podcast episodes, they can capitalize on the potential reach that podcast clips can achieve on TikTok and easily direct viewers to listen to the full-length episodes. This creates an opportunity for creators to grow their podcast subscriber base.

TikTok could potentially take things further and build a stronger podcast experience, which would help it compete with YouTube, which has been investing heavily in podcasting. For example, it could create a dedicated feed like the one it launched for STEM, which would allow viewers to scroll through all podcast content. It could also establish a hub for podcasts, similar to the one for New Music, as a dedicated place for podcast creators and their content, including features such as trending podcasts, to aid discovery.