Podcasts are growing in popularity. If you're thinking about starting a podcast or trying to improve your current one, then read this podcast statistics article. An increasing number of people are choosing podcasts as their source of news, entertainment, and a place to learn something new.
This has encouraged individuals, businesses, and marketers to start working on a podcast. Podcast hosting platforms are also on the rise to help individuals and big brands podcast, so the latest insights are good to stay informed.
The statistics and information contained in this post will provide you with everything you need to know about the podcast industry, including who listens to podcasts, and how this audience is growing.
General Podcast Statistics
2. About 226 million Americans have heard of podcasts.
According to the latest research, about 79% of Americans are aware that podcasts exist. This doesn’t mean that they know what a podcast is or have listened to them, it just means they are familiar with the idea.
Interestingly, the concept of podcasts has caught wind and is beginning to grow rapidly. Compared to 2006, when only 22% of the US population over the age of 12, said they were familiar with podcasting.
3. 62% of Americans over the age of 12 have listened to podcasts.
About 177 million of the United States population over the age of 12, have listened to a podcast. Edison Research shows that this number is similar to the Infinite Dial projection of the Americans who consumed podcasts in 2021.
4. 38% of Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month.
The podcast listenership data shows an expected abnormality between 2020 and 2021, due to the covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the bump in podcast listener numbers of 37% and 41% respectively are influenced by people being locked down.
So the data has begun to normalize in 2022. The results show that about 109 million Americans listen to or watch podcasts at least once a month. Podcasting is becoming mainstream, according to podcast listener statistics.
5. There are now more than 48 million podcast episodes available in more than 100 languages.
There are a plethora of podcasts to choose from out there, they cover any industry you can think of whether it be politics, business, marketing, and even gaming. The growth in the amount of content produced in the podcast space is astronomical. To put this number into context, in 2019 there were over 29 million podcast episodes, but in just three years the number has grown by more than 19 million units.
The purpose of podcasts is to share knowledge in an efficient way for producers and consumers, which is why they are not limited to location or language. There are more than 100 languages in podcasting, it is similar to a social media post, and the languages of choice vary.
6. 38% of those age 12+ in the U.S. are monthly podcast listeners.
According to Edison Research, 38% of those age 12+ in the U.S. are monthly podcast listeners in the current study, which is a decline from 41% in the Infinite Dial 2021 reports. However, this number is slightly higher than 2020 (37%), and what seems a natural correction of the inflated numbers of the covid-19 pandemic.
7. 74% of podcast people listen to podcasts to learn something new.
With an unlimited flavor of podcasts out there, 74% of listeners are using podcasts with the anticipation of learning something new. Similarly, 71% of podcast listeners consume podcasts for fun. About 60% of Americans listening to podcasts use them to stay in touch with the latest news.
8. 73% of US consumers find podcasts through internet searches.
People find podcasts in many different ways. Most people find podcasts through platforms like social media (67%), referrals (66%), podcast recommendations (62%), advertisements (54%), and others. IN the United States 73% of consumers find podcasts by searching on the internet.
9. 36% of People Say They Cannot Find Podcasts for Topics They Are Interested In.
Though there is a large range of topics, podcasts don’t cover every topic you can imagine. Podcasting is relatively new and rising, it is far from replacing blogging.
On one hand, it could be difficult for a user to find the topics and content that already exists. Perhaps, it could be an issue of access.
It could also be an opportunity to serve an underserved market.
10. More people listen to a podcast at home than when driving.
Compiled statistics by Edison Research have shown that an estimation of 59% of people listens to their podcasts at home, which is a 4% decrease from the 63% as recorded in 2021. It is important to note that the years 2020 and 2021 were a period of a pandemic, which had everybody compelled to work from home. Those who listen to a podcast while driving made up 20% in 2021, which is a 3% increase when compared to 17% in 2020.
The number of home listeners compared to driving listeners make sense. This is because there is a higher concentration level when at home, unlike the vehicle listeners are exposed to other distractions.
Global Podcast Statistics
11. There will be about 504.9 million podcast listeners worldwide by 2024.
According to Statista’s study, the number of podcast listeners worldwide has steadily increased and is predicted to keep rising into the future. In 2020, the number of podcast listeners worldwide was an estimated 332.2 million internet users, this number grew to 383.7 million in 2021. Now the forecast is that by 2024 that number will reach 504.9 million listeners.
12. Chile was the fastest-growing country for podcasting in 2019.
In 2019, the Voxnest findings showed that Latino podcasts were growing due to the large population of Spanish speakers in both the US and South America. Chile took the lead with a podcast growth rate of 85%, followed by Argentina (55.28%), Peru (49.1%), and Mexico (47.84%). The country with the fifth-highest rate? China (43.62%).
13. 58% of South Koreans listen to podcasts at least monthly.
The South Korean population is plugged into podcasts, which furthermore highlights the fact that language is not a barrier with podcasts, but a friend. More than half of the population listens to podcasts monthly, while two out of three Koreans are podcast fans.
The rest of the top five podcast listeners is made up of Spain (40%), Sweden (36%), and Americans are tied with Australia at 33%.
14. Music is the most popular podcast genre for American podcast listeners.
American light podcast listeners enjoy the music podcast genre the most. The survey was done with adults over the age of 18. Other genres in the top 5 are Arts (52%), health and fitness (51%), education (51%), and Kids and Family (50%).
15. 83% of Australians know what podcasts are.
Americans seem to listen to podcasts more than Australians. Only 30% of the Australian population has listened to a podcast at least once. Of that 30%, about 22% of them listen to podcasts monthly, and just 15% listen to podcasts weekly.
16. About 6.5 million adults in the UK listen to podcasts weekly.
Of the United Kingdom's population, only 12% of adults listen to at least one podcast per week. Only 5% of the listeners are Baby Boomers. Podcasts are most popular among millennials (21%).
Podcast Listener Demographics, Preferences, and Habits
17. More Black and Latino are listening to Podcasts.
In 2021, the black audience made up 12% of the US monthly podcast listeners, now it is 16%, this is marketing a 4% growth. The Latino monthly podcast listeners made up 11%, and have grown by 5% to 16% in 2022.
18. 67% of podcast audiences are made up of people between 18 and 44 years old.
Podcasts are a relatively new way of consuming content. Given the technology need to distribute podcasts, it comes as no surprise that people from 18 to 44 are the majority. For example, Spotify statistics show that about 72% of all weekly Spotify users are millennials.
19. 50% of podcast listeners in the US are aged 12 to 34.
Based on the age of podcast listeners in the US, 50% of them are 12-34, 43% are 35-54 years old, and 22% are over 55 years old.
The ethnicity of podcast listeners statistics in the US is 59% white, 14% African-American, 17% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 6% other.
20. Podcast Listenership People aged 34 to 55 have grown by 4% in 2022.
In the US, the 34 - 55 age group is the only one that rose in podcast listenership compared to those aged 12 - 34 and 55+.
While those aged 34 - 55 grew in listenership by 4%, the 12 - 34 (-6%) and 55+ (-4%) declined compared to the previous year.
21. 53% of podcast listeners are male, while 47% are female.
When it comes to genders, listeners are evenly distributed in the US. 53% of them are male, and 47% are female.
Men are more likely to watch or listen to podcasts than women, according to statistics on podcast demographics. Still, the number of males and females listening to podcasts has a small difference and is almost equal.
22. It is 68% more likely for a podcast listener to have a postgraduate degree.
The number of educated people listening to Podcasts is growing. There is a 45% chance for a podcast listener to have a college degree.
23. 59% of people listening to podcasts are white.
Demographics of podcast listeners show that most American consumers who listen to podcasts are white at 59%. Black listeners make up 14% are African-American, 17% are Hispanic, and 3% are Asian.
24. In the US, 26% of podcast listeners have a college degree or higher.
Though 26% is higher than the proportion of the US population that is college-educated, it is related to people with higher income brackets. It may be a good indication that podcast listeners tend to be intelligent.
25. 45% of podcast listeners have a household income of more than $250,000.
Regardless of country, what this shows is that podcast listeners on average have a much higher income than the broad population. The key is that if you want to target high-income people, a podcast will reach them best.
Where to Find Podcasts
26. 73% of podcast consumers are most likely to listen to episodes on a mobile device.
The Edison Research data shows that smartphones have become even more popular devices for listening to podcasts as 2021 progressed. About 73% of podcast fans choose to listen to podcasts on mobile devices, while 13% prefer to listen on desktop/laptop computers.
27. About 31% of podcast fans use Spotify to listen to podcasts.
Spotify is one of the most popular streaming platforms to date. According to the latest Spotify statistics, at the time of writing this platform has 422 million monthly active users which marks a 60 million user increase in just one year.
According to the latest report from MIDiA, 523.9 million people subscribed to a music streaming service globally as of the second quarter of 2021. Spotify is a clear leader in the streaming music market with a 31% market share.
28. 39% of smart-speaker owners listen to podcasts at least once a week.
Some people listen to a podcast while completing other tasks. Data shows that 74% of Americans who own smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Alexa listen to podcasts directly from the device. The number of podcast listeners using smart speakers increased by 10%.
29. About 60% of all podcast shows are downloaded from Apple.
As of March 2021, Apple Podcasts hosts 47 million episodes on their platform from about 1.96 million podcasts, up from 550,000 podcasts in 2019.
How People Listen to Podcasts Statistics
30. U.S. weekly podcast listeners averaged 8 podcasts in the last week.
This average is made up of 18% who listened to 11 or more episodes, 16% listened to 6-10 episodes, 21% listened to 4-5, 13% listened to 3 episodes, 18% listened to 2 episodes, and 14 listened to only 1 episode. The majority of listeners are in the 4-5 episodes cohort.
31. 52% of podcast subscribers listen to entire episodes.
Podcast download statistics show that 52% of Americans who use podcast platforms to download episodes are more likely to watch or listen to the whole broadcast.
Podcast users seem to develop a type of relationship with the podcasters, in the sense that they become very interested in what they have to say.
32. 58% of podcast consumers listen to between 76% and 100% of all the podcasts downloaded on their devices.
Podcast listeners consume most of the shows they download on their smartphones and other mobile devices. Also, 20% of podcast listeners tend to listen to between 51% and 75% of the shows they download.
33. About 26% of podcast listeners increase the speed of podcasts while listening.
No matter which platform the podcast listeners use, data shows that listeners are more likely to increase the speed while they listen to finish sooner.
34. People spend an average of 6 hours and 39 minutes listening to podcasts every week.
From 2018 to 2020, listening time jumped 32% in a single year.
This is a significant amount of time, and it reflects one of the more common times when people listen: the daily commute to work or school. With this in mind, it is easy to see how people can listen to a podcast for about 6 hours a week.
These numbers tell us that podcasting is becoming a major force in media consumption and it should not be ignored.
35. 90% of podcast consumers prefer to listen to a podcast at home.
The convenience of podcasts has made them popular with consumers because you can listen to them anytime, anywhere. In most scenarios, however, podcast consumers prefer to listen to podcasts at home.
36. More than 50% of Americans do chores while listening to podcasts.
About 59% of American consumers listen to a podcast while doing housework. 51% like to cook and listen to shows at the same time. About 50% go to bed while listening to their favorite shows.
Podcasts and Business
37. Joe Rogan has the most profitable podcast and made $30 million since 2019.
Joe Rogan's popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, reportedly reaches an average of 11 million people per episode. Joe Rogan has emerged as one of the most influential figures in the media.
According to Nielsen's 2021 third quarter Media Ratings, the podcast has surpassed the viewership statistics of the likes of Tucker Carlson Tonight, Fox News, and CNN.
Podcast popularity statistics show that The Joe Rogan Experience was the highest-earning podcast in 2019, grossing $30 million. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark’s “My Favorite Murder” came in second place with $15 million, while The Dave Ramsey Show earned $10 million.
38. Estimates say that by 2023 advertising revenue on podcasts should surpass $2 billion.
The podcast space is growing, and so are the revenue opportunities. Podcasting is more measurable for advertisers than traditional radio, and it comes as no surprise that advertisers will be interested in slots.
39. 69% of listeners say that podcast adverts introduced them to new products or services.
Given the number of listeners that podcasts are showing, it is an opportunity for an increase in brand or product awareness and turns an increase in sales. This is especially true with a consumer products. With podcasts, markets can target their audience with great precision.
40. 38% of listeners report purchasing things that are mentioned in podcasts.
There’s no question that this contrasts with more mature forms of media, and those with a wider appeal. After all, a larger percentage of social media users have bought things because of sponsored content on those platforms.
However, it is probably fair to guess that customers don’t listen to podcasts that often to find new products and services. This is a lot like traditional forms of media consumption: content is consumed to get information, be entertained, or pursue any number of interests besides just shopping. On the other hand, people look at Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest all the time to find out about products and services. Intent makes a lot of difference.
41. 94% of podcast consumers are active on at least one social media channel.
Social media is responsible for about 64% of podcast advertising. Podcast listeners are active social media users, they are also more likely to follow their favorite brands on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.
42. More than half of US podcast listeners pay attention to the ads.
Listeners are more likely to listen to ads on podcasts compared to any other medium. Most podcast listeners don't skip ads, this could be because they are well integrated into the episode and usually presented by the host.
43. 39% of small and medium-sized business owners are podcast users.
About 65% of small to medium business owners listen to podcasts weekly, according to 2018 podcast listenership insights. Researchers found that 70-72% of business owners who have 100-500 employees listen to podcasts.
Takeaways
In conclusion, podcasting has exploded over the last few years, and there's never been a better time than now to jump into the world of podcasts. I'm sure this list will come in handy when you're trying to decide if podcasting is worth the investment or attention.
Podcasts are a great resource for brand awareness, solving problems, and even entertaining the target audience. To use podcasts effectively, however, you should consider the industry stats. IS you are thinking about starting a podcast here is a step-by-step guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podcast?
A podcast is a form of digital media that allows users to view and listen to programs at their convenience. While podcasts are often delivered via audio files, many podcasts feature both audio and video mediums for enhanced content delivery.
How many podcasts are there?
There are over two million podcasts and more than 66 million podcast episodes.
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