YouTube Releases First-Ever Recap With A Strong Year For Podcasts.

YouTube is closing its 20th anniversary year by deepening its commitment to personalized viewing and long-form listening, unveiling the platform’s first-ever YouTube Recap feature alongside its annual End Of Year Trending Lists. The company says the dual release marks a celebration of the creators, formats, and cultural moments that shaped 2025 — and increasingly, that includes podcasts.

The U.S. End-of-Year report confirms that 2025 was another breakout year for podcasting on YouTube. The Top Podcasts in the U.S., based on total watch time, were led by “The Joe Rogan Experience,” followed by “Kill Tony,” “Good Mythical Morning,” “Rotten Mango,” “The MeidasTouch Podcast,” “48 Hours,” “Shawn Ryan Show,” “Smosh Reads Reddit Stories,” “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von,” and “The Diary Of A CEO.” The ranking is based on total watch time in the U.S., excluding clips and Shorts.

“Our End Of Year trending lists continue to capture the cultural zeitgeist,” Kevin Allocca, Global Director of YouTube Culture & Trends, said in announcing the lists. He pointed to the way creators can turn emerging titles into global cultural drivers, noting that creators take new releases — like the TV show “KPop Demon Hunters” — and propel them into global phenomena. “YouTube remains the ultimate engine for shared pop culture experiences,” Allocca boasted.

The list of top trending topics for the year include the death in September of conservative activist and podcaster Charlie Kirk. The list is based on a variety of signals, including views, uploads, and creator activity around the topics.

Kirk also ranked No. 6 on YouTube’s list of top creators for the year. It is based on the number of subscribers an individual’s channel gained in 2025.

The debut of YouTube Recap marks a milestone for the company. The first-ever personalized review provides users with a summary of their individual viewing journey on both mobile and desktop over the year. Listeners who spent significant time in audio will also see podcast-focused components.

Users can find their Recap on the YouTube homepage or under the “You” tab on mobile and desktop. Once inside, viewers will see up to 12 distinct cards spotlighting top channels, interests, viewing habit evolution, and even a personalized “personality type” based on watch history.