Buzzsprout’s latest platform stats reveal a shift in podcast app performance. Apple Podcasts strengthened its lead in November 2025, capturing 34.9% of all episode downloads—a 2% increase year-over-year. Meanwhile, Spotify fell to 29.4%, marking a 7.6% decline in share.
The drop may be partly due to Spotify’s caching of video content, which isn't tracked the same way by Buzzsprout. However, the scale of the dip raises broader questions about listener habits and platform engagement.
Buzzsprout’s data is drawn from over 90 million monthly downloads, reflecting trends from nearly 120,000 active podcasts. Web browsers, Overcast, and embedded players round out the top five sources, though none rival the dominance of Apple and Spotify.
Beyond platform use, the average podcast episode falls between 20–40 minutes, and 35% of shows publish weekly, reinforcing industry norms for format and cadence. Only 29 downloads in the first 7 days places a show in the median 50%.
As podcast creators evaluate distribution strategies heading into 2026, Apple’s continued strength and Spotify’s relative dip offer key signals for where to focus promotional efforts.
