YouTube launches weekly top podcast list to rival Spotify and Apple

YouTube is solidifying its place in podcasts.

The company on Thursday announced the launch of a weekly top podcast shows chart, rivaling those from Spotify and Apple.

Podcasts such as "The Joe Rogan Experience," "Kill Tony" and "Rotten Mango" currently top the YouTube chart.

Alphabet-owned YouTube said podcasts earn more than one billion monthly active views. The platform is the most preferred service for listening to podcasts, beating out Spotify and Apple, Edison Research said in October.

Ben Meiselas, co-founder of The MeidasTouch Podcast, said YouTube offers the best cost-per-mile, or cost per thousand impressions, than other platforms.

"YouTube just isn't a place where you drop your content from other sources," said Meiselas. "We want to focus on making YouTube a channel the way people watch cable news."

MeidasTouch has nearly five million subscribers on YouTube and averages around 350 million views a month. The podcast is also shared on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Substack and Patreon.

Video podcasts continue to be a dominating force in the media landscape and have been a frequent mention at this year's Upfronts.

Spotify has continued to expand in the space, paying out more than $100 million to podcast publishers and podcasters worldwide in the first quarter of 2025 and offering video support.

However, YouTube's payouts to creators and volume of users make the platform essential for podcasters looking for an audience.

YouTube's Weekly Top Podcast Shows Chart is only tracking podcasts in the U.S. and will be updated every Wednesday, ranking the shows by watch time.