YouTube Says It Now Has More Than 1 Billion Monthly Viewers of Podcast Content

variety.com:

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Podcasts started as an audio-only phenomenon. But now YouTube — the world’s biggest video platform — might be the biggest platform for podcasts.

According to the Google-owned video giant, YouTube now has more than 1 billion monthly viewers for podcast content worldwide.

In 2024, users watched more than 400 million hours of podcasts monthly on living-room devices, the company said. “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,” YouTube said in an announcement. “Podcasts with video are more than just a trend, they meet audiences where they are: on YouTube.” The growth of podcast consumption on YouTube comes after Google Podcasts was phased out in mid-2024.

In the U.S., about 31% of weekly podcast listeners choose YouTube as their preferred service, over Spotify (27%) and Apple Podcasts (15%), per Edison Podcast Metrics research released last October.