Spotify Expands Podcast Partner Program to 35 New Markets

Spotify is widening the geographic reach of its Podcast Partner Program to 35 new markets this fall, giving eligible audio and video creators outside its original footprint access to Premium video engagement payouts, Free-tier and external-platform ad revenue share, and full retention of their own sponsorship dollars. TechCrunch reported the Sept. 17 expansion as the streaming services biggest Partner Program geography push yet, naming Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas among the new regions.

NetInfluencer published the same day with a fuller market list and program history, placing the rollout as the largest expansion since the Partner Program debuted in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia in January 2025. Additional markets cited include Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Uruguay, El Salvador, Paraguay, Honduras, Panama, Bolivia, Nicaragua, San Marino, Andorra, Malta, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Curaao, Barbados, Guyana, Belize, Suriname, and a string of other Caribbean and Central American territories. Together the two reports frame a deliberate pivot from early English-language strongholds into Latin America, Southern Europe, and the Caribbean.

Monetization mechanics matter as much as the map. TechCrunch said eligible podcasters can earn from both video and audio shows Premium users’ video impressions count toward revenue, while Free listeners generate ad revenue share — and that creators may keep distributing elsewhere and keep sponsorship income. NetInfluencer added that Premium subscribers in the new markets will see fewer ads on participating video podcasts because dynamic ads are stripped while baked-in host-read sponsorships remain. That combination is Spotify’s pitch against YouTube and other video-first rivals competing for the same creator bases.

The expansion follows eligibility changes Spotify made earlier in 2026. TechCrunch and NetInfluencer both note the lowered thresholds: a minimum of three published episodes, 2,000 consumption hours, and 1,000 engaged audience members over the prior 30 days down from higher bars that previously required 12 episodes and 10,000 hours in some earlier versions of the program. Spotify told TechCrunch the change lifted consumption on participating shows by an average of about 45%. NetInfluencer also highlighted sponsorship management tools for video episodes and a Distribution API that lets hosts on Acast, Libsyn, and Omny publish and monetize video podcasts on Spotify without ripping up existing workflows.

Platform metrics Spotify is using to justify the spend remain aggressive. Video podcast consumption on Spotify is up 140% since the feature launched (TechCrunch dates that launch to 2022; NetInfluencer ties the same percentage to Partner Program growth messaging), and total monthly payouts to enrolled shows have risen more than a third since January. NetInfluencer relayed Spotifys broader claim that podcast investments have contributed more than $10 billion to the industry over five years through creator monetization, audience engagement, and infrastructure. Those figures are company-sourced, but they explain why geography is the next lever after eligibility reform.

For independent producers and networks, the practical question is timing. “Later this fall” is the shared launch window, not an overnight flip, so creators in Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Italy still need to confirm local eligibility, hosting integrations, and tax/payment setup before counting Partner Program checks. Still, the direction is clear: Spotify wants video-capable podcasts in growth markets to treat the app as a monetization home rather than a free distribution afterthought. Keeping sponsorship revenue while adding platform share is the incentive designed to reduce exclusive-platform anxiety.

Industry competition sits in the background. Threads this week rolled out podcast discovery tools, SiriusXM continues locking multi-year show deals, and YouTube remains the default video podcast destination for many creators. Spotifys answer is not exclusivity TechCrunch emphasized multi-platform distribution stays allowed — but denser payout access where Partner Program previously did not exist. If the fall rollout lands cleanly, Latin American and Southern European video podcasters gain a third major monetization path alongside ads they sell themselves and whatever they already earn on YouTube.

TechCrunchs Sept. 17 brief and NetInfluencers same-day market deep dive align on the headline: Spotifys Partner Program is jumping from a limited country set to a 35-market expansion, with Premium video engagement, Free ad share, and retained sponsorships as the three-legged offer for creators who clear the lowered episode and audience bars.