YouTube, despite not being a dedicated podcast platform, has emerged as the top destination for podcast listeners, with 1 billion monthly users—surpassing both Spotify and Apple Podcasts by a wide margin.
To put this into perspective, Spotify had 100 million regular podcast listeners in 2023 and reported that 500 million users had listened to a podcast on its platform since 2019. Apple’s podcast numbers tend to rank even lower in third-party estimates. With such a massive audience turning to YouTube for podcasts, the platform has become the dominant space for online talk shows.
Unlike traditional podcast apps, YouTube requires creators to produce video content to reach their audience effectively. Unlike Spotify or Apple Podcasts, users can’t simply lock their phone screens and keep listening unless they have YouTube Premium. Most people also don’t want to stare at a static image for an hour, which means podcasters need to create engaging visuals to hold their audience’s attention.
Producing high-quality video content comes at a cost. Content creator Carla Lalli Music recently revealed that a single YouTube video cost her $3,500 to produce. While her content is more complex than a standard podcast, the price highlights how demanding YouTube’s ecosystem has become. The platform also reported that more than 400 million hours of podcasts were watched on TVs alone last year, showing how important video has become for content creators.
YouTube also differs from traditional podcast platforms because it doesn’t support RSS feeds. Every podcast must be uploaded as a native YouTube video, which means creators have to follow YouTube’s advertising and monetization rules. This limits how podcasters can place ads and measure their audience, making it more challenging to attract sponsors.
Despite these challenges, many podcasters see YouTube’s massive reach as worth the tradeoff. While it may not function like a traditional podcast platform, its dominance in the space is now impossible to ignore.
