New Data Shows Video Clips, Social Media Fuel Podcast Discovery More Than Ever.

Friends and family may still be close to the heart, but new a new survey suggests their sway in podcast recommendations may be fading. According to new data from Coleman Insights and Amplifi Media, social media recommendations are now the most sought after. Their forthcoming “The State of Video Podcasting 2025” study finds a majority 57% of podcast listeners rely on social media for recommendations, nudging out friends and family to second place, with 54% saying they rely on those personal tips. Recommendations from podcast apps and services rank third, with about half (49%) saying they look to those to discover their next listen.

“This is the very first time in research that we’ve seen social media take over number one,” said Jay Nachlis, VP at Coleman. “This just speaks to the effect of video and using clips for discovery. This shows that it’s working.” Nachlis told the NAB Show in Las Vegas that friends and family are still “very important” but the data shows that 42% of people look for recommendations from other podcast hosts, reinforcing the value of cross-promotion between podcasts.

The findings, based on responses from 1,000 U.S. consumers, also shows another way video is solidifying its role as a discovery tool. The survey asked podcast listeners which of the social media platforms they used to discover new podcasts for the first time in the past few months.

YouTube came out on top with six in ten (59%) podcast listeners relying on the video site, with YouTube Shorts now ranked second with 41%. That put it ahead of Instagram Reels (34%) and TikTok (29%).

“I think that a lot of people are sleeping on shorts because it doesn’t get mentioned, and the zeitgeist is one of the top short-form platforms,” Nachlis said. He pointed out that the top four are all video-focused, but Shorts has an advantage over its short-form rivals because creators can directly link to their podcast on YouTube.

The numbers come as little surprise to Emma Sweet, Global Podcast Activation Manager for Podcasts at YouTube. She said they correlate with much of what they see inside the company, including data showing there’s the potential for 40% incremental new audience from doing short-form.

“There are some viewers of YouTube that are just on Shorts. They’re not even touching the longer-form video. It’s a way to reach viewers who have different preferences for what kinds of content they consume,” Sweet said. She said it also makes sense that YouTube is helping drive discovery since the platform has two billion monthly logged-in users. “One of our advantages is just having a really vast global audience,” said Sweet.

Urban One Senior VP Samuel Tatum Jr. said he looks at the data and concludes that podcast promotion is a lot like Thanksgiving dinner, where one turkey produces a cornucopia of leftover creations. In podcasting, one show produces a variety of clips to reach an audience.

“Some just want those short clips. They want the highlights of them, the moments that make them laugh, or the moments that has the information, and that’s it,” Tatum said. “Those audience nuances are what we’re trying to figure out.” He said they also work to cross-pollinate podcast personalities with their on-air radio stations, explaining that “stamp of approval” goes far to build trust in the Black community.

Sound Quality Matters

The format may be video, but during the NAB panel moderated by former Cumulus podcast executive John Wordock, the focus was also on how to appeal to YouTube users.  Sweet told podcasters that as they make the leap to YouTube, they need to not only make sure that they are using a decent camera and lighting, but the sound quality of the audio file is just as good as if it were an audio-only show. She also recommended that creators use strong keywords in their episode titles and descriptions, create clear and eye-catching thumbnails — including taking into account that some consumers will view them on a smaller mobile screen, and for the most part, put all their content into a single channel.

Sweet also sees YouTube as an “incremental platform” for podcasters. “We’re not trying to take Spotify and Apple and run them out of the industry,” she said. “We’re trying to make it easier for creators to bring their content to YouTube.”