YouTube surpasses 1 billion monthly podcast viewers

Reuters

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.

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