September 30, 2025

For all communication professionals, the opportunity to rethink podcast strategy has never been clearer.

Recent Bloomberg data shows that more than one billion people now watch podcasts on YouTube every month, a figure that reflects a significant shift in content consumption. Variety and the Wall Street Journal have confirmed that YouTube has overtaken Spotify and Apple Podcasts as the most-used podcast platform in the United States.

This surge in viewership is prompting brands to rethink how they create and distribute audible content, moving beyond traditional audio formats to embrace multi-format experiences that can engage audiences more effectively across devices and platforms. For organisations that rely on thought leadership and educational content, these trends are difficult to ignore.

Listeners are no longer tied to audio-only platforms or confined to traditional listening moments (e.g commuting). YouTube’s rise as a podcast platform reflects a preference for content that is searchable, visual and easy to access on multiple devices. Viewers are increasingly watching long-form conversations on TVs, tablets and phones, blurring the lines between a “podcast” and a talk show. YouTube confirms this with viewers collectively watching over 400 million hours of podcast content on connected TVs alone.

The weight of this shift is also reflected in Spotify’s ongoing push into video, with its latest expansion of video podcast offerings that began across US, Canada, Uk and Australia late last year. Although, while Spotify’s program has drawn praise from creators, some networks remain sceptical, and YouTube’s scale and discovery advantages continue to give it the edge.

So why isYouTube’s podcast popularity booming compared to other platforms? Here are fourkey factors:

1. Search: YouTube’s search and algorithm recommendation engine helps podcasts reach new audiences more efficiently than traditional podcast directories, such as Spotify, have struggled to solve.    
2. Bias to visual engagement: Video formats allow for clearer explanations of complex topics, especially in financial services, by combining visuals with on-screen presence.
3. Shift in viewing habits: Increased consumption of long-form content on connected TVs and at home elevates expectations for production quality.
4. Easy analytics access: Detailed viewer analytics on YouTube provide communications teams with valuable insights to shape future content strategies and measure impact.

Rather than replacing audio-first podcasts, the trend encourages a blended approach. Many communications teams now record video as standard practice, creating multiple assets from a single session: a full-length video for YouTube, an audio version for podcast feeds, and short highlight clips for social media.

For financial services firms dealing with complex or technical subject matter, the rise of video-first podcasting represents a unique opportunity. It allows brands to educate audiences more effectively, build credibility and trust, and capture attention without significantly increasing production costs.

The challenge is to create sustainable processes that balance quality, reach and efficiency, positioning brands to thrive as the convergence of audio and video continues to accelerate.

With YouTube leading the video-podcast trend and Spotify striving to catch up, the question now is how prepared are you in treating podcasts as a video-first product?

At Capital Outcomes, we incorporate podcasts and videos as an integral part of our clients’ communications campaigns, and we can’t wait to roll out the podcast - video hybrid content styles going into 2026.

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References

1. Digiday – Spotify’s Video Podcast Program Draws Praise from Creators and Scepticism from Networks

2. Forbes – Video Podcasts Exploded in 2024 as Both Spotify and YouTube Aim to Capitalise on Them

3. B&T – Spotify Expands Video Podcast Offerings as Consumption Surges

4. Bloomberg – A Billion People Are Watching Podcasts on YouTube Every Month

5. Variety – YouTube 2025 Monthly Podcast Listeners and Viewers

6. Wall StreetJournal – YouTube Takes the Lead in Podcasts

7. YouTube Blog – 1 Billion Monthly Podcast Users

8. ParrotAnalytics – YouTube Now Dominates TV Streaming and Even Podcasts

9. CoHostPodcasting – Start a Podcast vs. YouTube Channel

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