Drop the mic: Celebrating 1 billion monthly podcast users on YouTube
Feb 26, 2025 – [[read-time]] minute read
YouTube is now the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the U.S.
Whether you start your day checking in on the latest with Keke Palmer or you prefer to wind down in the evening by listening to long-form interviews on the Lex Fridman Podcast, one thing is for certain: you’re probably watching and listening to these podcasts on YouTube.
And you’re not alone. Today, we’re announcing that there are more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content on YouTube.1 This milestone underscores how YouTube has come to play an essential role in podcasting for creators and audiences, and how our investments to improve the podcast experience on YouTube are paying off.
Podcasts with video are more than just a trend, they meet audiences where they are: on YouTube. We’ve specifically developed our podcast product experience to make it easier for fans to find podcasts they love, discover new ones, and watch (or listen!) wherever they want. We’ve also added more and more podcasters into our revenue sharing program, the YouTube Partner Program.
As a result, YouTube is now the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the U.S. and often the first place people go when looking for a new podcast. Our unique search and recommendations help people discover their next favorite podcast. Podcasts on YouTube and YouTube Music are also everywhere our users are, even TVs. Last year, viewers watched over 400M hours of podcasts monthly on living room devices.
Today’s podcasters are driving culture, creating "must see" and “must hear” shows while becoming bonafide superstars themselves. Everything from “talk shows” like Club Shay Shay and New Heights, to true-crime genre-benders like Rotten Mango and Murder, Mystery and Make Up. These creators inspire us at YouTube to keep working on making it the best home for all your favorite podcasts. More to come, and thanks a billion!
1. As of January 2025