The next big battleground for podcasts is video — and YouTube wants to cement its dominance.

On Tuesday, YouTube announced a slate of new AI products as it seeks to solidify itself as the leader in the category over competitors like Spotify or Apple.

Starting next year, audio-first podcasters will be able to generate video clips for YouTube from their audio transcripts. The tool uses Google’s Veo AI technology to generate short 30-second to 60-second visuals that can either become a YouTube short or a part of a long-form video upload. The feature will initially be available to a limited set of US podcasters.

The target audience? Audio podcasters with little to no video experience.

There is a class of podcast creators who are not gifted in video or who “don’t want to make the conversation awkward by having four or five cameras in a studio,” T. Jay Fowler, YouTube’s senior director of product management focused on podcasts and music, told Business Insider.

AI-generated video could make it easier for those creators to get started on YouTube, Fowler said.

“You can imagine some partners or podcasters thinking, ‘Oh, getting on YouTube is a big hurdle,'” he said. “It is a video-centric platform. And so this will also help ease people into the experience. They can dip their toe.”

YouTube emerged as the top player in podcasting by hosting a slate of talk-show style channels from creators like Rhett & Link, Theo Von, and Joe Rogan. About a third of weekly podcast consumers in the US prefer YouTube, beating out all rivals, according to a January report from Edison Research.

But the company is a less natural fit for podcasts that aren’t talk shows and aren’t easily adapted to video. YouTube thinks these new AI tools can help it make inroads there.

Adding video could help audio-focused podcasters meet consumer demand. The share of US adults who said they preferred video podcasts hit 42% in August 2024, up from 32% in October 2022, per a Morning Consult report from October.

Spotify made a big push into video last year and told investors in July that consumption of video podcasts was growing 20 times faster than audio alone. Even Netflix is looking to get into the game. It’s held exploratory meetings with creators and sought to hire a video podcast executive.

But YouTube has a clear head start in the category as a native video platform with a well-established creator ad revenue sharing model. The company’s TikTok-like short-video feature, shorts, can also serve as a marketing tool for podcast creators. Forty-four percent of new podcast audiences begin listening on YouTube, according to a June report from Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.

On Tuesday, YouTube announced an additional AI-powered tool to help creators clip highlights from their video podcasts for YouTube shorts. Clipping has become an increasingly important marketing tool for podcasters and other long-form creators. The feature will roll out in the coming months, the company said.

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly driving innovation and growth, FATE Foundation is set to spotlight the transformative power of AI in business.

The foundation has announced its 10th business conference to bring together industry experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges of AI-powered business.

According to the foundation, this year’s conference promises to be a groundbreaking event, exploring the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in driving business growth, innovation, and sustainability.

The AI Powered Business conference is a timely platform for FATE Alumni to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions,” said Toyin Bakare, FATE Alumni president. ”

“We are confident that this event will provide valuable insights and opportunities for growth, and we look forward to seeing the impact it will have on our community.”

The conference will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and a pitch competition, providing a platform for industry experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to share insights, best practices, and innovative applications of AI in business.

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, potential partners, and investors, fostering collaborations and business growth.

Themed ‘ AI Powered Business’ is schedule to hold September 26, 2025, at the Balmoral Convention Center in Lagos.
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The conference will also feature a pitch competition, where entrepreneurs will have the chance to showcase their AI-powered business ideas and compete for grants of up to N1 million.

“We are excited to explore the vast potential of AI in business at this year’s conference,” said Dipo Davies, Chairman, 10th FATE Business Conference Technical Committee.

“As AI continues to revolutionize industries, we believe it’s essential for entrepreneurs and business leaders to stay ahead of the curve and harness its power to drive growth, innovation, and sustainability.”

“This conference will provide a unique opportunity for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration.”

The conference has been priced at N50,000 per attendee, to afford small and medium sized companies the opportunity to attend physically.

The confirmed speakers are Kofo Akinkugbe, OON, founder and group CEO, SecureID Group; Adedeji Olowe, founder, Lendsqr and Olatunbosun Alake, commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Lagos State Government among others.

Adenike Adeyemi, executive director of FATE Foundation, said the conference will enable over 1000 entrepreneurs with the knowledge, insights and tools to innovate and accelerate their business growth and open new opportunities for success.

“By bringing together industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators, the conference aims to foster a dynamic ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and economic development,” she said.

Interested participants should visit the foundation’s website to register for the event.