As YouTube continues its reign as the top podcast platform in the US, the company has announced it crossed the 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers mark in January. However, industry experts caution that these figures require additional context.
In addition to mobile and desktop streaming, YouTube revealed that over 400 million hours of podcasts were watched monthly on living room devices in 2024, signaling a growing trend of audiences consuming long-form content on TV. The company credits its success to accessibility and discovery tools, including its search and recommendation algorithms, as well as its Partner Program, which enables podcasters to monetize their content.
While the milestone is significant, former Wondery CEO Hernan Lopez pointed out extra considerations on LinkedIn. The 1 billion-viewer figure reflects YouTube’s global audience, with over 90% of its mobile users located outside the US. This gives YouTube a competitive edge against Apple Podcasts in international markets, where Android dominates.
YouTube currently has 2.7 billion monthly active users, meaning that 37% of them engage with podcast content. For comparison, Spotify last reported 675 million MAUs and is working aggressively to expand into video. While reach is important, Lopez notes that audio-first podcasts likely see higher engagement per user and revenue per thousand viewing hours.
Another factor to consider is how YouTube measures engagement – any time spent listening counts as a full podcast view.
Research from Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights in 2024 highlighted YouTube’s prominence, revealing that 31% of weekly podcast consumers in the US prefer YouTube for their listening, surpassing both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
