YouTube has announced that it now boasts over 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers, a milestone that underscores the platform’s growing influence in the podcasting space and intensifies competition with Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The achievement highlights a broader consumer shift toward video-first formats, with last year’s data revealing that more than 400 million hours of podcast content were watched on living room TVs. YouTube’s expansive reach has attracted both creators and advertisers, contributing to billions in ad revenue shared with content producers.
In response, Spotify, one of YouTube’s key rivals in the podcast industry, has been ramping up its investment in video content. Since November 2024, Spotify has begun paying popular video hosts as part of its efforts to enhance its own video-first podcast offerings, in a bid to narrow the gap with YouTube.
Additionally, YouTube is set to implement changes to its mid-roll ad placements beginning May 12. The platform plans to strategically position ads at natural pauses and transitions in videos, rather than interrupting the flow of conversations or action sequences. This adjustment is expected to improve the viewing experience for users while potentially increasing revenue opportunities for creators.
As the podcast market continues to evolve, YouTube’s latest milestone reinforces its leadership role in digital media, offering a robust alternative to traditional audio-only podcast platforms and reshaping how audiences consume and interact with podcast content.
South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday to attend the second hearing in his ongoing criminal trial, where he faces serious charges of insurrection.
A missile attack in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has resulted in casualties, adding to growing concerns over the intensifying conflict.
A U.S. airstrike on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port has killed at least 74 people and injured 171 others, marking the deadliest known attack in President Trump’s renewed campaign against Houthi rebels and raising alarm over the widening scope of the conflict.
Google plans to appeal parts of a recent U.S. court ruling that found it had unlawfully maintained monopoly power in parts of the online ad market, specifically in publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, while the court dismissed other antitrust claims.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has signaled that a nuclear agreement with the United States remains within reach, provided Washington adopts a realistic and constructive approach ahead of the second round of negotiations with the Trump administration.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 16th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iran and Armenia conducted joint military exercises on April 9–10 along their shared border, focusing on counterterrorism reinforcing regional stability. The exercises involved high-level military personnel and were aimed at neutralising simulated terrorist threats targeting border checkpoints.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov extended Moscow’s support for the ongoing indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, offering to mediate or assist in any way that would be beneficial to Tehran and acceptable to Washington.
Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato strongly denied accusations that Japan manipulates its currency to weaken the yen, ahead of a highly anticipated meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week. Kato addressed the issue in the Japanese parliament on Friday, reaffirming that Jap
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni met with Donald Trump and JD Vance in Washington, using charm, shared views, and her native Italian to strengthen ties. She later hosted Vance in Rome, praised U.S.-Italy relations, and invited Trump to visit Europe.
Russia’s defense ministry has accused Ukraine of carrying out four separate attacks on its energy facilities within a 24-hour period, alleging violations of a U.S.-brokered moratorium aimed at preventing strikes on each other’s critical energy infrastructure.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hold a May 15th hearing on Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, an executive move blocked by lower courts and now facing constitutional scrutiny under the 14th Amendment.
South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office, appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday to attend the second hearing in his ongoing criminal trial, where he faces serious charges of insurrection.
A missile attack in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has resulted in casualties, adding to growing concerns over the intensifying conflict.
A U.S. airstrike on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port has killed at least 74 people and injured 171 others, marking the deadliest known attack in President Trump’s renewed campaign against Houthi rebels and raising alarm over the widening scope of the conflict.
Google plans to appeal parts of a recent U.S. court ruling that found it had unlawfully maintained monopoly power in parts of the online ad market, specifically in publisher ad servers and ad exchanges, while the court dismissed other antitrust claims.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has signaled that a nuclear agreement with the United States remains within reach, provided Washington adopts a realistic and constructive approach ahead of the second round of negotiations with the Trump administration.
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