YouTube continues to lead as the most used platform for podcast consumption, according to the latest Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights’ “Podcast Download – Spring 2025 Report.” The video platform now captures 39% of weekly podcast consumers as their most used destination, followed by Spotify at 21% and Apple Podcasts at 8%.
The 14th installment of this biannual study, based on surveys of 603 weekly podcast consumers conducted in April 2025, reveals significant shifts in consumer preferences and platform usage patterns. The research finds that while YouTube maintains its three-year lead as the primary podcast platform, no single service captures a majority of users.
“YouTube is the leading podcast platform for the third year, but no single platform dominates,” the report states. “Continued interest in video podcasts keeps YouTube ahead of Spotify as the most used platform. However, a diverse ecosystem of podcast platforms means no single one captures a majority as the most used.”
Podcast Audience Growth and Demographics
Weekly podcast listening now reaches 34% of Americans, with 19% classified as “heavy consumers” who listen to six or more hours of podcasts weekly. The study finds that the average weekly podcast consumer listens to 6.9 hours of content across 4.3 episodes and 3.1 different shows.
Podcast “Newcomers,” defined as those who began listening within the past year, represent 24% of weekly podcast consumers. These newer listeners are more likely to be women (54% versus 46% men) and show greater diversity, with 12% identifying as Hispanic compared to 8% among podcast “Pioneers” (those listening for 4+ years).
Despite their recent entry into podcasting, Newcomers consume nearly as many episodes per week (4.3) as Pioneers (4.4), supporting the report’s conclusion that “once you’re in, you’re in” when it comes to podcast engagement.
“Weekly podcast consumers find podcast hosts more influential than social media influencers and celebrities,” the report notes, with 59% of respondents indicating podcast hosts matter most to them, compared to just 19% for social media influencers.
Video Podcasts Gain Traction
The report reveals a significant shift toward video-enabled podcasts. In April 2025, 42% of weekly podcast consumers prefer to actively watch videos while listening to podcasts, up from 30% in April 2022. An additional 30% prefer playing video in the background or minimizing it on their device while listening.
This preference for watchable content is particularly strong among Podcast Newcomers and younger demographics. Smart TVs have become a significant device for podcast consumption, with 32% of weekly podcast consumers using them, ranking third behind smartphones.
“Watchable podcasts have grown in popularity,” the report states. “Driven by Podcast Newcomers, more consumers prefer podcasts with video they can actively watch or minimize to listen in the background vs. podcasts that are just audio.”
Despite this shift, audio remains the dominant consumption method. Even among YouTube podcast consumers, 55% of the time is spent listening to the audio without watching the video component.
Platform Dynamics and Content Loyalty
The research indicates that while YouTube leads in platform usage, podcast consumers demonstrate stronger loyalty to content than to platforms. Among weekly podcast consumers who have listened to or watched podcasts on YouTube, 72% say they would switch platforms if their favorite podcast became available only elsewhere. Additionally, 51% report they already listen to the same podcasts they consume on YouTube on other platforms.
“YouTube is not a walled garden of podcasts,” the report emphasizes. This content-first mentality suggests that podcast creators maintain significant leverage in the platform ecosystem.
The three leading platforms serve distinct audience segments:
Apple Podcasts skews heavily female (71%) and is popular among Podcast Pioneers
Discovery and Engagement Patterns
YouTube has emerged as the primary discovery engine for podcasts, with 44% of weekly podcast consumers who listened to a new podcast in the past six months starting on YouTube. Thumbnails play a significant role in this discovery process, with 42% of YouTube podcast consumers reporting that they have consumed a podcast because of its thumbnail. This is primarily driven by the text or title (60%) and the person depicted (50%).
The report finds that 68% of weekly podcast consumers revisit older episodes when they begin following a new podcast, with women (76%) and Podcast Pioneers (71%) most likely to engage with their back catalogs. Similarly, 75% report going back to listen to missed episodes of shows they regularly follow.
Advertising Implications
The research highlights podcasting’s ability to reach consumers who might otherwise be difficult for advertisers to engage. Weekly podcast consumers spend 40% of their video viewing time with ad-free services, and 37% do not subscribe to traditional pay TV.
“Podcast advertising captures hard-to-reach, ad-free video streamers,” the report notes. “Weekly podcast consumers are also heavy viewers of ad-free video streaming services (i.e., Netflix, Amazon Prime, ad-free Hulu, etc.).”
This finding corresponds with advertiser interest in the medium. According to an Advertiser Perceptions study cited in the report, 78% of agencies and marketers currently advertise in podcasts, a significant increase from 15% in 2015. Additionally, 91% have discussed podcast advertising as a potential media investment, 74% would consider advertising in podcasts within the next six months, and 69% plan to advertise in podcasts in the coming six months.
Co-Listening and Social Engagement
The report identifies co-listening as an under-measured aspect of podcast consumption. While 87% of podcast listening occurs individually, 13% involves listening with others. Among those with children in the household, this rises to 16% of listening time, with 29% reporting they have listened to podcasts with their children.
Additionally, 42% of weekly podcast consumers report listening to podcasts with friends or family, though only 7% do so frequently. This suggests that download and impression metrics may underestimate actual audience reach.
“Because of co-listening, downloads and listens underestimate the actual audience,” the report states. “A sizeable minority of consumers listen to podcasts with friends or family – something not captured by download or impression numbers.”
The Spring 2025 report concludes by emphasizing the importance of attracting and engaging newcomers, developing strategic approaches to YouTube, maintaining focus on audio quality, leveraging back-catalog content, and recognizing podcasting’s unique ability to reach otherwise ad-free audiences.
All images are credited to Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights. Get the full report here.
Nii A. Ahene is the founder and managing director of Net Influencer, a website dedicated to offering insights into the influencer marketing industry. Together with its newsletter, Influencer Weekly, Net Influencer provides news, commentary, and analysis of the events shaping the creator and influencer marketing space. Through interviews with startups, influencers, brands, and platforms, Nii and his team explore how influencer marketing is being effectively used to benefit businesses and personal brands alike.
YouTube continues to lead as the most used platform for podcast consumption, according to the latest Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights’ “Podcast Download – Spring 2025 Report.” The video platform now captures 39% of weekly podcast consumers as their most used destination, followed by Spotify at 21% and Apple Podcasts at 8%.
The 14th installment of this biannual study, based on surveys of 603 weekly podcast consumers conducted in April 2025, reveals significant shifts in consumer preferences and platform usage patterns. The research finds that while YouTube maintains its three-year lead as the primary podcast platform, no single service captures a majority of users.
“YouTube is the leading podcast platform for the third year, but no single platform dominates,” the report states. “Continued interest in video podcasts keeps YouTube ahead of Spotify as the most used platform. However, a diverse ecosystem of podcast platforms means no single one captures a majority as the most used.”
Podcast Audience Growth and Demographics
Weekly podcast listening now reaches 34% of Americans, with 19% classified as “heavy consumers” who listen to six or more hours of podcasts weekly. The study finds that the average weekly podcast consumer listens to 6.9 hours of content across 4.3 episodes and 3.1 different shows.
Podcast “Newcomers,” defined as those who began listening within the past year, represent 24% of weekly podcast consumers. These newer listeners are more likely to be women (54% versus 46% men) and show greater diversity, with 12% identifying as Hispanic compared to 8% among podcast “Pioneers” (those listening for 4+ years).
Despite their recent entry into podcasting, Newcomers consume nearly as many episodes per week (4.3) as Pioneers (4.4), supporting the report’s conclusion that “once you’re in, you’re in” when it comes to podcast engagement.
“Weekly podcast consumers find podcast hosts more influential than social media influencers and celebrities,” the report notes, with 59% of respondents indicating podcast hosts matter most to them, compared to just 19% for social media influencers.
Video Podcasts Gain Traction
The report reveals a significant shift toward video-enabled podcasts. In April 2025, 42% of weekly podcast consumers prefer to actively watch videos while listening to podcasts, up from 30% in April 2022. An additional 30% prefer playing video in the background or minimizing it on their device while listening.
This preference for watchable content is particularly strong among Podcast Newcomers and younger demographics. Smart TVs have become a significant device for podcast consumption, with 32% of weekly podcast consumers using them, ranking third behind smartphones.
“Watchable podcasts have grown in popularity,” the report states. “Driven by Podcast Newcomers, more consumers prefer podcasts with video they can actively watch or minimize to listen in the background vs. podcasts that are just audio.”
Despite this shift, audio remains the dominant consumption method. Even among YouTube podcast consumers, 55% of the time is spent listening to the audio without watching the video component.
Platform Dynamics and Content Loyalty
The research indicates that while YouTube leads in platform usage, podcast consumers demonstrate stronger loyalty to content than to platforms. Among weekly podcast consumers who have listened to or watched podcasts on YouTube, 72% say they would switch platforms if their favorite podcast became available only elsewhere. Additionally, 51% report they already listen to the same podcasts they consume on YouTube on other platforms.
“YouTube is not a walled garden of podcasts,” the report emphasizes. This content-first mentality suggests that podcast creators maintain significant leverage in the platform ecosystem.
The three leading platforms serve distinct audience segments:
Discovery and Engagement Patterns
YouTube has emerged as the primary discovery engine for podcasts, with 44% of weekly podcast consumers who listened to a new podcast in the past six months starting on YouTube. Thumbnails play a significant role in this discovery process, with 42% of YouTube podcast consumers reporting that they have consumed a podcast because of its thumbnail. This is primarily driven by the text or title (60%) and the person depicted (50%).
The report finds that 68% of weekly podcast consumers revisit older episodes when they begin following a new podcast, with women (76%) and Podcast Pioneers (71%) most likely to engage with their back catalogs. Similarly, 75% report going back to listen to missed episodes of shows they regularly follow.
Advertising Implications
The research highlights podcasting’s ability to reach consumers who might otherwise be difficult for advertisers to engage. Weekly podcast consumers spend 40% of their video viewing time with ad-free services, and 37% do not subscribe to traditional pay TV.
“Podcast advertising captures hard-to-reach, ad-free video streamers,” the report notes. “Weekly podcast consumers are also heavy viewers of ad-free video streaming services (i.e., Netflix, Amazon Prime, ad-free Hulu, etc.).”
This finding corresponds with advertiser interest in the medium. According to an Advertiser Perceptions study cited in the report, 78% of agencies and marketers currently advertise in podcasts, a significant increase from 15% in 2015. Additionally, 91% have discussed podcast advertising as a potential media investment, 74% would consider advertising in podcasts within the next six months, and 69% plan to advertise in podcasts in the coming six months.
Co-Listening and Social Engagement
The report identifies co-listening as an under-measured aspect of podcast consumption. While 87% of podcast listening occurs individually, 13% involves listening with others. Among those with children in the household, this rises to 16% of listening time, with 29% reporting they have listened to podcasts with their children.
Additionally, 42% of weekly podcast consumers report listening to podcasts with friends or family, though only 7% do so frequently. This suggests that download and impression metrics may underestimate actual audience reach.
“Because of co-listening, downloads and listens underestimate the actual audience,” the report states. “A sizeable minority of consumers listen to podcasts with friends or family – something not captured by download or impression numbers.”
The Spring 2025 report concludes by emphasizing the importance of attracting and engaging newcomers, developing strategic approaches to YouTube, maintaining focus on audio quality, leveraging back-catalog content, and recognizing podcasting’s unique ability to reach otherwise ad-free audiences.
All images are credited to Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.
Get the full report here.