Video podcasts have exploded in popularity, with YouTube becoming the No. 1 platform for podcast consumption in 2024. Spotify has responded by investing heavily in video since launching video podcasts globally in 2022.
But earlier this year, Spotify made a counterintuitive decision: It gave users the option to turn off video and return to audio-only podcasts. The move was in response to a decrease in the “time well spent” metric that Spotify tracks among its users.
According to Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström, the change reduced engagement. For most social apps, that would be a bad outcome. But Spotify viewed the decision differently.
Speaking on David Senra’s podcast in June 2026, Söderström explained that Spotify is not simply trying to maximize the amount of time people spend on the platform. Its broader goal is to become the most enjoyable place for users to spend time on the internet. He called it Spotify’s “no regrets” strategy.
That distinction matters, and any brand deciding where to invest its video resources should pay attention.
Spotify’s Survey Reveals Social Media Sentiment
Most social media platforms prioritize engagement because the longer users remain active, the more opportunities the platforms have to monetize their attention. Video has become central to that model because it’s more effective at retaining users than any other content type.
What convinced Söderström to reconsider engagement came when Spotify commissioned an independent survey examining how users feel about the time they spend on Spotify compared to other popular consumer apps like YouTube, Apple Music, TikTok, and others. Nearly 90 percent of Gen Z respondents said they value the time they spend on Spotify, higher than any other app in the survey.
When the survey question was flipped to ask users when (and how much) they regret the time they spent online, the results surprised Söderström.
“Without naming which ones, on many of the big platforms, people regretted almost 60 percent of the time they spent, or more,” he said. “And what shocked me was, before I saw that survey, I knew that these were insanely high engagement platforms, but I kind of mistakenly thought that (people) were there because they wanted to be there.
“I’m like, ‘They’re probably enjoying it.’ Turns out, when you ask them, they’re like, ‘No, I’m trapped. I feel horrible about the time I spend.’ So I was mistaken in thinking that they were there and they loved the time. It’s just very, very captivating.”
High engagement tells you that a platform can hold people’s attention. It does not tell you that people value the time they spend there.
Think Critically About High-Engagement Platforms
Plenty of factors should influence which platforms you prioritize in your video distribution.
Where your target audience spends most of their time is critical. Potential audience size, viewership habits, and video formats are other key considerations. But context also matters, and that’s why Spotify’s research is so salient.
How should brands feel about publishing content on apps where many users ultimately regret spending their time?
Brands clearly do not want their ads associated with polarizing topics or NSFW content, which is why platforms like Meta and YouTube have invested in brand safety tools. But brands should also think about user sentiment.
If your ICP spends hours scrolling through videos, including from your brand, and then feels worse because of it despite their high engagement, how will that influence their feelings toward your brand? Will people be able to separate their feelings toward the app from the content they consume on it?
This does not automatically make one platform better than another. But it should encourage brands to distinguish between environments where users intentionally select content and environments designed to keep them scrolling.
Don’t Mistake Engagement For Enthusiasm
The lesson is not to abandon high-engagement platforms. The lesson is to not mistake engagement for enthusiasm. A platform can be effective at holding people’s attention while leaving them regretting how they spent that time.
When evaluating video channels, brands should ask more than, “How many people can we reach?” They should also ask:
- Why are people there?
- Did they choose to watch?
- What state of mind are they in?
- Do they feel the time was well spent?
- Is that environment conducive to understanding and remembering our message?
As part of 3rd + Lamar’s video audit process, we evaluate not only what content a company should produce, but where that content is most likely to create meaningful business impact.
Because the goal isn’t to generate the most engagement possible. It should be to make the audience’s attention worthwhile.
If you’re reconsidering your video strategy, or you’re not sure where to begin, schedule a free video strategy consultation with us.
