YouTube is converging social media, streaming TV, digital audio, and product discovery in one platform. But how audiences use it depends on who is watching.​

Spotify keeps adding millions of ad-supported users, but its advertising revenue has stayed stubbornly flat. That disconnect, visible again in its latest earnings, puts the streaming giant's chances of becoming a major player in digital advertising in doubt.

Spotify keeps adding millions of ad-supported users, but its advertising revenue has stayed stubbornly flat. That disconnect, visible again in its latest earnings, puts the streaming giant's chances of becoming a major player in digital advertising in doubt. "Over the last five quarters, Spotify has grown its ad-supported user base from 420 million to 490 million users. Yet over that same period, ad-supported revenue has declined year-over-year in four of the five quarters and grew just 1% in the most recent one," said our analyst Marcus Johnson on a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers." The company's Q2 2024 results showed total revenue growth of 14%, but that performance was driven almost entirely by premium subscriptions, which account for 90% of Spotify's business.

AI is gaining influence over what consumers discover and consider long before it commands a meaningful share of the digital economy. But existing advantages in reaching consumers, earning trust, and driving transactions still matter.

AI is reshaping contextual advertising across CTV, audio, retail media, and the open web. It’s advancing semantic understanding, agentic planning, and real-time targeting while exposing persistent measurement and infrastructure gaps.

In July 2026, we analyzed 3,210 ChatGPT responses across eight media and entertainment categories to compile the EMARKETER AI Visibility Index.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three biggest questions surrounding Spotify right now: Why is there a disconnect between Spotify’s ad-supported revenue and its ad-supported users? Will podcast advertising provide another wave of growth? Can Spotify generate meaningful supplementary revenue from its new “Reserved” ticketing service in partnership with Live Nation? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Editor Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Disney+ and Hulu add iHeartMedia video podcasts: The deal could give marketers premium inventory with audiences primed to act on ads.

45% of US Gen Z digital audio listeners play video games while they listen, compared with 28% of listeners overall, according to a March survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.

Spotify falls short of user forecasts: Engagement remains healthy, but uneven ad performance adds demand for stronger measurement.

Digital audio is quietly restructuring the listening landscape. Ad-supported streaming music is taking share from radio, podcasts are reaching record audiences, and Gen Z spends more time in Spotify's app than YouTube's. For advertisers, audio offers trusted voices and habitual daily attention at prices below video. This FAQ covers where listening is moving, why audio earns budget, and how to plan the channel in 2026.

Comscore adds episode-level podcast targeting: Finer metadata can help advertisers on podcasts gain precision and workflows similar to CTV and display.

Advertisers are pouring money into channels that don’t match where consumers spend their time. This report reveals the biggest gaps across media, devices, and platforms—and where missed opportunities may lie.

63% of US Gen Z digital audio listeners use YouTube or YouTube Music, making it the top platform for both Gen Z and the total population (53%), according to a March 2026 survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.

41% of US Gen Z digital audio listeners tune in to improve their mood, compared with 33% of all listeners, according to a March 2026 survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.

TikTok’s influence across Western Europe keeps expanding, but its biggest opportunities vary by market. This report explores where user growth, advertising, and social commerce are accelerating.

Spotify expands podcast buying: Amazon DSP now reaches Spotify podcasts, making it easier to add high-attention audio to broader media plans.

Last week, Ace Hardware held its annual Ace Rewards Day sales event, designed to capture the surge in shopping activity that Amazon's Prime Day helps create each summer. The preparation behind the event offers a playbook retail media leaders can apply to major retail moments throughout the rest of the year, including the holiday season.

Media consumption is climbing again after years of slower growth, thanks partly to genAI. New forecasts reveal how AI, streaming video, live sports, and converged TV are reshaping how US adults spend their time—and driving more screen time in the process.

YouTube/YouTube Music is the most-used digital audio platform, reaching 51% of US digital audio listeners and standing alone as the only option to clear the halfway mark, according to a March 2026 Harris Poll and EMARKETER survey.