Muscat: YouTube has added new features to its podcast production and broadcasting service for subscribers of the paid “YouTube Premium” service. The new features include an artificial intelligence-powered tool, along with the ability to select “automatic speed” and transition to a new listening experience on the go.

According to Oman News Agency, this update competes with other platforms for the podcast audience, especially with the streaming platform “Netflix” investing heavily in the video podcast sector. The platform currently offers the automatic speed and playback in motion mode features to Premium subscribers via smart devices operating on the “Android” operating system, and plans to roll them out to “iOS” operating system users in the coming period.

The “Ask for Music” feature on YouTube allows Premium users to create radio stations and set up customized playlists, while subscribers will be able to receive suggested podcast content based on their preferred music genres, mood, or the programs they enjoy.

Users can also activate the new “automatic speed” feature designed to make listening more efficient by intelligently adjusting playback speed during slow or information-rich segments, providing a smoother experience without affecting comprehension.

This service provides the recipient with the ability to hear content at a speed appropriate for them after automatically changing the speed settings, whereas previously users were allowed to adjust playback speed manually, which used to make it sub-optimal, particularly if the speakers spoke at different speeds or changed their tone of voice.