Youtube announced today that it’s adding new features for YouTube Premium subscribers, with a focus on podcast fans. The updates include an auto-speed option to adjust playback speed and on-the-go mode.
On-the-go mode is designed for users who want to listen to podcasts while outside of the house, while working out, commuting, or just multitasking. With on-the-go, you can play videos in the background and easily control the video, like skipping forward or backward. The feature is now available for Premium users on Android and will be coming to iOS in the coming months.
With auto-speed, listening becomes more efficient. The feature intelligently adjusts playback speed during big moments, like slower speech or information-dense segments, to create a more streamlined listening experience. This feature is also available now on Android and coming soon to iOS.
Finally, YouTube is bringing AskMusic to podcasts. YouTube Music Premium and Premium subscribers can use AskMusic for podcast recommendations based on the content you already love.
YouTube says that its users watched over 800 million hours of podcasts in April 2026, and these features should elevate that experience to continue making YouTube a platform that podcast fans love to use.