TikTok’s Future Could Have Impact On Podcast Promotion, Data Shows.

The fate of TikTok in the U.S. remains up in the air despite its short-term reprieve from the Trump administration. What happens to the app will have an impact on podcasting, especially for shows that target younger consumers. Edison Research says that one in five U.S. podcast audiences is exposed to show clips and promos through the short-form video platform, up from 17% at the end of 2022.

But that figure is even higher among 13- to 24-year-olds, where three in ten say they use TikTok to access podcast content. Edison says users are likely reporting listening to clips rather than full episodes on the platform given TikTok’s short-form video experience.

Edison earlier released the Gen Z Podcast Listener Report, which showed how critical TikTok is in how consumers uncover new podcasts. Three quarters of Gen Z podcast listeners 13-24 reported using TikTok to find new shows in 2023. Among them, 80% discovered podcasts through their TikTok feeds, meaning it was the second most popular social media app for podcast discovery after YouTube among this group.

Paul Kelly, CEO at streaming audio ad tech company AMA, says ad buyers are watching closely whether the TikTok ban becomes permanent.

“TikTok has been instrumental in podcast and music discovery for many users,” Kelly says. “This ban could have downstream effects on podcasting and music streaming, as viral clips or promotional content will likely shift to platforms like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels.”