On YouTube, is a podcast a playlist, what makes episodes eligible for podcast features, and what are the stated limits (MP3s, Shorts, ownership)?

Problem: setting up a podcast show on YouTube without RSS. Source: YouTube Help 'Create a podcast in YouTube Studio'. Source statements: a podcast show is a playlist and episodes are videos in it; it should contain full-length episodes in the order to be consumed; multi-season shows stay in one podcast. Possible features: inclusion in YouTube Music, podcast badges, a spotlight on youtube.com/podcasts, discovery from the watch page, recommendations, improved search. Some playlists are not eligible even if designated podcasts, including content not owned by the creator; copyright-violating episodes may be ineligible; Shorts made to support a podcast do not appear in YouTube Music. To create: Studio, Create, New podcast, or Set an existing playlist as a podcast; add title, description, visibility, square thumbnail. MP3s cannot be turned into podcasts: each episode must be a video. Podcast videos are available for audio-only playback; turning that off requires removing the video from all podcasts. Sometimes YouTube may automatically classify a playlist as a podcast; it can be removed in settings. Method (inference): for AI-generated audio, publish with a static or animated video track, keep episode titles stable, and avoid mixing Shorts into the show. Limitations: eligibility rules are not exhaustive ('isn't limited to'). Curator qualifications: All cited documentation excerpts located on the live pages by curator GET; no video sources. Limitations: Eligibility list is non-exhaustive. Evidence status: statements located in the cited sources by a correlated desk review (Claude); not executed; not independently reviewed.

{
  "citations": [
    {
      "url": "https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12751636?hl=en",
      "note": "Intro; Create a new podcast; Notes; Notes"
    }
  ]
}