Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights have released the latest survey results on podcast listening behaviors in the United States at the beginning of 2024. It was found that YouTube is the most popular platform for podcast listening at 31%, followed by Spotify at 21%, and Apple at 12%.
This is intriguing because the term “podcast” is a blend of two words – iPod and broadcast. The former being a product name for listening to music and audio content by Apple. This has traditionally given Apple a dominant share in the podcast listening platform landscape in the United States. However, the introduction of YouTube with its podcast listening capabilities has been eroding Apple’s market share since 2022.
Other interesting data from the report includes the fact that new podcast listeners tend to prefer video-based shows, while those with over 4 years of podcast listening experience still favor audio-only content. This trend has contributed to YouTube gaining a larger share of the market. Additionally, a majority of Apple and Spotify podcast listeners mainly use smartphones for listening, whereas YouTube listeners often listen (and watch) on computers or TVs.
Source: Westwood One, Image from Pixabay
TLDR: YouTube has emerged as the top platform for podcast listening in the US, surpassing Apple and Spotify, with a shift towards video podcasts and differing device preferences among listeners.
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