Apple Podcasts no longer king as competitors gain ground

A new study has found that Apple Podcasts faces a significant decline as YouTube and Spotify solidify themselves in the space.

There was a time when Apple Podcasts was the place to listen to podcasts, controlling 27% of the market as recently as March 2021. But now that the market has expanded with other streaming platforms, it seems that Apple Podcasts is becoming somewhat of a ghost town.

In October 2021, Spotify overtook Apple as the top US podcast platform, marking the first time the Cupertino tech giant had been dethroned in the podcast space. Spotify had managed to snag 24% of the podcast market, while Apple clung to 21%.

Three years later, YouTube has become the primary way Americans get their podcasts. According to Cumulus Media and Signal Hill, an impressive 31% of podcast listeners now get their podcasts on YouTube. In fact, 47% of podcast listeners between the ages of 18-34 primarily listen to their podcasts on YouTube.

Spotify now holds 21% of listenership, with 47% of that base falling between the ages of 18 and 24.

Apple has a slipping grip on 12% of the market. Unlike YouTube and Spotify, Apple holds a majority of listeners in the 35-49 age bracket.

Apple is still immensely popular with what Cumulus Media and Signal Hill call "Postcast Pioneers," or people who began listening to podcasts four or more years ago. Newcomers, however, seem to strongly prefer YouTube.

And, regardless of when a listener began listening to podcasts, "heavy users" — those who listen to more than six hours of podcasts a week — seem to prefer YouTube over all other platforms.

There are a number of reasons for Apple's decline. One major reason is the fact that Apple Podcasts hasn't been available on Windows or Android devices, limiting its reach. However, in mid-August, Apple made its podcast library available online.

Still, it may not be enough. As it turns out, one of the biggest selling points for YouTube is video podcasts, which have boomed in popularity over the past few years. The study shows that nearly 10% of weekly podcast listeners exclusively watch video podcasts. While Apple Podcasts has supported video for nearly two decades, the platform has never heavily publicized the feature.

YouTube is also popular with those who listen on laptop and desktop platforms. It also offers a comment section, which 18% of its listeners say is a driving reason to use it over others. Additionally, many users point out that YouTube is their one-stop shop for information and entertainment.

While Apple's grip may be slipping on the podcast market, the company continues to innovate the platform. In March 2024, Apple added auto-generated transcripts in its mobile Apple Podcasts app.