YouTube is reportedly paying podcasters to film their shows

According to a Bloomberg report, YouTube is reportedly paying podcasters to make video versions of their shows. People close to the situation told Bloomberg that YouTube is offering individual shows for between $50,000 and $300,000 to the podcast network, potentially to fund filmed episodes and other video-based content.

Despite being a platform for video, Google-owned YouTube also hosts a number of popular podcasts, including the H3 podcast, the Full Send podcast, and the Logan Paul-led Impulsive. It also helped fuel the development of the controversial Joe Rogan Experience, which Spotify bought the exclusive rights to in 2020.

YouTube is taking small steps towards pleasing listeners on the platform. In October, it began allowing all Canadian users to listen to audio without opening the app -- a feature previously only available to YouTube Premium subscribers. Around the same time, YouTube also hired Kai Chuk to lead the company's podcasting efforts. Although Spotify already supports video podcasts, tying popular shows together to create videos that might be exclusive to the platform can help create an audience that wants more than just audio.

The Verge reached out to Google with a request for comment, but did not immediately hear back.