Edison: 31% of US weekly podcast listeners aged 13 and up say they use YouTube the most to listen to podcasts, passing Spotify at 27% and Apple Podcasts at 15%
Ben Cohen / Wall Street Journal :
Context & Ripple Effects
Spotify had previously said it had become the most-used US podcast platform, while later coverage documented Apple Podcasts' fading position among podcast consumers. Edison’s new ranking puts YouTube ahead of both rivals among weekly listeners who name a primary service.
The result matters because podcast consumption is expanding beyond the dedicated audio apps that historically defined the category. A prior Edison-based survey found monthly podcast listening had risen, broadening the stakes of where listeners choose to consume shows.
First-order effects
- YouTube becomes the leading named primary podcast destination in Edison’s weekly-listener measure, at 31%, ahead of Spotify’s 27% and Apple Podcasts’ 15%.
- Spotify and Apple face a clearer audience-positioning gap in a metric that directly compares listeners’ preferred podcast service.
Second-order effects
- Podcast publishers and advertisers have greater reason to treat YouTube distribution as a core route to reach podcast audiences, rather than as a secondary outlet alongside audio-first apps.
- Spotify and Apple are pressured to defend listener habits through product, creator, and discovery choices, while creators may prioritize formats that travel across video and audio platforms.
Third-order effects
- If this ordering persists, podcasting’s center of gravity shifts further from standalone podcast apps toward broad video platforms, changing how shows are packaged, discovered, and monetized.
- The market could become more concentrated around platforms that control both audience discovery and distribution, even as large shows continue to command disproportionate reach.
The trend: Podcast listening is moving toward platform-led, video-compatible distribution as general-purpose services compete with dedicated audio apps for audience attention.