Podtrac Launches First Multi-Channel Podcast Rankings

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 3:24pm CT

Podtrac

Podtrac has released what it calls the podcast industry's first comprehensive Multi-Channel Podcast Ranking, designed to measure podcast consumption across audio, video, and social platforms.

The new Top 200 monthly ranking captures delivery from traditional audio podcast downloads on platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, full video episodes viewed on YouTube and Spotify, and short-form podcast video clips played on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Every audio and video podcast is eligible for inclusion in the ranking.

According to Podtrac, the expanded measurement reflects how publishers are increasingly distributing and promoting shows across multiple platforms and bundling advertising packages around those strengths. The ranking is intended to answer key industry questions, including the relative popularity of short video clips versus full episodes and where top podcasts are choosing to post video content.

Highlights from Podtrac's December 2025 Top 200 Multi-Channel Podcast Ranking show that all 200 ranked podcasts distribute audio episodes via RSS. Video distribution is also widespread, with 64% of podcasts posting video episodes to YouTube and 22% to Spotify. While audio remains dominant overall, 26% of the Top 200 podcasts receive the majority of their delivery from video.

Among the Top 50 podcasts, delivery is nearly evenly split between video (51%) and audio (49%). In contrast, podcasts ranked 51 through 200 skew more heavily toward audio, which accounts for 77% of delivery. By genre, News leads the ranking with 52 podcasts, followed by Comedy (35), Society & Culture (20), True Crime (19), Business (17), and Sports (11).

Short-form video plays a significant role as well. Sixty-five percent of the Top 200 podcasts post clips to Instagram, 55% to TikTok, and 55% to YouTube. More than one-third of ranked podcasts generate more delivery from video clips than from full podcast episodes. On YouTube specifically, 53% of podcast delivery comes from clips, compared with 47% from full episodes.

Podtrac said the new ranking is designed to provide advertisers with a clearer view of top podcasts across platforms, help publishers benchmark and expand their reach, and offer the industry a broader understanding of how audiences engage with podcasts in an increasingly multi-channel environment.