YouTube is a major podcast platform, and video is key

Podcasts are no longer an audio-only format according to new data showing that YouTube is a key platform, while a majority say they prefer consuming content with video than audio only, with implications for advertising.

Why it matters

While the Morning Consult data pertains only to the US, other sources suggest that around 83% of global YouTube users go to the platform for music. So it’s not a wild leap to see how podcasts may be another use case for the platform.

Only the US has a dedicated YouTube podcast service, but audio ads are available in other territories when targeting users exhibiting signals of listening. However, many advertisers already work directly with podcasters for host-read messaging which airs whether the episode is viewed or listened to. It forms part of a wider growth in podcast media.

Podcast platform popularity

A survey asked US listeners which platform they preferred for listening to podcasts: 

• YouTube came out top at 33%
• Spotify 24%
• Apple Podcasts 12%

YouTube blurs the video audio boundary

Morning Consult finds that 46% of active US podcast listeners (defined as listening within the last month) prefer to watch podcasts as they listen, compared with 42% who just listen.

Overall, around a third (32%) of all podcast listeners on all platforms prefer listening with video versus the 26% who prefer just audio.

The reasons for this preference, MC concludes, is that 51% of listeners enjoyed the physical expressions and reactions of the hosts and guests, while 50% said it helps them to focus.

For podcasters, this additional visual aspect does involve more work, but some point to the fact that social assets are now part and parcel of getting a podcast discovered, and these tend to be more visual than aural.

Live potential

For a small, but potentially lucrative, segment of the audience, there is a further monetisation opportunity: 15% of listeners say they would be willing to pay between $10 and $25 to attend a live recorded podcast event, while 13% have actually attended a live podcasting event.

Sourced from Morning Consult, Google