Podcast clips draw listeners through social media
According to the NMO AudioMonitor, 42 per cent of people in the Netherlands occasionally see a podcast clip online, after which more than half listen further.
Short clips on social media are not merely promotional material for podcasts. The new NMO AudioMonitor shows that such clips regularly provide a route to a full episode, while overall growth in podcast listening is levelling off.
Of people in the Netherlands aged 13 and over, 42 per cent occasionally see or hear a podcast clip via social media. Of that group, 58 per cent say they subsequently sometimes listen to the podcast from which the clip originated. The figures come from the fifth NMO AudioMonitor, conducted by GfK.
The finding does not mean that every clip attracts new listeners. The study asks people about their own behaviour and does not compare individual platforms, creators or types of clips. It does show that social media can provide podcasts with an entry point to longer-form audio.
That route is slightly less strong for radio. Forty-six per cent of people in the Netherlands occasionally see or hear a radio clip via social media; of that group, 46 per cent also sometimes listen to the station concerned. The difference may be of interest to creators who use short videos to make a longer programme discoverable.
Most podcast listeners listen via an online music service, such as Spotify or Deezer. This applies to 56 per cent. YouTube follows with 25 per cent, and specialised podcast apps and websites with 21 per cent. Home is the main listening location, followed by listening in the car and while travelling in other ways.
The monitor also shows that the rapid growth of recent years is slowing. In 2019, 67 per cent said they never listened to podcasts. In 2026, that was 52 per cent. The proportion of people who listen almost daily is around 7 per cent, roughly the same as in 2024.
For publishers, broadcasters and independent creators, competition is therefore shifting towards discoverability. A clip must not only be sound in terms of content, but also work in an environment where users scroll on quickly. As a result, social platforms influence which voices and subjects become visible.
For the study, NMO surveyed 5,377 people in the Netherlands aged 13 and over. Fieldwork ran from 26 May to 9 June 2026 inclusive. The figures describe listening behaviour during a particular measurement period and do not prove that a clip’s success is caused separately by the platform, the creator or the content.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures used were checked against NMO and two independent media sources. The text makes clear that self-reporting and association are not evidence of a direct causal effect.
- confirmed Forty-two per cent occasionally see or hear a podcast clip via social media. — Reported on the basis of the 2026 NMO AudioMonitor. source
- confirmed Fifty-eight per cent of that group subsequently sometimes listen to the podcast concerned. — Percentage from reporting on the NMO AudioMonitor. source
- confirmed The NMO AudioMonitor surveyed 5,377 people in the Netherlands aged 13 and over. — NMO itself describes the sample and methodology. source
- uncertain Podcast clips directly cause new listeners. — The study is based on self-reporting and shows no causal comparison. source
Editor's note
The sample, fieldwork period and main percentages are based on the NMO AudioMonitor and independent reporting about it. The figures show associations and self-reported behaviour, not a causal effect of individual platforms.Sources
- Download hier de AudioMonitor 2026 — Nationaal Media Onderzoek
- Social media belangrijk voor ontdekking van radio en podcasts — Spreekbuis
- Podcastclips op sociale media blijken opvallend vaak nieuwe luisteraars te trekken — Podcastradar
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „podcasts sociale media”
- De Telegraaf — „podcasts sociale media”
- AD — „podcasts sociale media”