In a big shift within the podcasting panorama, YouTube has emerged because the main platform for podcast consumption in the USA, surpassing long-time market chief Apple Podcasts and streaming large Spotify, which is now in second place, in accordance with latest research. In the meantime, former chief Apple Podcast loses market share, falling to 3rd place. And that marks a turning level in how Individuals entry and devour podcast content material.
Apple Podcasts loses market share as YouTube and Spotify overtake it
YouTube now dominates the podcast market with 31% of weekly podcast listeners citing it as their major platform, in accordance with the most recent Podcast Obtain report performed by Cumulus Media and Sign Hill Insights. Spotify follows in second place at 21%, whereas Apple Podcasts, which coined the time period “podcast” and led the way in which for years, has slipped to 3rd with solely 12% of market share.
This shift represents a dramatic change from just some years in the past. In 2021, YouTube ranked third in podcast consumption. By 2022, it had caught as much as Spotify, and now, throughout a number of research in 2023 and 2024, YouTube has solidified its place on the high.
And this comes regardless of Apple’s efforts up to now couple of years to enhance the podcasting expertise for creators and shoppers alike. In 2022 it opened up entry to new listener metrics for creators and added new options for each creators and listeners. The subsequent yr it added Apple Podcast Join with new analytics for creators and introduced podcasts to Tesla EVs. And in 2024 it launched auto-generated transcripts and launched Apple Podcasts on the internet so people don’t should obtain the app.
How YouTube rose quick with a youthful viewers
Picture: Cumulus Media/Sign Hill Insights
A number of elements contributed to YouTube’s rise as a podcast vacation spot. Because the world’s main video platform and “entertainment search engine,” YouTube presents benefits for podcast discovery and consumption. Customers respect the flexibility to observe video variations of podcasts, have interaction with feedback and neighborhood options and profit from YouTube’s advice algorithms. Many YouTube customers desire desktop and pill use, whereas Apple Podcast use iPhone greater than different platforms.
Curiously, the examine discovered that YouTube’s podcast viewers skews male and youthful in comparison with Apple Podcasts’ consumer base. The platform is especially standard amongst new podcast listeners and heavy shoppers alike.
Nonetheless, the shift in the direction of YouTube doesn’t essentially imply an entire abandonment of audio-only experiences. The report signifies that watching and listening to podcasts are equally favored total, with preferences various by style and listener expertise stage.
Spotify prices forward as properly
Spotify’s robust second-place place highlights its continued significance within the podcast ecosystem, even because it faces stiff competitors from YouTube. The Swedish streaming large has invested closely in podcast content material and options in recent times, serving to it keep a big market share.
Apple Podcasts, as soon as the undisputed chief within the house, now faces the problem of adapting to altering shopper preferences. As Apple Podcasts loses market share and slips from market dominance to 3rd place represents a serious shakeup within the business it helped create.
Because the podcasting panorama continues to evolve, content material creators and advertisers might want to adapt their methods to achieve audiences throughout these numerous platforms. With video turning into an more and more vital element of podcast consumption, the business could also be on the cusp of a brand new period in content material creation and distribution.
This shift additionally raises questions concerning the future definition of podcasting itself, as the road between audio and video content material turns into more and more blurred. As platforms and shopper behaviors proceed to alter, the podcast business might see additional improvements and disruptions.
Watch a video displaying the research’ key findings:
