YouTube Launches Weekly Podcast Rankings Based on Watch Time in the US

YouTube has introduced a new feature to its platform: a Weekly Top Podcast Shows chart for users in the United States. This new ranking system, available at charts.youtube.com/podcasts, lists the top 100 podcasts on YouTube based on watch time. The chart will be updated every Wednesday, with the current list covering the week of May 5–11, 2025. Importantly, only playlists that creators have explicitly marked as ‘podcasts’ will be included, excluding clips and Shorts.

This feature is part of YouTube’s broader Charts experience, which also covers music-related rankings like trending songs, videos, and artists. According to YouTube, this podcast chart aims to celebrate and highlight the most engaging and influential content across genres such as News, Comedy, Sports, and True Crime.

Additionally, YouTube hinted at broader developments, including expansion of podcast charts to other regions and upcoming features, although no specific details have been announced. While YouTube Music and Podcasts have seen few updates recently, the platform continues to be heavily used for podcast consumption. An example of recent podcast activity includes full video uploads by ‘Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend.’ YouTube remains a key player in digital audio and video media despite limited updates to its podcast infrastructure in recent months.