Podcast Statistics and Data [May 2022]

Yearly, media teams like Statistica, Triton Digital, and Edison Analysis run digital media surveys to measure tendencies, perceive listener conduct, and observe podcast development worldwide.

We replace this put up month-to-month with the perfect podcast statistics so you possibly can keep up to date on the {industry} and make knowledgeable selections about your personal podcast!

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How standard are podcasts?

Podcasting has grown drastically and steadily because it started within the early 2000s.

The {industry} grew alongside the appearance of smartphones, sensible audio system (Amazon Alexa, Google House, and many others.), and in-dash leisure techniques.

• In 2022, 62% of the inhabitants 12+ has listened to a podcast and roughly 78% are aware of the medium.
• 73% of the U.S. inhabitants 12+ have listened to on-line audio within the final month.
• Over one-third (104 million) of Individuals hearken to podcasts recurrently.
• 38% of these ages 12+ within the U.S. are month-to-month podcast listeners.
• 43% of listeners ages 35-54 are month-to-month podcast listeners (the preferred age group for podcast consumption).
• 28% (80 million) of Individuals are weekly podcast listeners.
• 88% of Individuals personal a smartphone.
• Good speaker possession grew by over 22% in the course of the first yr of the pandemic as extra folks labored from house.
• Throughout Covid, podcasting skilled unprecedented development, and podcast audiences diversified.
• Every week, extra Individuals hearken to podcasts than have Netflix accounts.

Who listens to podcasts?

Traditionally, podcast demographics haven’t mirrored the US inhabitants. In 2011, 68% of podcast listeners had been White, however that is starting to alter.

Here is the breakdown by ethnicity:

• 57% White
• 13% African American
• 16% Hispanic
• 4% Asian
• 10% Different

America accounts for 47.9% of podcast listeners, adopted by the UK with 6.3%, and Canada with 5.0% (full lineup right here).

U.S. podcast listener demographics

In years previous, U.S. listenership did not mirror the inhabitants, however that shifted considerably within the final yr.

• Feminine listenership reached an all-time excessive in 2021.
• Individuals ages 12-34 make up 66% of podcast followers inside America, and podcast listenership declines as age will increase.
• About half of listeners between ages 35–44, and one-fifth of listeners over age 65, pay attention on a month-to-month foundation.
• 43% of U.S. males and 39% of U.S. girls hearken to podcasts.
• Over 66% have a university diploma (bachelor’s or increased) and a median annual family earnings of $75,000 or extra.
• Over one-fourth of Individuals ages 55+ hearken to podcasts month-to-month.

Worldwide podcast statistics

Podcasting is little question standard within the U.S., but it surely would not maintain the primary spot for development or listenership.

• North America and the Asia Pacific have the very best variety of listeners.
• 58% of adults in South Korea hearken to podcasts each month.
• Most nations see podcasting engagement rise yearly.
• As of 2020, 18% of adults within the U.Ok. hearken to podcasts each week.
• 9 million Canadians over 18 years outdated hearken to podcasts each month.
• Almost 38% of grownup Canadians have listened to a podcast within the final yr.
• 28% of Canadian listeners have an annual earnings of $100,000 or extra.
• Canada’s podcast viewers consists primarily of 18–34-year-olds.
• A little bit over half of Italians between ages 18 and 34 have listened to a podcast within the final yr.
• Music applications are the popular podcast style for 45% of Italian listeners, second to information applications.
• In Australia, podcast consciousness went up 4% in 2020.

In accordance with Voxnest, podcasting is rising quickest within the following nations:

• Chile +83.9%
• Argentina +55.3%
• Peru +49.1%
• Mexico +47.8%
• China +43.6%

How do folks hearken to podcasts?

Most podcast shoppers stream content material utilizing their smartphones as an audio supply and hearken to episodes by way of a significant podcast app like Apple or Spotify.

Listed here are another methods folks hearken to content material:

• 13% of Individuals hearken to podcasts on a desktop or laptop computer.
• 73% hearken to podcasts on their smartphone their mobile phone.
• 32% of these 18+ who’ve ridden in a automobile within the final month hearken to podcasts.
• 18% of individuals ages 18+ personal a car with a sensible leisure system.
• 49% of podcast listening occurs at house.
• 22% of podcasters pay attention whereas driving and commuting.
• 11% of podcasters pay attention at work.
• 8% of podcasters pay attention whereas exercising.

What are the Most Widespread Podcasts?

In accordance with the Podcast Client Monitoring Report, the ten prime podcasts are:

1. The Joe Rogan Expertise,
2. The Every day,
3. Crime Junkie,
4. This American Life,
5. Stuff You Ought to Know,
6. My Favourite Homicide,
7. Pod Save America,
8. Serial,
9. Workplace Girls, and
10. Name Her Daddy.

Full listing of the highest 50 podcasts within the U.S.

Hottest podcast directories

As of Could 2022, Apple Podcasts holds the primary spot with 38.7% of all podcast listeners (40,348,623 podcast downloads).

Spotify presently holds the quantity two spot with 26.4% of podcast customers and 27,453,741 downloads.

Different podcasting platforms so as of recognition:

• Net Browser 2.8%,
• Google Podcasts 2.5%,
• Buzzsprout embed participant 1.5%,
• Castbox 1.7%,
• Podcast Addict 1.4%,
• Overcast 1.1%, and
• Apple iTunes 1.2% (full listing right here).

Listener conduct and tendencies

Figuring out how podcast listeners behave provides you actionable methods to enhance your content material and enhance engagement.

These podcast stats reveal tendencies referring to listeners’ day by day habits and routines.

• Podcast listeners are additionally extra prone to observe manufacturers on social media and personal a sensible speaker (like HomePod mini or Amazon Echo).
• Avid podcast followers hearken to radio 65 minutes greater than most Individuals.
• On common, podcast listeners tune into eight completely different reveals each week.
• 80% of listeners hearken to all or most of each podcast episode they begin.
• 28% of U.S. adults hearken to podcasts whereas driving.
• Podcast listeners subscribe to a median of six reveals.

Individuals who hearken to at the least 5 hours of podcasts every week have barely completely different conduct than common listeners. The Edison Analysis Tremendous Listeners 2021 survey confirmed that these listeners:

• eat a median of 11.2 hours of podcasts every week.
• typically hearken to content material that additionally contains video,
• 19% uncover podcasts by YouTube most frequently, and
• are 94% extra prone to subscribe to some sort of premium streaming service.

The preferred podcast genres and reveals

In accordance with a statistics research, 22% of podcast listeners in the USA want comedy as a style.

Information is the second hottest podcast style, adopted by true crime, sports activities, and well being & health.

Common podcast episode size and frequency

Podcasts haven’t any set-in-stone guidelines, however there are tendencies that almost all podcast hosts are inclined to observe.

Under are December’s ranges measured by Buzzsprout’s World Stats:

Length of podcast episodes:

• Lower than 10 minutes 15%
• 10–20 minutes 15%
• 20–40 minutes 30%
• 40–60 minutes 21%
• Over 60 minutes 18%

Frequency of revealed episodes:

• 0–2 days 6%
• 3–7 days 36%
• 8–14 days 40%
• 15–29 days 17%
• Over 30 days 1%

Podcast discoverability

Podcast listeners have some ways they discover new content material. Here is a break down illustrating how listeners discover new podcasts:

• 52.6% of listeners discover new podcasts by looking out a podcast listing like Apple Podcasts.
• 22.1% ask a good friend for podcast suggestions, and 14.5% get strategies from their favourite podcast host.
• 5.5% search Google.
• 3.5% observe podcast company heard on different present.
• 1.7% ask for strategies on social media.

This knowledge highlights the significance of the 2 main podcast advertising methods: high quality web optimization and phrase of mouth.

Podcast promoting tendencies and efficiency

Podcasting is a extremely efficient advertising device for big-name manufacturers, small companies, and entrepreneurs trying to develop their attain.

These stats illustrate the efficacy of the medium as an promoting platform:

• 60% of podcast listeners have purchased one thing from a podcast advert.
• 72% of listeners who’ve listened to a podcast for 4 or extra years have bought a sponsored advert.
• 69% of respondents say podcast adverts enhance their consciousness of merchandise, manufacturers, and companies.
• 81% say they take note of adverts greater than they do to radio, TV commercials, or billboards, and even digital adverts on social media.
• Advert income from podcasting is predicted to double to $2 billion this yr.

The Tremendous Listeners 2021 survey by Edison Analysis confirmed the promoting preferences of 1,000 individuals who eat at the least 5 hours of podcasts every week. Here is what they discovered:

• 49% consider that podcast hosts truly use the services they advocate.
• Pre-recorded adverts not learn by the podcast host are the least favored sort of podcast advert amongst Tremendous Listeners.
• 30% stated it is essential to them to restrict their publicity to podcast promoting.
• 22% stated there are “means too many” podcast commercials in comparison with different types of media.
• 51% stated they pay extra consideration to podcast adverts than different media.

Tremendous Listeners are more durable to succeed in by conventional promoting strategies. However, these listeners are extra conscious of the best sort of advert messaging inside their favourite podcasts.

The way forward for podcasting

The podcast {industry} continues to develop at a fast charge. Listed here are some {industry} predictions for 2022 and past.

• Trade consultants anticipate podcasting to develop considerably in 2022 as on-demand audio will increase in recognition.
• Present estimates mission that listeners within the U.S. may enhance from 75.9 million to 100 million listeners within the U.S. by 2024.
• Forecasts mission complete podcast listener will exceed 160 million by 2023
• Podcast listenership is projected to rise steadily in 2022 as podcast recognition will increase and turns into increasingly mainstream.
• Month-to-month podcast listening is rising quickest amongst Individuals ages 55+.