SAN FRANCISCO: Between social networks and music streaming services, users have a host of options for listening to their favourite podcasts online. And yet, according to one study, it’s YouTube that stands out, ahead of podcast giants Spotify and Apple in the US.
Americans are big fans of YouTube — and that includes for listening to podcasts. According to a study conducted by the agency Luminate on podcast consumers aged 13 and over in the United States, 78 per cent of them have used the streaming platform for listening to podcasts. A significant proportion that places YouTube ahead of Spotify and Apple Podcasts, explains The Verge, which relayed the study.
This success is notably linked to the growing number of podcasts filmed and broadcast on the platform. If 83 per cent of the respondents indicated that they listen to them, some 59 per cent watch them and 42 per cent do both.
If the video aspect is becoming increasingly important for podcast consumption, Spotify and Apple have also understood this issue and now offer video content for podcasts on their platform.
In addition to video, nearly two-thirds of users emphasized the importance of subscription price in choosing their platform, and 56% emphasized ease of use.
This is not the first time YouTube has been named the platform the most used for listening to podcasts. Back in May 2022, the Cumulus Media and Signal Hill report indicated that the video streaming service had become the number-one platform to access podcasts, ahead of Spotify and Apple Podcasts (16%).
Given this success, it’s no surprise that YouTube has now launched its own page dedicated to podcasts, only accessible in the United States for the moment.
