YouTube has launched a new weekly top podcast shows chart, marking a major step in the platform’s push to dominate the podcasting world. This new feature will directly compete with Spotify and Apple, two long-standing leaders in the podcast space.
The chart will be updated every Wednesday and will rank shows by watch time—but only in the U.S. for now. Popular titles like The Joe Rogan Experience, Kill Tony, and Rotten Mango are currently sitting at the top.
YouTube, owned by Alphabet, already leads the podcast space in overall listenership. According to Edison Research, it has surpassed Spotify and Apple as the most preferred platform for podcasts. The platform also boasts over one billion monthly active views on podcasts, reinforcing its growing dominance in both audio and video formats.
Podcaster Ben Meiselas, co-founder of the MeidasTouch Podcast, praised YouTube for its monetization model, noting it offers the best cost-per-thousand-impressions compared to other platforms. With nearly 5 million subscribers and 350 million views per month, Meiselas believes YouTube has become more than just a place to upload content—it’s a media destination.
While Spotify continues to invest heavily, spending over $100 million on podcasts in early 2025 and expanding video support, YouTube’s built-in audience and superior creator payouts are giving it a clear advantage.
As video podcasts rise in popularity, YouTube’s new chart system could become the industry standard for visibility, making it an essential tool for podcasters trying to grow their reach.
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