YouTube is now 'the most frequently used' podcast client in the US

YouTube Music Podcast filter
(Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • YouTube surpassed one billion monthly active podcast viewers, a key threshold for the platform.
  • Google is going all-in on YouTube and YouTube Music for podcasts after shutting down Google Podcasts last year.
  • According to an independent report, YouTube is also now the most frequently used podcast client in the U.S.

Nearly a year after Google made the surprising decision to shutter Google Podcasts, it appears that YouTube has successfully emerged as its replacement. The company recently shared its "big bets" for YouTube in 2025, and one of them seems to be paying off early. In a blog post today, Feb. 26, YouTube shared that it eclipsed one billion monthly podcast viewers — an important achievement for the platform.

"This milestone underscores how YouTube has come to play an essential role in podcasting for creators and audiences, and how our investments to improve the podcast experience on YouTube are paying off," writes Tim Katz, the VP of partnerships and podcasts at YouTube. "Podcasts with video are more than just a trend, they meet audiences where they are: on YouTube."

The monthly active viewer threshold is just part of the reason YouTube is taking a victory lap for its podcast delivery efforts. The platform claims that it is "the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the U.S. and often the first place people go when looking for a new podcast," citing an Edison Research report from October 2024. The report found that YouTube is more popular among podcast listeners than both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In terms of market share, Edison reports that YouTube Music is the most popular podcast delivery service among weekly podcast listeners ages 13 and up. It has 31% of the market, compared to 27% for Spotify and 15% for Apple Podcasts. Edison's metrics measure "listening, not downloads, across all networks, shows, and platforms," per the report.

Last year, YouTube says viewers consumed over 400 million hours of podcasts on its platforms — both audio and video podcasts. The move comes as Google embraces YouTube and YouTube Music for podcast delivery. It's continuing to grow YouTube's podcast functionality. At the end of last year, the company added shareable links that let listeners start shared podcasts at a specific timestamp.

Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist for Android Central, with a focus on news, phones, tablets, audio, wearables, and software. He has spent the last three years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. His work has been published in XDA, Android Police, Tech Advisor, iMore, Screen Rant, and Android Headlines. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching Big East basketball.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
YouTube Music logo
YouTube Music tests a Spotify-like 'monthly audience' stat for artists across formats
YouTube Music
YouTube Music might soon rearrange the popular audio/video switcher button
Spotify Shuffle options
Spotify subscribers exceed 260 million as platform subscribers grew 11% in 2024
YouTube Music home screen
YouTube Music is giving artist pages a slick new makeover
Google Discover feed
Google wants you to listen to your Discover feed with 'Daily Listen' experiment
Andrew's Spotify Wrapped 2024 on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold
I finally switched from YouTube Music to Spotify, but I wanna go back
Latest in Apps & Software
The promotional image for Google Workspace feature drops.
The March Workspace feature drop upgrades Gemini's note-taking and translation tools
Google discusses trends and AI updates to help people travel this summer.
Google prepares you for a hot summer with new AI updates for traveling
YouTube Music home screen
YouTube Music's personalized radio stations are getting even smarter
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Home Screen - 16x9
Heads up — Samsung's detailed One UI 7 rollout schedule for Galaxy appears
The old Android logo at Google's Pier 57 building in New York City
Report claims Google may move to 'privately' develop Android's future
Comparing the display size on the Samsung Galaxy S25 with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
What you need to know about One UI 7: Software is hard
Latest in News
The promotional image for Google Workspace feature drops.
The March Workspace feature drop upgrades Gemini's note-taking and translation tools
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display
New leak shows off Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge in 'Titanium' variants
Google discusses trends and AI updates to help people travel this summer.
Google prepares you for a hot summer with new AI updates for traveling
YouTube Music home screen
YouTube Music's personalized radio stations are getting even smarter
The back of the Obsidian Google Pixel 9 Pro
Some Pixel owners had a delayed start, thanks to alarm clock failures
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Home Screen - 16x9
Heads up — Samsung's detailed One UI 7 rollout schedule for Galaxy appears