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New Study Reveals Major Shift in Podcast Consumption as YouTube Leads Platform Race
veritonic
December 04, 2024
Image: Cumulus media
YouTube has become the leading podcast platform, capturing 34% of US listeners-a share that significantly outpaces Spotify's 17% and Apple's 11%. The shift illustrates how video-first content is upending the dynamic of audio-only podcasts, particularly among younger listeners.
A recent study by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights surveyed 603 podcast listeners every week in October 2024. Presented by Elizabeth Mayer and Paul Riismandel, here are the results from the thirteenth installment of the Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights Podcast Download series. This is a report on the state of podcasting, covering platforms, content, and brand safety.
The Key Points:
YouTube reached an all-time high of 34% as the most-used podcast platform-to-date, way over Spotify's 17% and Apple's 11%
40% of podcast listeners prefer actively to watch podcast videos, while 31% prefer audio-only experiences, demonstrating quite a strong preference for video content.
55% of YouTube podcast listeners consume the same content on other platforms as they do on YouTube.
61% of the younger audiences of 18-34 are especially influenced by YouTube thumbnails, showing preference for this visual element.
Two-thirds of the people who listen to podcasts on a weekly basis state that YouTube, Spotify, and Apple are their to-go destinations when it comes to podcasts.
Why It Matters: The transition to YouTube as the primary podcast platform signifies a fundamental change in how audiences consume podcast content. This transition from purely audio to video-enhanced experiences is reshaping content creation, discovery, and engagement strategies, making podcasts more accessible and appealing to newer, younger audiences while maintaining flexibility for traditional audio listeners.
The Big Picture: This means podcasters and producers have to adapt their content strategy to also include the elements of video while not compromising on the quality of audio. The trend is leading more and more into having visual content, investments in video production equipment, and thumbnail designing. Moreover, the cross-platform consumption trends indicate an important need for existence on multiple platforms in order to capture maximum audience and efficiency.
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