Spotify reports that its video podcasts are gaining traction with users. The company’s third quarter earnings report revealed its video podcast offerings have grown to almost 500,000 shows, with over 390 million users having now streamed a video podcast on the service.
This figure marks a 54% increase year-over-year, reflecting Spotify’s growing focus on this format. In June 2024, the company stated it had approximately 250,000 video podcasts while introducing tools for non-hosted podcasters to upload videos. The streaming platform also enables user interaction with podcasts through comments, Q&As, and polls, enhancing the app’s social network feel.
As a result, Spotify reports user time spent with video content has more than doubled year-over-year, largely due to video podcasts. Furthermore, video podcast consumption has increased by over 80% since launching the Spotify Partner Program (SPP) in January, which enables eligible creators to monetize shows in new ways, including audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium engagement.
The company recently announced a partnership with Netflix to distribute its video podcasts to a wider audience, beginning in 2026 in the United States, with additional markets to follow. During the earnings call, investors did not inquire about the specific revenue-sharing agreement but were interested in understanding how distributing podcasts beyond the platform would ultimately benefit Spotify.
According to incoming co-CEO Alex Norström, this initiative aims to establish Spotify as the central distribution point for creators.
“We think… that when the creator wins, we win, and as creators optimize to create their best shows and interviews, which is really what they’re focused on,” Norström told investors and analysts. “They 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.”
Later, co-CEO Gustav Söderström suggested that allowing creators to be present on both Spotify and Netflix presents further “revenue opportunities.”
“This is the way to think about it: It’s part of our ubiquity strategy, and it’s really important that while we build a good user experience, we also need to have a very strong creator offer[ing],” he noted.
Norström highlighted that featuring Spotify podcasts on YouTube increased show awareness and origins, leading to increased usage on Spotify. The company anticipates similar results with Netflix.
Additionally, Spotify stated the TV opportunity was a factor, evidenced by the recent upgrade of its Apple TV app. Increased cross-platform Spotify usage leads to greater overall usage, benefiting Spotify’s advertising business.
The company also noted offering advertisers programmatic access to audio and video inventory, while acknowledging 2025 as a “transition year” for its ads business, with expected growth improvement in the second half of 2026.
The streamer also announced its monthly active users increased 11% year-over-year to 713 million, and revenue rose to €4.27 billion (~$4.9 billion), surpassing Wall Street expectations. The company reported an €899 million net profit (~$1 billion) for the quarter.
However, the stock declined after the opening bell on Tuesday due to Wall Street’s concerns about Spotify’s mixed guidance for its fourth quarter.
