Spotify Wrapped reveals shifts in global podcast listening for 2025

Spotify Wrapped 2025 showcases the biggest podcast trends shaping listeners this year.

The annual data drop has become a headline moment, offering one of the clearest snapshots of how audiences in the UK and around the world are choosing to spend their listening time.

Wrapped arrives with bold, expressive visuals for more than seven hundred million fans while delivering a detailed breakdown of the shows, genres and creators that defined the year.

The latest figures present a podcast landscape that has fully matured, with established names rising further, new genres accelerating and audience habits shifting in unexpected ways across global and local charts.

Steven Bartlett topping the UK podcast chart for the first time marks a major milestone, with his long-running show finally overtaking Joe Rogan’s position after years of close competition.

His move to number one reflects a growing appetite for self-improvement content, a trend that dominates both UK and global listening this year.

The genre continues to expand rapidly as audiences seek relatable storytelling, practical advice and personality-led conversations that sit between wellness, business and lifestyle.

Spotify’s data shows that these formats now cut through more consistently than many traditional entertainment podcasts, strengthening the position of creators who release regular, personal and often emotionally driven episodes.

The Rest Is Football, The Rest Is Politics, The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Entertainment all secure spots in the UK Top Ten, confirming the strength of Gary Lineker’s wider ‘Rest Is…’ universe.

Their presence across multiple genres highlights a model that mixes personality, expertise and consistent publishing to build large, loyal audiences across age groups.

It also demonstrates the increasing influence of multi-show podcast brands that now behave more like full entertainment networks on the platform.

Globally, one of the standout moments came from Taylor Swift’s appearance on New Heights, which became one of the most-played episodes of the year.

The crossover between celebrity culture, sport and fandom pushed the show into new territory and confirmed the continued power of moments that blend music, personality and cultural relevance.

Spotify notes that these episodes create spikes that ripple beyond the charts and into social media, helping shape wider industry trends.

Top UK Podcasts of 2025:

Global Top Podcasts of 2025:

UK PODCAST WRAPPED: 2025 TRENDS

2025 was the year of ‘self-improvement’

In 2025, the self-improvement category accounted for over 25% of all listening across the UK Top 50 podcasts, with Steven Bartlett, Mel Robbins, Jay Shetty, Davina McCaul and Dr Rangan Chatterjee at the centre of the conversation.

Steven Bartlett Ends Rogan’s Reign at No.1

The Diary of a CEO surpasses The Joe Rogan Experience to become the UK’s No.1 podcast for the first time.

The Rise of Mel Robbins and We Need To Talk

After not charting in the Top 25 last year, Mel Robbins rockets to #5 in the UK – and #3 globally – making her one of 2025’s biggest breakout names in audio.
Paul C. Brunson also posts a remarkable rise, entering the chart at #7 with We Need To Talk.

Louis Theroux Climbs Into the Top 3

Louis Theroux jumps from #6 in the UK chart last year to #3 in 2025, powered by an iconic run of interviews this year with huge names like Sean Penn, Florence Pugh, Ed Sheeran and Jade Thirlwall. A landmark year for one of the UK’s most distinctive interviewers.

‘The Rest Is…’ cemented as the UK’s Favourite Podcast Universe

Seven Goalhanger “Rest Is…” shows land in the UK Top 50, with four in the Top 10 – spanning politics, history, football and entertainment.

Creators Sit Alongside Legacy Broadcasters

Digital-native personalities now account for nearly a third of the UK Top 50, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with legacy giants like BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs and The Guardian’s Today in Focus.
Proof that podcasts have effectively closed the gap between creator and broadcaster.

Football Is the UK’s National Podcast Sport

From The Rest Is Football to The Overlap, Stick to Football, That Peter Crouch Podcast and Fozcast, football remains the UK’s biggest sport in podcast terms, dominating weekly sport listening.

GLOBAL PODCAST WRAPPED: 2025 TRENDS

‘Self-Improvement’ Goes Truly Global

Wellness and mindset shows don’t just top UK charts – they dominate globally. Mel Robbins, Jay Shetty, Huberman Lab, Modern Wisdom, Psicología al Desnudo and The Psychology of Your 20s turn self-improvement into one of the most consistent themes of the Global Top 50, across multiple languages.

Taylor Swift Turns a Sports Podcast into a Global Phenomenon

In one of audio’s biggest stories of 2025, Taylor Swift’s first-ever podcast interview on New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce pushes the brothers’ show into the Global Top 50. Swift’s appearance is instantly hailed as the latest example of the “Taylor Swift effect” – triggering a spike in new listeners, female audiences and national press coverage worldwide.

The Mel Robbins Surge Goes Global

Mel Robbins isn’t just rising in the UK – she’s now #3 globally, representing one of the fastest ascents in the Spotify global podcast charts this year. Her mix of mindset coaching, behaviour change tools and high-profile guest episodes is resonating across the world.

Amy Poehler’s Good Hang Becomes a 2025 Breakout

Good Hang with Amy Poehler, launching for the first time in 2025, enters the Global Top 20 almost immediately – a rare achievement for a debut show. Poehler’s eclectic mix of superstar names makes this one of Spotify’s most talked-about new series.

True Crime Continues to Thrive

Crime Junkie, Rotten Mango, Serial Killers, Morbid, MORD AUF EX, Mordlust and Relatos de la Noche all sit in the Global Top 50, proving the world’s appetite for immersive True Crime audio.