As one of the most powerful forms of human expression today, video is becoming core to the global Spotify experience. We have been steadily investing in the format to connect creators and fans in new, deeper ways on our platform, from the recent launch of music videos in beta to testing video-based learning courses in the U.K. But the medium has seen the most growth in the podcasting space, where video is truly changing the game—in fact, more than 170 million users have watched a video podcast on Spotify.
Spotify introduced video podcasts for a select number of shows in 2020, and we’ve since made the format available for creators in nearly every market. We recently made it possible for non-hosted podcast creators to upload video to Spotify for the first time, opening up yet another avenue for their engagement and success.
All the while, video podcasts have been growing in popularity, with creators around the world leaning into the format to deepen engagement with their fans. More than half of the top 20 podcasts on Spotify have video, including heavy hitters like The Joe Rogan Experience and Call Her Daddy. The format is resonating with audiences, who want to be able to choose how to engage with their favorite content. Globally on Spotify, the average daily streams of video podcasts have increased by more than 39% year-over-year. In the U.S., nearly two-thirds of podcast listeners say they prefer shows with video, according to a recent Cumulus Media survey.
“Spotify is always evolving to better serve our users and drive success for creators,” said Jordan Newman, Head of Content Partnerships at Spotify. “With podcasts, the video format can add an additional layer of authenticity and connection for fans. That’s why we continue to hear that audiences want the ability to not only listen, but also watch their favorite shows. And we see that in the data: Audience retention increases when creators add video—and every creator wants a loyal, highly engaged fan base that keeps coming back.”
“We continue to see demand for video from both creators and their audiences,” Newman continued. “The number of creators publishing video each month keeps growing, and more and more of our users are watching. As demand continues to rise, we will keep enhancing our video capabilities.”
The rise of video content on Spotify
Globally, video consumption hours on Spotify have grown faster than audio-only consumption hours year-over-year, and audiences retain video podcasts at higher rates than audio podcasts. But what exactly does that growth look like? During VidCon 2024 this week, Spotify revealed new stats around the popularity of video as a medium on our platform.
- There are now more than 250,000 video podcast shows on Spotify—up from 100,000 in 2023.
- More than 170 million users have watched a video podcast on Spotify.
- More than 70% of users consuming video podcasts watch them in the foreground.
- On Spotify, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. podcast monthly active users (MAUs) engage with video, while nearly 1 in 4 global podcast MAUs engage with video. Globally, the number of video podcast MAUs has grown by 40% year-over-year.
- The number of creators actively publishing video each month has grown nearly 70% year-over-year.
- The largest markets by creators publishing video are the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico.
- In Brazil and the Philippines, roughly 20% of all monthly active podcast creators are publishing video. This share has nearly doubled since last year.
- At the market level, especially in Chile and Brazil, we are seeing video grow its share of total podcast consumption hours. In Chile, video hours make up a quarter of total podcast consumption hours. In Brazil, video hours make up more than 15% of total podcast consumption hours.
For creators on Spotify, video offers a huge opportunity to deliver content to new global audiences. For the Record spoke with Jon Youshaei, host of the popular weekly podcast Created with Jon Youshaei, about the medium and its impact.
What are the benefits of video for creators?
Video has been our edge, especially when it comes to our intros. A lot of viewers comment on how our podcast intros feel like mini movie trailers. We spend a lot of time picking the right sound bites, using sound design, and adding graphics to draw you in. During the actual interview, we create a lot of custom visuals, which often get shared on social media afterwards to help draw even more people back to our Spotify page.
What are some of the content trends you’re seeing right now?
We’re living in the super-long-form era. The pendulum is swinging from short form back to longer viewing sessions as creators start to rival traditional Hollywood shows when it comes to consumption. Video plays a huge role in this, especially as more people start to watch creator content on their TVs.
You’ve been called “The Creators’ Creator.” What words of wisdom do you have for aspiring video content creators?
There are three phases to the creator journey: Upload, upgrade, and upscale. If you’re starting out, just focus on uploading. Get your reps in. Learn the craft. After that, it’s time to start upgrading your gear: Get a better microphone, camera, and think more about your production quality. After that, it’s important to upscale your team, hire, and create processes to sustain your business. Most creators get overwhelmed because they try to upgrade before they upload. Or they think they have to upscale their team on day one. The order of the phases—and what you do during each phase—matters a lot.
How have Spotify’s different creator tools and resources helped you?
Spotify has been essential to building our show—and the community around it. One of my favorite features is the audience polling. We use it to ask whom we should interview next, get insights on episodes, or ask for feedback. Spotify has also been helpful in providing the support and analytics so we can double down on what’s working.
(Source: Spotify)
