Staff ReportsIn a delightful twist of fate, it seems like the podcasting world is still buzzing from the recent election cycle, where audio shows cranked up the volume to rally the public. Just as conservatives began to flex their electoral muscles, Apple decided to release its annual podcast ranking. This year marked the grand return of Joe Rogan’s podcast to the platform after a three-year hiatus, landing him a commendable spot as the third most popular podcast, right behind the true crime fanatics and The Daily.
But here’s where it gets extra spicy: Rogan’s episode featuring none other than President-elect Donald Trump just days before the election turned out to be the second most popular across all of Apple’s offerings. Even in a digital landscape dominated by tech giants, it looks like the Trump brand still commands attention, and voters were tuning in to hear him directly. Meanwhile, an episode dissecting the great debate between Trump and Kamala Harris managed to snag third place in popularity, as if Americans are more interested in political jousting than whether Swifties will ever get over the last heartbreak.
Apple’s own metrics might paint a picture of grandeur with rankings spanning 100 countries, but let’s be real—it’s merely a third of the actual music streaming action. With Spotify holding a whopping 252 million subscribers, they are clearly the heavyweight champions of audio content. In fact, on Spotify, Rogan’s podcast has seized the coveted title of the number one podcast in the U.S. Guess where The Daily lands? Not even in the top ten. Ouch.
New York Times podcast beats Joe Rogan on Apple charts https://t.co/QOD6sLRsdH
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 25, 2024
As if that wasn’t enough, Rogan has knocked three episodes into the top ten of Spotify’s chart, leaving The Daily scrambling on the sidelines without a single entry in the top 20. The funny thing is, both Trump and Kamala Harris took to the podcasting stage, presumably to showcase their campaign platforms. But typical of the left, while Trump mingled across platforms, Harris was notably absent from the limelight—her team’s idea of a podcast appearance was a tightly-scripted hour-long production, while Trump’s candid three-hour conversation went out without edits.
Once again, radio waves and podcast streams are proving that there’s still a healthy market for the unfiltered, unpolished conversations that America craves. As the dust settles after the polls, it becomes increasingly clear: if you want to catch the pulse of American voters, just tune in to Rogan—after all, the people know where to find the real talk.
