Big tech platforms including TikTok and Netflix are considering adding video podcasts to their content, a fast-growing format that attracts younger audiences coveted by advertisers and where YouTube dominates.
Roman Wassenmueller, head of podcasts at Spotify, said the development “marks a new chapter for podcasting,” as he announced the partnership with Netflix in mid-October.
With a 33 percent market share and more than a billion consumers worldwide, according to Edison Research, Google-owned YouTube is now the leading destination for podcasts in the United States.
YouTube also offers audio show creators the ability to create videos using artificial intelligence to better portray their shows on the platform.
Spotify is now leading the way, and as of the end of September, 390 million users of the Swedish streaming service had watched at least one video-version of the podcast.
“Podcasting is seen as a medium whose usage is growing much faster than many older media, and that is attractive to investors,” said Martin Spinelli, podcasting professor at the University of Sussex.
Yoram Wurmser, analyst at eMarketer, said the rise of podcasts is being seen especially among young people.
“Gen Z are heavy podcast listeners and viewers, so it’s good to connect with them as much as possible,” Wurmser said.
Donald Trump’s podcast tour during his US presidential campaign helped increase his popularity among young adults.
Democrat Zohran Mamdani, recently elected mayor of New York, also paid significant attention to podcasters.
A latecomer to this field, Netflix has already announced the release of a dozen programs, licensed from Spotify, as early as 2026.
But according to Business Insider, Netflix aims to offer more than 50 soon and eventually up to 200 total which will include new productions created for Netflix.
TikTok on Monday announced a collaboration with US radio giant iHeartMedia, which aims to launch 25 programs hosted by influencers.
“We’re combining our vast networks to deliver relevant content at scale,” said Rich Bressler, iHeartMedia’s number two. “This is a win for creators, fans, and brands alike.”
TikTok will not broadcast entire episodes but rather excerpts, as most successful podcasts already do, some garnering several million views each time.
The Chinese-owned social network doesn’t produce its own videos any more than YouTube does, but Martin Spinelli hopes streaming services will use podcasts to “augment the content they’ve already monetized”.
Even before launching its offensive, Netflix had already created audio extras for many of its hit series, from “The Crown” to “Heartstopper.”
Disney has also invested heavily in this area and in early September announced the arrival of podcasts derived from series like “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
For existing podcasts, reaching new audiences using video should increase revenue, said eMarketer’s Wurmser, whether through advertising, subscriptions or merchandise.
Spinelli sees this as a win for independent podcasts, which “will be able to expand their audience.”
“It’s much easier to find a podcast based on its content on YouTube than it is on Apple Podcasts,” said Spinelli, who himself hosts the show “For Your Ears Only,” “and I think it will be the same for Netflix and TikTok.”
published – November 14, 2025 09:30 AM IST