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Amazon Music鈥檚 AI push is promising but fumbles the execution: Explore brings deeper fan engagement, but a clunky interface may keep it from stealing share from Spotify or YouTube Music.

Multiview, voice replies, and AI music tools mark YouTube鈥檚 pivot from mobile-first to TV-native and raise the bar for creators and advertisers alike.

YouTube has more users than Facebook, Netflix, or Spotify. But its advertising revenues do not match its vast reach. This report contextualizes the opportunities and scope for growth in various media spheres.

US mobile audio app listeners spend an average of 32.3 hours with Spotify a month, compared with 3.5 hours with Amazon Music, and 0.9 hours with Apple Music, according to January data from Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform.

Older users favor a more fragmented mix that includes YouTube Music, Pandora, and Amazon Music. Yes, but: Advertisers have ramped up podcast spend, but listening habits aren鈥檛 uniform鈥攑latform preferences shift substantially by age group. Brands leaning too heavily on youth-oriented platforms risk missing sizable and growing older audiences.

YouTube expands Premium Lite to more countries: The lower-cost tier aims to attract price-sensitive users without hurting ad revenues.

On today's episode, we discuss how social media engagement is changing, whether TikTok is the new Google for young people, if the "deinfluencing" trend is here to stay, whether YouTube Music can compete with Spotify and Apple Music, what the road to electric vehicles looks like, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of reports editing Rahul Chadha, director of forecasting Oscar Orozco, and analyst Max Willens.

YouTube has quietly developed a strong subscription business. Although YouTube is usually used as a free service monetized through ads, it says its YouTube Music and Premium services now have more than 100 million subscribers worldwide. In February 2024, YouTube shared that YouTube TV had surpassed 8 million subscribers in the US.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the main reasons YouTube is the most watched platform on TVs, how 鈥淧lanet YouTube鈥檚鈥� gravitational pull is disrupting other media types, and what the biggest threat to its dominance is. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President and Principal Analyst Jasmine Enberg, and Principal Analyst Bill Fisher for the conversation. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

YouTube Premium will have more than that (48.6 million), but it鈥檚 not clear how many of those subscribers are using the service for audio purposes along with their general YouTube viewing. Subscription fees are rising across the board. Spotify, YouTube Music Premium, and regular YouTube Premium鈥攚hich includes the premium music tier鈥攁ll raised their subscription fees in July 2023.

YouTube鈥檚 ad business took a hit in the latter half of 2022, with revenues down year over year in both Q3 and Q4. The company has since hired a new CEO, hiked YouTube TV prices, and introduced podcasts to YouTube Music to try to reverse the downward trend.

YouTube has quietly developed a strong subscription business. Although YouTube is usually used as a free service monetized through ads, it says its YouTube Music and Premium services now have more than 100 million subscribers worldwide. In February 2024, YouTube shared that YouTube TV had surpassed 8 million subscribers in the US.

While teens retain digital habits from childhood (such as a strong preference for YouTube), their newfound independence and desire to connect with peers has led them to new habits.

YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, and YouTube Music Premium are driving subscription growth as the platform diversifies into live sports and music streaming. YouTube is also making a bold play for the living room screen.

The news: The rise of AI-generated music has pushed the music industry to shift from takedowns to traceability. Instead of blocking AI-generated songs like the viral Drake-The Weeknd fake, new systems aim to detect synthetic content at every stage鈥攖raining, production, upload, and distribution. Key takeaway: Advertisers should partner with platforms using AI detection for metadata-tagged AI tracks to ensure brand-safe music placements. Marketers who embrace traceable AI music can stay compliant and transparent while supporting artists鈥� rights and tapping into scalable, brand-safe sound.

Spotify expanded its Partner Program to nine new markets in March to remain competitive in light of YouTube surpassing it as the preferred platform for podcasts. Patreon inked a partnership with Sony and Wondery in April that made select Sony Music and Wondery podcasts available on Patreon. As part of the partnership, Patreon also introduced exclusive fan perks and content for listeners.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the battle between linear TV and CTV, one mobile device metric that is going down, and a surprising finding about which age group uses YouTube the most. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Forecasting Writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

The trend: Gen Z is opting out of both traditional pay TV and ad-supported streaming tiers, signaling deeper changes in viewing behavior. Just 42% of Gen Z subscribers use ad-supported SVOD, while less than half of all US households now maintain a pay TV subscription. Our take: Streaming鈥檚 future depends on reaching the next generation, but current models鈥攅specially ad-supported tiers鈥攁ren鈥檛 meeting Gen Z where they are. With only 1.3 hours of streaming and 0.8 hours of traditional TV per day, Gen Z prefers social video, gaming, and music. To stay relevant, platforms must prioritize native formats, interactivity, and creator integration over legacy ad models.

Most consumers divide their time across gaming, music, podcasts, and social, but streaming remains on top鈥攅ven as mobile becomes the default for short- and long-form video.

Our take: Meta is using referral and bonus programs as a growth engine to compete with TikTok, YouTube, and other rivals. However, currying platform loyalty with cash could blur the line between authentic posting and affiliate marketing. Epic vs. Apple case opens up options for Spotify app users.