It was only weeks ago that PodPoll released its comprehensive annual survey on our podcast listening habits, which showed Australians are changing the way they consume the media.
Now, fresh data from the US suggests these shifts aren’t isolated – audiences in both countries are rethinking how and where they listen.
Aussie habits
The research, released earlier this month as PodPoll 25, is conducted by podcast production house Deadset Studios and analytics firm Insightfully, paints a clear picture: audiences are moving away from traditional podcast apps and towards streaming platforms.
In its third year, the survey canvassed 3,768 Australians aged 15 and over through a nationally representative online poll.
Of those, 1,638 identified as regular podcast listeners and were asked 33 questions about their habits.
Spotify is now the leading platform, with 58% of respondents using it for podcasts. Apple Podcasts, once the undisputed market leader, has slipped to just one in five listeners.
The most notable rise has come from YouTube.
Forty-four percent of listeners say they use the video giant for podcasts, up from 30% in 2024. Younger audiences in particular are leaning into video podcasts, driving YouTube’s growing foothold in the sector.
And, the trend appears to be growing.
US habits
Across the Pacific, Sounds Profitable’s latest annual survey shows similar dynamics at play.
For the third year running, the research tracked both audio and video podcast consumption, with average weekly listening time rising to 6.3 hours, up from six hours in 2024.
Video is a big part of that increase. “The growth of video consumption has certainly played a role in the year-over-year increase in the total weekly hours of podcasts consumed,” the report noted.
On YouTube, just over half of podcast users say they mostly watch. That includes 19% who said they watch 51–75% of the time, and 34% who said they watch more than three-quarters of their podcasts.
But nearly half said they primarily listen, even on a video-first platform. “This means, of course, that if you are doing a video podcast specifically for YouTube, it better work as an audio podcast,” the report explained.
The survey added: “Essentially, this stat confirms my suspicions about YouTube: it’s not necessarily about being on video. YouTube is just a really good app for podcast consumption.”
Spotify’s audience is more audio-first, though 15% of listeners say they watch more than three-quarters of their podcasts on the platform, and another 16% say they watch between half and three-quarters.
That means more than three in ten consume the majority of their podcasts on Spotify by watching, not listening.
Platforms reshape podcasting everywhere
Taken together, the findings from both markets highlight a consistent trend: platforms not originally built for podcasts are reshaping the medium.
Spotify and YouTube, with their broad entertainment ecosystems, are pulling in audiences who want flexibility and a mix of video and audio. Apple Podcasts, once central to the podcast boom, now plays a much smaller role in both Australia and the US.
For creators, the lesson is clear: podcasts must work as audio first, even if video elements are added. And for publishers, the challenge is strategic – tailoring distribution across platforms where audiences are no longer just listening, but also watching.