Is Apple Podcasts or Spotify Better For Podcasters?

Apple Podcasts and Spotify are two of the best and most popular podcast streaming services on the planet. But is one better than the other?

This is an important question for both new and well-established podcasters alike.

If you’re torn on where to publish your show, this guide will help you decide which one is right for you. 

Spoiler Alert: You can use both AND YouTube as a third platform. 

Benefits of Using Apple Podcasts to Distribute Your Podcast

Apple has been supporting podcasts since 2005 (before Spotify even existed). Previously, podcasts were available for listeners via iTunes. But Apple launched its standalone podcast app in 2012—which is the Apple Podcasts that we know and use today. 

Aside from its longstanding history, there are plenty of other good reasons to have your show on Apple Podcasts. 

In some cases, Apple Podcasts has a direct advantage over Spotify. But even if Apple Podcasts isn’t necessarily a head-to-head winner for a particular category or use case, there are still lots of perks to use it, including:

• Apple Podcasts comes pre-installed on every iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple TV, iPad, and Mac.
• This means your podcast can be found on over 2.2 billion Apple devices worldwide—without users having to install a third-party podcast app. 
• It’s easier to monetize new shows on Apple Podcasts, even before you establish a listener base. 
• Everyone using the Apple Podcasts app is there strictly for podcasts, whereas podcasters using Spotify are competing with music and audiobooks in addition to other podcasts. 
• 29.2 million people in the US listen to podcasts on Apple Podcasts. 
• Apple Podcasts has less competition than Spotify, with roughly 460,000+ active podcasts compared to 6+ million on Spotify. 
• Apple Podcasts has better analytics, including details about when users drop off and stop listening. 
• Apple’s algorithm favors recommendations for niche podcasters, making it easier for shows to get discovered based on user listening habits. 

If you like the data-driven aspect of choosing between Apple Podcasts and Spotify, check out my complete list of podcast statistics designed specifically for podcast creators and hosts. 

Benefits of Having Your Podcast on Spotify

Spotify launched back in 2008—revolutionizing the music streaming industry at a time when P2P sharing applications were a source of free (yet illegal) downloads and copyright infringement. 

Podcasts weren’t available on Spotify until 2015, roughly a decade after Apple first began streaming podcasts. Despite its late start, Spotify has overtaken Apple’s market share for podcast popularity. 

Here are some of the best reasons why podcasters should consider using Spotify:

• Spotify only charges creators a 5.5% transaction fee for subscriptions, whereas Apple charges up to 30% in commissions on subscription revenue. 
• There’s no annual fee for podcasters on Spotify. 
• Built-in partner program to monetize your show with ads on Spotify.
• 42.4 million people in the US listen to podcasts on Spotify—13.2 million more than Apple Podcasts. 
• Spotify has better social sharing features for listeners who want to share episodes with friends and family.
• Users can create playlists on Spotify that include both podcasts and music, which isn’t possible on Apple Podcasts.
• Creators can access detailed information about the demographics of their listeners on Spotify, including their age, gender, location, and the types of music they like.
• Creators can use Spotify’s Canvas feature to make visual loops that appear during podcast episodes. 
• Spotify has over 626 million active users globally (although not all of them listen to podcasts). 

Spotify has famously signed some exclusive deals with the biggest names in podcasts for exclusive rights to those shows—meaning those creators can’t publish episodes on Apple Podcasts even if they wanted to. 

But they’ve since moved away from this model, and they’re no longer prioritizing or targeting exclusive shows. 

Drawbacks of Apple Podcasts and Spotify (Neither Are Perfect)

While it’s tough to knock either of these podcast giants, it’s worth noting that each has its flaws.

Apple’s high commissions are nothing short of outrageous. New podcasters pay 30% on subscription revenue directly to Apple. This drops to 15% after one year, but it’s still incredibly high. 

For listeners, most people tend to prefer Spotify’s UX over Apple Podcasts—as the latter feels less intuitive and just not quite as streamlined for searching, managing libraries, and navigating between shows.

One knock on Spotify is that you can’t monetize your show on day one. You must have at least two published episodes and 100 listens within the last 60 days to enable subscriptions.

And if you want to join Spotify’s partner program for ads, you need 12 published episodes, 10,000 global consumption hours in the last 30 days, and at least 2,000 unique user streams in the last 30 days. It’s also worth noting that Spotify’s partner program is only available for creators in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. 

Spotify also has so much more competition than Apple Podcasts, so it can be tougher to stand out. In addition to competing against millions of other podcasts, you’re also up against musicians and audiobooks from the same platform.

YouTube: A Third Option For Podcasters to Consider

Believe it or not, both Apple Podcasts and Spotify both support video podcasts. 

Spotify rolled this feature out in 2020 to a select number of shows, but has since made it available for all creators. Apple joined a few years later, beginning to support video podcasts in May 2023.

It feels like both of these moves were an attempt to play catch-up with YouTube, which has most recently become the top player in the podcast space—mostly due to its video-first approach.

In fact, 31% of weekly podcast listeners in the US use YouTube as their primary podcast service. This compares to the 27% of weekly podcast listeners who prefer Spotify and 15% who choose Apple Podcasts. 

Why YouTube?

49% of those people who prefer YouTube say that watching video podcasts gives them a better understanding of the episode, as it allows them to view facial expressions and gestures. An additional 45% of people say they feel more connected to podcast hosts when watching them on video compared to the audio-only formats. 

Additional Reading: How to Upload Your Podcast to YouTube

Here’s a Secret — You Don’t Have to Choose Just One

Nobody is forcing you to choose between Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and it’s relatively easy to use both. 

Neither platform is a podcast host—meaning your podcast still needs to be uploaded to a hosting service before you can distribute it elsewhere. From your podcast host, you can just generate an RSS feed of your show and then submit it separately to both platforms.

There are some slight differences that you’ll need to prepare for, as certain details like episode structure and descriptions vary across each platform. But it’s not much extra work, and worth it in the long run.

Having your podcast on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify gives you access to over 55 million listeners in the US alone.

Many people are loyal to their platform. So if your show is only on Spotify but a listener (who would otherwise follow your show) only uses Apple Podcasts, you’ll never have a chance to reach them.

By taking a little extra time to expand your reach across multiple, you’ll have a much better chance at growing your podcast audience. 

Best Practices For a Multi-Platform Podcast Distribution Strategy

It’s clear that going with a multi-platform approach is the best way to distribute your podcast. Here are some pro tips to keep in mind as you’re going through this process.

• Every podcast should be uploaded to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube (at a minimum).
• You can also target smaller podcast platforms, including Pandora, Amazon, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, and more (as these collectively account for over 25% of the podcast market share).
• Learn how to do podcast SEO to ensure your show ranks on every platform. 
• Always record video versions of podcasts.
• Find guests for your podcast to get free promotion on their social channels. 
• Get booked as a podcast guest on other shows to reach listeners who may not be familiar with you or your show (but who actively listen to podcasts)
• Look at the analytics across all of your platforms to see which one is driving the best results—measuring listens, engagement, revenue, and other KPIs.

The only real reason to consider using just one platform is if you’re Joe Rogan and Spotify offers you $250 million to be an exclusive creator with them. But I’m assuming that if you’re reading this right now, you don’t have an offer like this on the table. 

Final Thoughts

There are very few if any, instances where it makes sense to choose Apple Podcasts over Spotify or vice versa. 

Yes—each one has its pros and cons. Some of you may hate the fact that Apple takes such high commissions, and others might not want to compete with all the other creators on Spotify.

But at the end of the day, you need to be on both of these platforms—and YouTube—to truly maximize your reach as a podcast host.