Spotify is expanding its Partner Program for podcasts to 35 new markets this fall — its largest geographic rollout of the creator monetization service — according to TechCrunch, RAIN News and AsiaOne, all reporting the September 17, 2026 announcement.

The expansion brings ad and Premium revenue sharing to podcasters across additional European, Latin American and Caribbean markets, including Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Until now the program operated across the United States, Europe and Australia. The new markets open on October 20, 2026, per Spotify’s support documentation.

Eligible podcasters earn through two streams: a share of Premium video revenue plus 50% of the revenue from ads Spotify sells into their episodes, on and off Spotify. Earlier in 2026 Spotify lowered the entry bar to three published episodes, 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 engaged listeners in the last 30 days — down from 12 episodes, 10,000 hours and 2,000 listeners.

The company says video podcast consumption has risen 140% since the feature launched in 2022, and total monthly payouts to shows are up about a third since January 2026. Creators can distribute shows on other platforms and keep all sponsorship revenue alongside the program.

For creators, the contrast with YouTube is striking: Spotify’s 2,000-hour entry bar is a quarter of YouTube’s current 4,000-hour requirement, measured over a single month rather than a year — and YouTube’s bar doubles for new applicants in February 2027.

The takeaway for creators: if you make long-form video for YouTube, republishing it as a video podcast on Spotify is close to free money. Upload your back catalog, clear the three-episode minimum, and check whether your country opens on October 20.