The quick answer: video podcast use is now mainstream, but the numbers need context. Edison Research found that 51% of Americans age 12 and older had ever consumed a video podcast in 2025, 37% did so monthly, and 26% did so weekly. By 2026, 57% had both listened to and watched a podcast. YouTube reported more than 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers worldwide in May 2026.
Sources: Edison Research at SSRS and YouTube. Markets, periods, and definitions differ.
| Statistic | Figure | Market and period | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both listened to and watched a podcast | 57% | US age 12+, January 2026 | Edison Research |
| Ever consumed a video podcast | 51% | US age 12+, 2025 | Edison Research |
| Monthly video podcast consumers | 37% | US age 12+, 2025 | Edison Research |
| Weekly video podcast consumers | 26% | US age 12+, 2025 | Edison Research |
| Monthly YouTube podcast viewers | 1B+ | Worldwide, reported May 2026 | YouTube |
| YouTube Premium podcast viewing | 800M+ hours | Worldwide, April 2026 | YouTube |
| YouTube living-room podcast viewing | 700M+ hours | Worldwide, October 2025 | YouTube |
| YouTube living-room podcast viewing | 400M hours | Worldwide, October 2024 | YouTube |
| Users who had watched a video podcast on Spotify | 250M+ | Worldwide, reported November 2024 | Spotify |
| Video podcast shows on Spotify | 300,000+ | Worldwide, reported November 2024 | Spotify |
Download the video podcast statistics data
Direct answer: Download all 10 measurements as CSV or JSON. Every row includes the metric, value, unit, audience, geography, period, source URL, verification date, and a limitation.
What this report covers
- How many people watch video podcasts
- YouTube podcast viewers and viewing hours
- Spotify video podcast growth
- Are video podcasts replacing audio
- Why YouTube and Spotify figures cannot be compared directly
- What the numbers mean for creators
- Frequently asked questions
- Methodology and limitations
How many people watch video podcasts?
Direct answer: In 2025, 51% of Americans age 12 and older had ever consumed a video podcast, 37% were monthly video podcast consumers, and 26% were weekly video podcast consumers, according to Edison Research.
Edison's 2025 video-specific measures are the clearest US adoption benchmark currently available:
- 51% had ever consumed a video podcast.
- 37% had consumed a video podcast in the previous month.
- 26% had consumed a video podcast in the previous week.
These percentages refer to the total US population age 12 and older, not only existing podcast listeners. They come from The Podcast Consumer 2025, which cites The Infinite Dial 2025.
In 2026, Edison reported a related but different measure: 57% of Americans age 12 and older had both listened to and watched a podcast. That is a cumulative overlap measure. It should not be described as monthly or weekly video consumption. (The Infinite Dial 2026)
How big are podcasts on YouTube?
Direct answer: YouTube reported more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content worldwide in May 2026. YouTube Premium users watched more than 800 million podcast hours in April 2026.
The 1 billion figure is a monthly audience measure. The 800 million hours figure covers Premium users, including trials, during one month. It does not represent all YouTube podcast viewing.
Podcast viewing on televisions also grew sharply. YouTube reported more than 700 million hours of podcast viewing on living-room devices in October 2025, up from 400 million hours in October 2024. That is a 75% increase calculated from YouTube's two reported totals.
How large is video podcasting on Spotify?
Direct answer: Spotify reported that more than 250 million users had watched a video podcast and that more than 300,000 video podcast shows were available on the platform in November 2024.
Spotify also reported that the number of creators actively publishing video each month had grown by more than 50% year over year. These are useful platform growth signals, but they are from November 2024 and should not be presented as current 2026 counts.
The 250 million figure is a cumulative user count. Spotify did not describe it as a monthly active audience. The 300,000 figure is a show count, not a count of active shows or newly published video episodes.
Are video podcasts replacing audio podcasts?
Direct answer: No. The available evidence shows growing video use alongside continued audio use. A Spring 2025 survey found that 58% of US weekly podcast consumers primarily used audio, while 42% actively watched podcast video.
Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights commissioned Quantilope to survey 603 weekly podcast consumers in April 2025. The study split primary consumption into 3 groups:
- 28% listened without video.
- 30% listened while video was minimized or played in the background.
- 42% actively watched the video.
That makes audio the primary mode for 58% of the surveyed weekly consumers, even though active video viewing had grown. Edison also describes podcasting as a dual-format medium. The evidence supports offering viewers a video option without weakening the audio experience.
Is YouTube or Spotify bigger for video podcasts?
Direct answer: No honest answer can be calculated from the headline figures. YouTube reports monthly active viewers. Spotify's widely cited figure counts users who had watched a video podcast by November 2024.
Those measurements differ in 4 ways:
- Time window: monthly active viewers versus an unspecified cumulative period.
- Date: May 2026 versus November 2024.
- Definition: podcast content viewers versus users who watched a video podcast.
- Platform reporting: both figures come from the platforms, not one independent cross-platform study.
This is why the chart does not draw one comparative bar from 1 billion to 250 million. It presents them as separate facts.
What do video podcast statistics mean for creators?
Direct answer: Build a strong audio show, capture usable video when the format allows it, and package each episode for YouTube search, television viewing, podcast apps, and short-form discovery.
Keep the audio complete. A viewer may minimize the video or switch devices. The episode should still make sense without the screen.
Design for television screens. YouTube's living-room viewing passed 700 million hours in one month. Use readable on-screen text, clean framing, and chapters that help viewers navigate a long episode.
Use video as a distribution source. One full recording can produce the long YouTube episode, short clips, quote graphics, carousels, and an article. The point is not to make more raw files. It is to create more useful entry points into the same idea.
Do not chase a platform number blindly. A B2B podcast needs qualified attention, not only reach. Match the format to the buyer, topic, and business goal.
For the broader market view, see Podcast Statistics 2026. For the production workflow, read the podcast content repurposing guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many people watch video podcasts?
Edison Research found that 51% of Americans age 12 and older had ever consumed a video podcast in 2025. Monthly video podcast consumption reached 37%, and weekly consumption reached 26%.
How big are podcasts on YouTube?
YouTube reported more than 1 billion monthly active podcast viewers worldwide in May 2026. YouTube Premium users, including trials, watched more than 800 million podcast hours in April 2026.
How many video podcasts are on Spotify?
Spotify reported more than 300,000 video podcast shows in November 2024. This is a dated platform catalogue figure, not a current count of active shows.
Are video podcasts replacing audio?
No. In a Spring 2025 survey of weekly podcast consumers, 58% primarily consumed podcasts as audio and 42% actively watched video. The formats overlap.
Is YouTube or Spotify bigger for video podcasts?
The public headline figures cannot answer that fairly. YouTube reports monthly viewers, while Spotify's figure counts users who had watched a video podcast by a specific reporting date.
What counts as a video podcast?
The definition changes by study. Some sources count any podcast consumed with video. Others separate active watching from video that is minimized or playing in the background. Always check the source wording before quoting a number.
How to cite this page
Suggested citation: Younis, Fahad. “Video Podcast Statistics 2026: Viewers, Platforms, and Growth.” Podcast Growth Studio. Published September 6, 2026. https://podcastgrowthstudio.com/posts/video-podcast-statistics-2026
When quoting a statistic, cite the original research organization listed in the table. Credit Podcast Growth Studio when reproducing an original chart.
Methodology, limitations, and update log
Method: this is an editorial compilation, not a Podcast Growth Studio survey. We selected measurements published by the research organization or platform that produced them. We recorded the audience, geography, unit, measurement period, and source URL.
What the data does not prove: it does not prove that video improves every show's retention, that YouTube and Spotify audiences are mutually exclusive, or that every video view includes active watching.
Limitations: Edison measures US consumers. YouTube and Spotify report worldwide platform data. Platform figures use internal definitions and are not directly comparable. The latest Edison video-specific cadence figures available here are from 2025, while its 2026 report provides the newer audio-video overlap figure.
Reuse: quote each measurement with its named source and date. PGS-created charts may be reproduced with a visible link to this page. Do not describe this compilation as original PGS research.
Update log: September 6, 2026, first publication. Primary sources and reporting periods verified.
Primary sources
- Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026. edisonresearch.com
- Edison Research, The Podcast Consumer 2025. PDF
- YouTube, New YouTube Premium features podcast fans will love. blog.youtube
- YouTube, How podcasts took over the living room in 2025. blog.youtube
- Spotify, Spotify Unveils Uninterrupted Video Podcasts. newsroom.spotify.com
- Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights, Podcast Download, Spring 2025. westwoodone.com
Statistics last verified September 6, 2026.