Beehiiv is launching podcast hosting and monetisation features as newsletter platforms compete for creator loyalty. The company aims to offer a unified service for publishing, audio, email and video, challenging independent podcasters' reliance on multiple platforms. Beehiiv is positioning itself against Substack by emphasising its flat-fee model over Substack's revenue-sharing approach. CEO Tyler Denk has criticised Substack's expansion into social networking and television as attempts to lock in creators, describing some moves as "dark". Substack has dismissed the competitive threat. Co-founder Hamish McKenzie said in February that he views Beehiiv as "fellow travelers" in empowering creators rather than competitors. The platform has largely ignored Beehiiv's criticism whilst expanding its own features. Both companies, alongside Patreon, are racing to build comprehensive creator platforms as the market consolidates.

Substack has launched the Substack Recording Studio, a built-in tool for creators to pre-record and publish videos directly on the platform. Available only on desktop, the studio supports solo videos and conversations with up to two guests, offering custom watermarks, screen sharing and auto-generated clips and thumbnails. The company said creators using audio or video in the past 90 days grew revenue 50% faster than those who haven't. Substack has been expanding beyond newsletters into multimedia, having introduced video uploads in 2022, livestreaming monetisation last year, and a $20 million Creator Accelerator Fund. The platform recently launched TV apps for Apple TV and Google TV, featuring a TikTok-style "For You" recommendation row, capitalising on growing demand for long-form video content on television screens.