Approximately a month back, Spotify initiated testing a feature that sheds light on the size of podcasters’ audiences.
In the podcast industry, certain names dominate. Joe Rogan is recognized as one of the most prominent podcasters globally. Yet, quantifying this dominance was not possible until recently.
Most people agree that Joe Rogan is the most well-known podcaster on the planet, with a number of other shows coming in second and third on the charts and in Edison Research poll results. However, what many do not realize is that The Joe Rogan Experience is so big that everything else looks tiny. He has such a big shadow over all other podcasters that the success criteria have to be reevaluated.
Last month, Spotify discreetly introduced a feature providing insights into the popularity of podcasts. Embedded within the mobile app’s landing pages, this feature offers a glimpse into audience sizes.
If you have access, there should be a little rectangle on the left that, when pressed, will start to play episode previews that can be swiped. The appearance and functionality of that website are very similar to TikTok, even down to the follow button on the right side for podcast listeners. There you can check the amount of followers a podcast has, despite it being unlabeled.
As of recent records, Joe Rogan’s show boasts a staggering 14.5 million followers on Spotify. This figure significantly surpasses other leading podcasts. That is over three times more than TED Talks Daily, the second most popular show
Although Rogan commands a substantial following on Spotify, his reach extends across various platforms. Notably, his YouTube subscribers total 16.4 million, while his Instagram followers exceed 18.9 million.
However, it’s essential to contextualize these figures. Audience engagement spans multiple platforms, and not all followers translate to active listeners. Nonetheless, following a podcast signifies a deliberate interest in the creator’s content.
Compared to his 16.4 million YouTube subscribers and 18.9 million personal Instagram followers, he still has a lesser Spotify following. It’s important to note that Rogan only gained these Spotify fans in a span of four years. This is because his program hadn’t been included to the platform until he inked an exclusive contract in 2020.
Spotify recently announced: “This number represents the number of users who have decided to ‘follow’ a show on Spotify — it doesn’t represent a show’s total audience or the performance of an episode. The early feedback from both creators and users has been encouraging. We have no further details to share at this time.”