Apple, once the undisputed leader in the podcasting world, has seen its dominance wane as platforms like YouTube and Spotify have surged ahead in popularity, Bloomberg is reporting.
A study published last month by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights reveals that YouTube, traditionally a video-centric platform, has become the most popular platform for podcast listening in the United States.
According to the study, 31% of respondents reported using YouTube for podcasts, with Spotify following at 21% and Apple Podcasts lagging behind at just 12%.
Apple’s declining market share has been a long time coming. Back in July 2019, 29% of weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. said they primarily used Apple Podcasts. This decline suggests that Apple has struggled to maintain its foothold as competitors have innovated and expanded their offerings.
One of the key reasons for Apple’s decline in the podcasting arena is its late entry into monetization. For much of its existence, Apple Podcasts generated no direct revenue. It wasn’t until 2021 that Apple introduced podcast subscriptions, requiring creators to share a portion of their earnings with the company.
Unlike Spotify, which aggressively pursued podcast advertising and exclusive content deals, Apple’s approach to podcasts has largely been seen as a complementary service to its broader ecosystem, rather than a revenue driver.
Another factor contributing to Apple’s loss of market share is the dominance of Google’s Android operating system globally. For years, Android and Windows users had no easy access to Apple Podcasts, limiting the app’s reach.
Although Apple recently launched a web version of its Podcasts app, making it accessible to non-Mac users, this move may have come too late to reverse its declining influence.
Want to see more of our stories on Google?
P.S. Want to keep this site truly independent? Support us by buying us a beer, treating us to a coffee, or shopping through Amazon here. Links in this post are affiliate links, so we earn a tiny commission at no charge to you. Thanks for supporting independent Canadian media!
I find it hard to believe YouTube is the most commonly used app for podcast listening. Most podcasts aren’t even available on YouTube, they have no podcast management features whatsoever, and most of all, you must pay to subscribe to premium just to be able to listen in the background.
Surely this study is the victim of a sampling or methodological error. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.