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Spotify says its video podcasts are seeing increased consumer adoption. In its third quarter earnings report, the company shared that its video podcast catalog has expanded to nearly half a million shows, and more than 390 million users have now streamed a video podcast on the platform.<\/p>\n
That figure is up 54% year-over-year, and it also reflects Spotify\u2019s increased investment in the format. In June 2024, the company said it had some 250,000<\/a> video podcasts as it rolled out tools that let non-hosted podcasters upload their videos to the platform. The streaming giant also lets users engage with podcasts through comments, Q&As,<\/a> and polls<\/a>, making the app feel more like a social network<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a result, Spotify says that users\u2019 time spent with video content on Spotify has also more than doubled year-over-year, largely driven by video podcasts. In addition, video podcast consumption has increased by more than 80% since the launch of the Spotify Partner Program<\/a>, or SPP, in January, which gives qualifying creators the ability to monetize their shows in new ways, including<\/a> audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium user engagement.<\/p>\n The company also recently announced a partnership with Netflix<\/a> to distribute its video podcasts to a broader audience starting in 2026 in the United States, with more markets to follow. Investors didn\u2019t ask about the specifics of the revenue-sharing agreement on the earnings call; however, investors did want to understand how distributing podcasts off the platform would ultimately benefit Spotify.<\/p>\n According to incoming co-CEO Alex Norstr\u00f6m, the move is meant to center Spotify as creators\u2019 distribution hub. <\/p>\n \u201cWe think\u2026 that when the creator wins, we win, and as creators optimize to create their best shows and interviews, which is really what they\u2019re focused on,\u201d Norstr\u00f6m told investors and analysts. \u201cThey wanted to syndicate everywhere. And we believe, of course, in helping them to reach audiences in as many places as possible, which is consistent with our core philosophy on being creator-first.\u201d<\/p>\n Later, co-CEO Gustav S\u00f6derstr\u00f6m suggested that allowing creators to be both on Spotify and Netflix gives the company further \u201crevenue opportunities.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThis is the way to think about it: It\u2019s part of our ubiquity strategy, and it\u2019s really important that while we build a good user experience, we also need to have a very strong creator offer[ing],\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n Norstr\u00f6m pointed out that having Spotify podcasts on YouTube increased awareness about the shows and their origins, which then resulted in net incremental usage on Spotify. The company expects the same with Netflix.<\/p>\n In addition, Spotify said the TV opportunity was a part of this equation \u2014 hence the recent upgrade<\/a> of its Apple TV app. The more people can use Spotify across platforms, the more their usage increases, and that helps Spotify\u2019s ads business.<\/p>\n The company also noted that it has given advertisers programmatic access to its audio and video inventory, though it admits that 2025 is a \u201ctransition year\u201d for its ads business, and it doesn\u2019t expect to see growth improve until the second half of 2026.<\/p>\n The streamer also announced its monthly active users increased 11% year-over-year to 713 million, and revenue was up to \u20ac4.27 billion (~$4.9 billion), beating Wall Street\u2019s expectations. The company saw an \u20ac899 million net profit (~$1 billion) during the quarter.<\/p>\n However, the stock slipped<\/a> after the opening bell on Tuesday, due to Wall Street\u2019s concerns over Spotify\u2019s mixed guidance for its fourth quarter. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n