Apple Podcasts, once the leading platform for podcast consumption, has seen its popularity decline significantly due to the rise of competitors like YouTube and Spotify, according to a recent study by Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights.
“Podcast” is a portmanteau of “iPod” and “broadcast,” suggesting the format owes a debt to Apple. But the study found that the podcast landscape has changed dramatically since the company first popularized the medium with the release of iTunes 4.9 in 2005. YouTube is now the most popular platform for podcast consumption in the U.S., with 31% of respondents calling it their first choice. Spotify follows with 21%, with Apple Podcasts dropping to third place with just 12% of the market share.
This is in stark contrast to Apple’s position just a few years ago: In July 2019, 29% of weekly podcast listeners primarily used Apple Podcasts. A few factors likely contribute to Apple Podcasts’ declining popularity: Until recently, Apple Podcasts did not generate any direct revenue for the company, but in 2021 it introduced podcast subscriptions from which Apple takes a cut.
Additionally, until now Apple Podcasts was not available on Android or Windows devices, limiting its reach; however, the release of the Apple Podcasts web app earlier this week may alleviate this issue somewhat.
The growing popularity of video podcasts has also given platforms like YouTube a huge advantage, while Apple Podcasts has shown no appetite for pushing video at all – in fact, it’s unclear whether the company is working on any major updates or features to better compete with the more visual mediums offered by YouTube and Spotify.
Despite the decline, Apple Podcasts still has the advantage of being pre-installed on all Apple devices and has a large potential user base, but Apple may need to rethink its strategy by prioritizing video podcast content and adding more monetization options for podcasters to attract new, younger listeners to the platform.
In iOS 18, Apple’s Podcasts app now shows podcast chapter segments when you scrub through the currently playing episode, making it easier to browse audio content, but the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system doesn’t bring any major new podcast features.