

How likely is that to happen? What % of podcast listens happen on Spotify?Īccording to Transistor.fm's current download numbers, here are the percentage of listens that happen on each platform:Ĭurrently, 78% of listens are happening on apps other than Spotify. If Spotify becomes dominant, we would lose the open, vibrant ecosystem we have today.

It’s completely decentralized, free, fair, open, and uncontrollable by any single entity, as long as the ecosystem of podcast-player apps remains diverse enough that no app can dictate arbitrary terms to publishers (the way Facebook now effectively controls the web publishing industry). As Marco Arment points out, an open platform is generally better for creators: In the past, I've joked that "venture capitalists have always seen podcasting as sub-optimal because it's not centralized." Because nobody owns the platform, it's hard to monetize it.Īnd many of us love podcasting because it's open. CEO Daniel Ek has been even more forthright, stating: "We want Spotify to be at the center of the global audio economy."
