The Top Podcasts of 2023 Revealed by Apple and Spotify: What They Do and Don’t Tell Us

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It’s that time of year when everyone is sharing their Spotify Wrapped results, and then there’s me, with my unremarkable Apple Music Replay that no one really cares about. While I do also have Spotify, I can’t seem to access my Wrapped feature as it crashes due to heavy usage. Renowned author Olivia Wolfgang-Smith let me in on a secret – if Taylor Swift is your top artist on Spotify, you’ll receive a video of her thanking you for being a simp.

But besides the music, the end-of-year streaming wrap-ups offer a peek into people’s podcast listening habits. Let’s dive into it.

Spotify and Apple have unveiled their top podcast lists, which feature many familiar names, among them Crime Junkie, The Daily, and Dateline NBC. However, it’s important to remember that the rankings are based on each platform’s distinct audiences and strategies and therefore don’t present a comprehensive industry view.

Notably, Spotify’s top podcasts contain few titles that overlap with Apple’s. Of the listed shows, only Crime Junkie and Huberman Lab feature in both. Furthermore, the demographic differences between Apple and Spotify users impact the content of the lists. For instance, Apple’s audience skews older, whereas Spotify attracts a younger, more gender-balanced demographic, resulting in distinct podcast preferences.

Spotify’s list showcases numerous celebrity chat shows, reflecting the platform’s emphasis on such content. Interestingly, Spotify’s own shows occupy a significant portion of the top ten rankings, suggesting the company’s push for greater ownership of podcast content.

While these lists offer valuable insight into user habits, they aren’t definitive as they only represent a snapshot of their respective platforms. For a more comprehensive view, some experts suggest turning to studies and polling data rather than relying solely on streaming numbers.

Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] with your thoughts on the rankings or any surprising omissions.

Join me next Tuesday for the latest developments in the audio industry.

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