Podtrac Rankings: iHeart Leads as YouTube’s Influence on Podcasts Surges
The end of the year is typically a turbulent season for podcast analytics, and November 2025 was no exception. As listening patterns shifted around the holidays, most publishers measured by Podtrac saw declines in downloads and unique listeners when compared to October. Only a handful managed to record gains. Yet, even amid seasonal disruption, one trend remained steady: iHeartPodcasts continues to reign at the top of the charts.
This in-depth report breaks down the November Podtrac rankings, analyzes the shifts within the top 20 shows, and explores how YouTube is rapidly transforming podcast consumption on a global scale — reshuffling what dominance looks like in an increasingly video-driven industry.
iHeart Holds the No. 1 Position in the U.S. Podcast Publisher Rankings
Despite the typical November slowdown, iHeartPodcasts maintained a commanding lead across Podtrac’s publisher metrics.
iHeartPodcasts’ November 2025 Numbers
165 million downloads and streams
30 million unique U.S. listeners
These figures apply strictly to Podtrac’s measured shows, which includes a large portion of iHeart’s catalog but does not represent every podcast in the marketplace.
Supporting iHeart’s continued dominance is the iHeart Audience Network — a broader advertising and distribution ecosystem that includes not only iHeart-owned shows but tens of thousands from other publishers.
For several consecutive months, Acast and NPR have been locked in a tight competition for the third position on Podtrac’s U.S. publisher leaderboard. This remained true in November.
Acast’s November 2025 Metrics
77 million downloads (U.S.)
21 million unique U.S. listeners
Acast’s strength lies in its larger unique audience, giving it wide reach across the American listening base.
NPR’s November 2025 Metrics
112 million downloads
Slightly fewer overall listeners than Acast
NPR had more total downloads, suggesting deeper engagement per listener, though it reached a smaller total audience.
This contrast—breadth for Acast, depth for NPR—keeps the battle for third place dynamic month after month.
Libsyn Secures the Top Five
Rounding out Podtrac’s top five for November was Libsyn, one of the oldest hosting and monetization companies in podcasting.
Libsyn’s November 2025 Results
87 million downloads
Nearly 20 million U.S. listeners
While Libsyn does not command the same cultural spotlight as NPR or the vast network scale of iHeart, its stability in rankings underscores its strong role in independent podcast distribution.
“The Charlie Kirk Show” Continues to Slide Following the Host’s Murder
One of the most notable movements in Podtrac’s show-level rankings continues to be the descent of “The Charlie Kirk Show.” Following the host’s murder in September, the series has been undergoing programming changes, including a rotation of fill-in hosts.
Recent Ranking Movement
Dropped eight spots in November
Now sits at No. 19
Down from its peak at No. 7 just two months prior
Despite the decline, the show remains within Podtrac’s Top 20, demonstrating the residual strength of its established audience base and the continuing efforts of the Salem Podcast Network to stabilize it.
NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” Climbs the Chart
In contrast to the downward shift of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” several programs posted significant gains in November, including NPR’s long-running news quiz show:
“Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”
Up four spots
Now sits at No. 14
Holiday listening patterns often favor lighter, entertainment-driven shows — potentially contributing to this upward bump.
Major Winners in November: “The Shawn Ryan Show” & “Today, Explained”
Several other programs experienced notable advances in Podtrac’s charts.
Cumulus Podcast Network’s “The Shawn Ryan Show”
Entered the Top 5
A major milestone reflecting the show’s rapidly growing reach
Vox Media’s “Today, Explained”
Newly entered the Top 10
Strengthened by news consumption during geopolitical and U.S. political developments
These moves highlight that despite broader decline in total listening, successful franchises continue to find ways to reach new audiences.
Top 3 Shows Hold Steady Despite Market Movement
Although the rest of the top 20 saw movement up and down, the top three shows remained unchanged from October.
Podtrac’s Top Three Podcasts (November 2025)
NPR News Now
The Daily (The New York Times)
Up First (NPR)
“NPR News Now” has held first place since September, continuing its run as the most-consumed news podcast in the United States as measured by Podtrac.
YouTube’s Role in Global Podcast Consumption Is Surging
Beyond the U.S.-focused publisher rankings, Podtrac’s global measurements indicate one of the biggest shifts occurring in the podcast industry: YouTube’s increasing dominance as a platform for podcast consumption.
The most striking example is iHeart’s global performance.
iHeart Audience Network (Global November 2025)
738 million downloads and video views worldwide
30% of total consumption came from YouTube
This is particularly noteworthy because only 89 of the network’s 30,820 podcasts are distributed on YouTube. It demonstrates how dramatically video episodes — even when available for only a fraction of shows — can reshape consumption metrics.
Other Publishers Seeing Higher Consumption on YouTube Than RSS Audio
Podtrac identified three publishers whose global consumption leaned more heavily toward YouTube views than traditional RSS-based audio downloads.
1. Libsyn
154 million YouTube views
111 million audio downloads/streams
This means Libsyn had more consumption via YouTube than audio, a rare reversal for a company historically rooted in audio hosting.
2. Sonoro
More than 50% of its global consumption came from YouTube
Reinforces Sonoro’s strategy of bilingual and Spanish-language shows that perform exceptionally well in video-first regions
3. Paramount
The most extreme example in the list.
61% of all global consumption came from YouTube
Catalog includes brands such as: BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, and others
The video-heavy nature of Paramount’s intellectual property gives its podcasts a natural advantage on a video platform.
How Podtrac Ranks Publishers and Shows
Podtrac’s rankings are based primarily on U.S. unique monthly audience, but they also track global consumption for publishers who opt into that measurement.
Important Notes About Podtrac’s Methodology
Only shows that have opted into Podtrac measurement are included
Podtrac measurement is free, but not automatic
Some of the biggest podcasts in the world are not included, such as:
The Joe Rogan Experience
Major shows from SiriusXM
Spotify originals
Wondery titles
Therefore, the rankings provide a significant but not fully complete view of the podcast ecosystem.
The Growing Impact of YouTube on Podcasting
November’s data reinforces a seismic shift already felt throughout the podcasting world:
YouTube is becoming one of the most influential distribution platforms for podcasts globally.
Why?
Video clips drive discovery
Visual engagement increases session duration
Younger listeners prefer video-first content
Creators are cross-posting episodes to multiple platforms
Monetization via ads is clearer on YouTube than traditional audio
Even publishers rooted in audio-first infrastructure are now seeing their audience behavior tilt decisively toward YouTube.
What November 2025 Means for the Future of Podcast Rankings
With iHeart maintaining its U.S. lead and YouTube reshaping global numbers, the industry faces a new era where podcasting is no longer audio-exclusive. The holiday-season slowdown provides a preview of deeper changes coming in 2026:
Publishers must optimize for both YouTube and RSS platforms
News podcasts continue to dominate, even during disrupted listening periods
Video-first podcast consumption is no longer an outlier — it’s becoming the baseline
Shows with flexible formats (news, explainers, interviews) perform most consistently
Events affecting hosts, such as the murder of Charlie Kirk, have measurable effects on rankings and listener stability
November’s Podtrac report ultimately underscores this: The evolution of podcasting is increasingly tied to video integration, platform diversification, and the rising importance of global distribution.
