Podcasting is a popular medium for targeting & engaging your ideal audience. But behind all the hype, some excellent podcast statistics can help podcast producers to make their campaigns more effective and to prove how great the platform is.
In this article, we look at 13 top podcast statistics you need to know and what they mean for your show.
In 2023, There Were 464 Million Listeners
In 2023, there were 464 million podcast listeners worldwide. By the end of 2024, it’s estimated that there will be 504.9 million listeners. It isn’t just the US where the audience is growing.
The South American market is seeing substantial growth, with Chile leading the way; their growth in 2024 is expected to be 84%. Argentina is seeing the second largest growth with 55.3% more listeners in a year, and Peru is third with 49.10% growth in the past twelve months.
In the United States, about 66% of podcast listeners are between 12 and 34, and while they currently make up the biggest market, the 35 to 54 age group is the fastest-growing market.
Outside of growth, the US (40%), Sweden (34.6%), and Norway (34.2%) lead the charts for the largest proportion of their population listening to podcasts.
Men Are The Biggest Audience (Just About)
Gender doesn’t show a significant divide in audience composition. In the USA and Australia, 56% of the audience is male, 44% are female. In the UK, 53% of the audience are male and 47% female. Similar numbers are reported in Canada.
But men can be harsh critics. Between 58 and 60% of men prefer to listen to a podcast hosted by a man, whereas female audiences are twice as likely to have no preference for the host’s gender.
But it isn’t completely easy for male podcasters either. 71% of male audiences will stop listening to a podcast if they don’t like the sound of the host’s voice, especially if the host is male. (source)
Mobile Phones Are The Biggest Podcast Streaming Device
One of the advantages of podcasting is that the audio can be downloaded and streamed on various devices. However, statistics demonstrate that 73% of podcasts are streamed on a mobile device, with desktops/laptops at 13%.
And while listening, audiences prefer to listen to their podcast through headphones (71%), while the rest (29%) use their devices’ default speakers.
Spotify and Apple Dominate the Podcast Streaming Landscape
For you to be able to reach audiences, you need to be on the right platform. Research has shown that Spotify and Apple have the market share, with 33.4% and 27.6% of listeners using these platforms respectively.
Though these aren’t the only platforms, ignoring other streaming services can limit your audience by 40%. Therefore, getting your podcast hosted on as many streaming platforms as possible, which can be achieved through a distribution service or hiring a podcast production company, can help you reach a larger audience.
When it comes to downloads, Spotify is very far behind Apple, despite dominating streaming. According to statistics, 70% of podcast downloads are completed through Apple. Only 8.9% of all podcast downloads are completed through Spotify’s system.
Comedy Is The Top Genre Based on Audience Share
Podcasting can transcend almost any genre. But one of the most popular, based on listener preferences, is comedy, with 22% of the market share. However, other genres are close behind, with news having a 21% market share.
True Crime (18%) and Sports (17%) are other popular podcast genres.
Interestingly, female podcast listeners are twice as likely to tune into a true crime podcast than male podcast listeners. The true crime genre also has one of the highest rates of competition in podcasting, even though one in three podcast listeners will stream an episode at least once a month.
The sports genre can be a daily podcast, with 7% of US podcast listeners streaming their favorite shows daily.
The Most Popular Podcast Show Is Almost the Same In All English-Speaking Countries
The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan is almost universally popular across the English-speaking world. In most countries, it is the number one listened-to podcast. However, Joe Rogan has to settle for second place in the UK, where The Rest is Entertainment by Goalhanger Podcasts is the most popular show.
Podcasters Prefer to Create Content Between 20 and 40 Minutes
The best length of a podcast is hotly debated. And statistics show that the majority of podcasters create episodes between 20 and 40 minutes. About 30% of podcasts are about this length. About 15% of podcasts are under 10 minutes, while the same proportion (15%) are between 10 to 20 minutes.
There is a significant number of podcasts that run for between 40 and 60 minutes (21%). And about 18% are over an hour long.
When it comes to audience preferences, there are no definitive answers. Research by Riverside.fm has found that it depends on the audience, genre, host, and podcast type that can determine what length is best for the podcast. For instance, solo hosts tend to be better suited for shorter podcasts, and those targeting younger audiences also need to be shorter.
Podcasts for home-based individuals can be longer though.
Video Podcasts Are a Popular Trend
Video podcasts are rising in popularity. Also known as vodcasts, this format where the podcasters are also filmed is becoming a staple with platforms such as YouTube and Facebook helping to stream episodes.
In 2023, there were at least 50,000 video podcasts, according to the Podcast index, a considerable jump from the 39,000 listed the previous year. The index also calculated that about 17% of podcasters are recording their podcasts in both audio and video formats.
According to a study by Morning Consult, about 32% of podcast audiences prefer to watch video podcasts compared to listening to audio-only podcasts.
Podcasting is a Billion-Dollar Industry
Revenue from podcasting is a highly lucrative industry. In 2021, the advertising revenues from podcasting exceeded the $1 billion mark and by 2023, revenues were more than $2.3 billion.
By the end of 2024, it is estimated that podcasting advertising revenue will hit the $4 billion mark. And podcasting continues to exceed digital trends. According to statistics, the digital ad market grew by 12% in 2022, but podcasting ad revenue grew by more than double that at 26%.
Those podcasts that perform the best are those with a regular schedule, publishing new content on a bi-weekly, or weekly basis, with these schedules making up 70% of ad revenue income.
Sport is also the highest-earning genre for revenue, accounting for 15% of all podcast revenue income. Society & culture and comedy take 14% each in advertising revenue.
AI Is Helping Podcasters
AI is trending online and is helping numerous businesses increase productivity and cut costs. Podcasting is no different. AI-enabled podcasting is expected to be worth approximately $3 billion in 2024.
In 2022, the sub-niche grew by 500%, and has seen that podcasters can expect to cut costs by approximately 50%. A survey by Headliner found that two-thirds of surveyed podcasters were using AI to help them improve their podcasts.
About 84% of podcasters and 57% of audiences believe that using tools such as ChatGPT and Canva will help to improve the quality of content. The majority of audiences (85%) believe it is ethical for podcasters to use AI during the podcast production process.
There are numerous ways that podcasters are utilizing AI in the development of their podcast, including:
- Creating images.
- Creating social media content and publishing at optimal times.
- Transcriptions.
- Creating podcast notes.
- Writing podcast metadata.
- Audiograms.
- Automating YouTube.
FAQs: Podcast Statistics: 10 To Know Right Now
Are podcasts becoming less popular?
While there are fewer podcasts now, audience numbers are continuing to grow. Therefore, podcasts are an excellent way to reach audiences.
Can you make money off a podcast?
Ad revenue is one way to ensure you’re making money from your podcasting. With revenues growing year-on-year, many podcasters are finding it lucrative to podcast.
Which podcast genre makes the most money?
While comedy is one of the most popular genres for podcasting, sports podcasts claim a larger share of the podcast advertising revenue.
Final Word: Podcast Statistics: 10 To Know Right Now
While some statistics for podcasting might seem negative, the statistics are distorted because of the pandemic when podcasting was one of the few marketing activities that could continue. Many of the statistics, as demonstrated above, show that podcasting is a strong marketing channel. Listener numbers are growing, revenue is soaring and podcast numbers are also increasing.
Using the statistics above, you can plan and produce the perfect podcast for your audience. Helping you to find a new revenue stream and earn from your expertise.
Produce Your Podcast is a premier podcast consulting, production & marketing agency. Our team of experts provides comprehensive, full-service quality solutions for B2B clients to incorporate podcasting into their overall marketing strategy. If you’re looking for a reliable partner to help launch or grow your business-branded podcast and boost your sales and marketing goals, we’re here to help.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today. Let’s work together to create a high-quality podcast that takes your business to new heights!
