YouTube is the most popular podcast platform in the United States. And the Google-owned company is leaning into that title in 2025.
During 2024, YouTube has seen podcast consumption grow exponentially on both its video and music apps. According to recent data released by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights, 34% of weekly podcast listeners point to YouTube as their primary listening platform. That figure represents an increase from 2023 when 28% of similar respondents identified it as their primary source of listening.
Elsewhere, 17% of respondents said Spotify was their preferred listening platform, with 11% claiming Apple Podcasts was their top platform.
And the company says it is aware of that status and is leaning into it.
“While YouTube has traditionally been known for being a video platform, we’ve been investing heavily in supporting more audio-forward content and making listening journeys much smoother and better,” said Global Head of Podcasting for YouTube Kai Chuk.
Meanwhile, YouTube Product Lead for Podcasts Steve McLendon said that the company needs to utilize its advantages with Google to create easier discovery of podcasts on its platform.
“If I’m searching for my favorite podcast, you should be able to find the YouTube version of that alongside other providers’ solutions. And we are certainly working on those integrations,” McLendon said. “Google has lots of places where this content could live, and we’re talking with many of those teams, and we will look to integrate into all of those services as it makes sense.”
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