“Hey, there’s a great podcast you should check out.”
It seems like only yesterday that this water cooler cliché entered our lives. “It was a simpler time when people would have lengthy conversations without feeling the need to freeze them in time and share them with the masses.
But today, thanks to podcast hosting platforms and our social media culture, it seems like everyone and their mom has embraced the format. Literally. (More power to those mic moms out there.)
Podcasting is an exciting frontier for storytellers, historians, comedians, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs. For consumers who are exhausted from their computer screens (or books), podcasts are a rich source of information delivered through relevant sounds.
Here are some noteworthy podcast statistics that provide evidence of the medium’s rise and its value to businesses.
464.7 million
By 2023, listeners around the world will be listening to their favorite podcasts.
Source: Statista
The podcast industry is booming, and there are more statistics than ever to back up that claim. Let’s take a look at the number of podcast listeners, the most popular podcast types, and currently active podcasts.
These statistics will give you a better understanding of the podcast landscape and how to reach your target audience.
- There are currently over 4 million podcasts.
- By 2025, the global listener base is expected to exceed 500 million.
- Statista data shows that 47% of Swedes listen to podcasts, the highest rate among the 54 countries surveyed.
- In Japan, only 5% of people listen to podcasts.
- By the end of 2023, more than 100 million Americans will listen to podcasts weekly, and by 2025, that number will exceed 110 million.
- Listen to podcasts in over 150 languages.
- English is the most popular podcast language, with over 1.94 million podcasts.
- The most popular podcast genre is social and culture, with over 500,000 podcasts.
hint: Learn these 11 podcast editing terms so you know exactly what you’re doing behind the scenes.
Podcast download and streaming statistics
This section explores the statistics in detail, examining popular podcast publishers, platforms, and devices. Advertisers can use this information to place their ads on podcasts that their target audience is likely to hear.
- Americans listen to an average of eight podcast episodes per week.
- Most people listen to podcasts on smartphones (88.3%), far more than on desktop computers/laptops (7.1%).
- 32% of adults now listen to podcasts in the car monthly, up from 28% in 2020 and 30% in 2021.
- 26% of people listen to podcasts from 10am to 2pm, followed by 25% before 10am.
- In the United States, podcast listeners aged 12 and older spend an average of 9 hours and 3 minutes listening to podcasts per week, which is a significant increase from the approximately 4.5 hours per week recorded in 2015.
- The top three podcast listening devices are Apple iPhone (69.6%), Android phone (17.3%) and Windows computer (5.6%).
- Apple Podcasts is the most popular podcast platform, accounting for 38.7% of all podcast listeners and 48.7 million downloads.
- Spotify is the second most popular platform with 28% of users and 35.3 million downloads.
- iHeartRadio is the top podcast publisher in the United States, with 31 million unique listeners each month.
Podcast listener statistics
As podcasts continue to grow in popularity, it’s important to understand the demographics of your podcast listeners. This research is important for creators who want to understand their audience and produce relevant and engaging content.
- 62% of U.S. children over the age of 12 (approximately 177 million people) listen to podcasts.
- U.S. podcast listeners are almost evenly split between men (53%) and women (46%). Nonbinary and other accounted for 1%.
- Millennials and Gen Z are the largest podcast listeners in the United States. In 2022, 59% of Millennials and 63% of Gen Z said they listened to a podcast in the past month.
- Podcast listeners are mostly aged 12-34 (47%), followed by 35-54 (33%) and 55+ (20%).
- In the United States, podcasts reach a diverse audience, with 45% of black Americans, 34% of Hispanics, and 62% of white Americans listening to podcasts monthly.
- 13% of US podcast listeners identify as LGBTQ+.
- Podcast listeners in the UK and US are more likely to live in large cities (30%) than in small towns (20%) or rural areas (11%).
- 57% of monthly podcast listeners in the United States have household incomes below $75,000.
- College graduates account for 45% of monthly podcast listeners in the United States.
Podcast Advertising Statistics
Reasons why podcast advertising is growing rapidly many factors, including the growing popularity of podcasts, The highly engaged nature of podcast listeners, and the ability of those ads to reach their target audience.
- By 2023, the podcast advertising market is expected to reach $3.46 billion.
- It is expected that by 2023, podcast advertising revenue in the United States will be the highest in the world, reaching $2.178 billion.
- Nearly 7 in 10 podcast listeners say they discovered new brands and products from podcast ads.
- 72% of long-term podcast listeners have purchased a sponsored product or service.
- 50% of podcast super listeners say podcast advertising is the best way for brands to reach them.
Other podcast statistics
In addition to statistics on demographics and listening habits, there are many other interesting statistics about podcasts.
- The majority of podcasts (53%) are 20-60 minutes in length. Few were shorter than 10 minutes (16%) or longer than 60 minutes (16%).
- Most Americans listen to podcasts while doing household chores (49%), commuting to work (42%), exercising, or cooking (29%).
- The Joe Rogan Experience is the most listened to podcast in the United States, according to a survey of 10,597 podcast listeners ages 13 and older.
- Nearly nine in 10 U.S. podcast listeners listen to podcasts to learn, and nearly the same number listen to them for entertainment.
- 85.4% of global companies are now recording videos for their podcasts. Many of these podcasts (44%) are interview-style.
grab your mic and chair
Podcasts may have started out as a novel idea, but as the numbers show, they are now the quintessential media source in the connected age. All you need to try out podcasting is a microphone and some editing and hosting tools. If you’re thinking about giving it a try, our guide on how to start a podcast for your business offers some valuable insights.
For some outside assistance on this matter, you may want to consult a content marketing service provider or a creative services provider.
Not sure if podcast advertising is the right choice for you? A marketing strategy agency can help you get on the right track to being discovered by a wide audience.
