Spotify wants to take on YouTube in podcasts. Here's how the platforms stack up.

Core Insights - Spotify is focusing on video to enhance its podcasting business, investing in video creators and launching a revenue-sharing program for video podcasts [1][8] - Approximately 250 million of Spotify's 640 million users have engaged with video podcasts, indicating a strong user interest in this format [2][10] - Spotify is positioning itself as a multi-platform player, allowing creators to distribute content across various platforms to maximize reach and advertising revenue [9][10] Podcasting Platform Comparison - Spotify and YouTube are increasingly similar in their offerings, both providing free and paid tiers, with Spotify Premium priced at $12 per month and YouTube Premium at$14 [4] - Both platforms offer creators access to analytics dashboards and allow for ad-free experiences for premium subscribers, although Spotify has a 50-50 revenue split compared to YouTube's 55% for creators [5][6] Audience Engagement and Discovery - Spotify's podcasting platform is second to YouTube in the U.S., with 21% of weekly podcast consumers preferring Spotify over YouTube's 31% [2] - Content discovery on Spotify is less effective compared to platforms like YouTube and TikTok, which have advanced algorithms for user engagement [11][12] - Spotify is emphasizing listener loyalty, with average monthly app usage increasing from 30 hours in 2020 to 40 hours in late 2024, suggesting strong retention capabilities [13]