Yes. In the United States, YouTube is now the single most popular place to listen to or watch a podcast, and the gap is wide. It is not, however, where most listening happens. Spotify, Apple Podcasts and the other apps still carry the majority between them, which is why a show that wants to grow needs to be on all of them.
Here is what the research actually shows, and what it means if you are starting or running a show.
What the research shows
The most reliable American figures come from Edison Research, which has measured podcast audiences for two decades. Its newest release, published on 7 October 2026, asked U.S. weekly podcast consumers aged 13 and over which service they use most often to listen to or watch podcasts. The Q3 2026 answers:
| Service | Share naming it their main podcast service |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 40% |
| Spotify | 17% |
| Apple Podcasts | 9% |
| Netflix | 3% |
The trend is steady, not a blip. Edison's 2024 figures had YouTube at 31%, Spotify at 27% and Apple at 15%. By Q4 2025, reported in The Infinite Dial 2026, YouTube was at 39%.
The same Infinite Dial report measured time as well as preference. In Q4 2025, YouTube accounted for 32% of Americans' daily podcast listening time, Spotify 25%, Apple 20% and everything else 23%. So YouTube leads on time too, but roughly two thirds of podcast hours still happen somewhere else.
Why it happened
Podcasts became something people watch as well as hear. The Infinite Dial 2026 found that 57% of Americans aged 12 and over have both listened to and watched a podcast, and that 58% consumed one in the past month, a record.
YouTube has also moved podcasts onto the television. On its own blog, the company said viewers watched more than 700 million hours of podcasts on living room devices in October 2025, up from 400 million a year earlier. In February 2025 it reported passing one billion monthly active viewers of podcast content worldwide. Those are YouTube's own numbers rather than independent research, but they point the same way as Edison's.
What it means for your show
Film it, if you can. YouTube will accept an audio-only show: through RSS delivery it turns each episode into a video of your cover art. That gets you listed, but a still image gives a viewer on a television little reason to stay. A filmed conversation, lit and framed properly, is what the platform rewards.
Set it up as a podcast, not just a channel. On YouTube, a podcast is a playlist you designate as one. That makes the show eligible for podcast badges, the youtube.com/podcasts page, recommendations to new listeners and background play in YouTube Music.
Make every episode easy to choose. A clear thumbnail and an honest title do most of the work. Chapters let people jump to the part they came for; YouTube needs at least three timestamps, starting at 00:00, each at least ten seconds long.
Keep the RSS feed and stay everywhere. Spotify and Apple together still hold a large share of weekly listeners. Spotify now carries video episodes from partner hosts too, so one filmed episode can serve both.
Own the audience, wherever they listen
Every platform decides who sees your show. None of them hands you your listeners' names. A show website, with a page for each episode and a mailing list, is the one place that belongs to you. We explain why in Does a podcast need its own website?
Where Bay House fits
We produce podcasts for people who would rather talk than edit. Our Show Starter, from $5,000, sets up and brands your YouTube channel alongside Apple Podcasts and Spotify, records your first three episodes at your home or office and builds a one-page show website. Monthly production starts at $2,000 and includes a thumbnail and chapters for every YouTube episode; our Full Studio, from $4,500 a month, adds filmed video episodes edited for watching. Full details are on our pricing page, and every show ends in a fixed-price proposal.
Common questions
Does a podcast need video to be on YouTube?
No. YouTube can turn an audio show's RSS feed into videos using the cover art as a still image. A filmed episode gives viewers far more reason to stay and watch.
Should I leave Apple Podcasts and Spotify for YouTube?
No. Edison's figures show Spotify and Apple together still account for a large share of weekly listening. Keep your RSS feed and publish everywhere.
How many people watch podcasts on YouTube?
YouTube said in February 2025 that it had passed one billion monthly active viewers of podcast content worldwide. That is YouTube's own count, not an independent measure.
