The Stat YouTube and Spotify Don't Wan't You To Know

I put about 13 videos on Spotify, and I just hit double digit downloads if I combine them all.

Realize YouTube is not a podcast (I'm in the "if there is no RSS, it's not a podcast camp). I get the algorithm and how it knows me and recommends things I like. I've had a personal Algo for 60 years called "Doug" (way before AI) he's my brother and does a great job of recommending content.

So when people say there is a discoverability issue in podcasting, it's that their show hasn't been discovered because it's not remarkable (as in people, like Doug, don't remark about it). It doesn't mean their show is bad, it's just not remarkable (like AI content, not wrong, just not good).

When I worked at Libsyn Bill Maher launched Club Random. We had to twist Bill's arm (hard) to add audio. He only wanted to do video. When it launched Bill hired a PR agency that only promoted the video version. In the end the audio outperformed the video 15 to 1.

In March of 2025, there were 65.3 Million creators on Youtube making content for 2.49 Trillion viewers.

There were 358 thousand audio creators making content for 202 million listeners.

Yes, the numbers are much bigger, but in the end for every creator there are 564 listeners / 38 viewers. When you divide 564/38 you get 15.

It pains me when a person comes to me to start a podcast and they won't start because they heard you HAVE to do video. "Everybody" is saying you need video is a company called YouTube (and of course they are).

Also consider the source. Both YouTube and Spotify have a big reach and a big budget to tell the world how "YouTube podcasts (Youtubers) are blowing up on YouTube (where else would a YouTuber blow up). They then changed the duration of a short to zero and then YouTube CEO Neil Mohan announces that shorts get 200 billion views a day.

Spotify had a headline of "You can play music in your podcast!" When the details they forgot to add were:
1. Only in the app not on the website
2. Only to paying customers
3. After we approve every episode
(they closed it down months later).

There are more opportunities to listen than watch. If you have the time to chase the algorithm, the budget, and desire to be on YouTube - be on YouTube. Just realize you don't HAVE to.