Podcasting is a growing industry in the United States and the world with more and more people tuning into their favorite podcasts than ever before.
Key Takeaways:
- Podcasting is growing in popularity everywhere
- Podcast revenue topped $1 billion in 2022
- The average podcast lasts for approximately 40 minutes
- More than 100 million podcast listeners in the US tune in
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General Podcast Statistics
Most Popular Podcasts
The Joe Rogan Experience Is the Most Popular Podcast in the World
The #1 differs from region to region, but globally, The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast globally by number of listens.
Top 1% o Podcasts Get 4,000+ Downloads in First 7 Days
A little over 4,000 downloads within a week puts a podcast in the top 1% of downloaded podcasts. A little over 100 downloads will put the podcast in the top 25%. It seems that listeners don’t like downloading their podcasts and prefer to stream directly instead.
9,000 Downloads Within 30 Days Is Top 5%
As we saw above, download numbers for podcasts are generally pretty low. They’re so low that if a podcast has 9,000 downloads in 30 days the podcast is in the top 5%. Some of the most successful podcasts around (The Joe Rogan Experience, The Daily, etc.) manage 50,000 downloads on some of their most popular episodes.
Number of Active Podcasts
Over 2 Million Podcasts Globally
It can be difficult to get a definitive number of podcasts operating around the world, but as of January 2023, it’s believed that there are at least 2 million podcasts available online–and possibly more than 5 million!
60% of All Podcasts Were US Podcasts
The US is the largest podcast market available and has the largest number of listeners of any country surveyed. With this in mind, we can see why the majority of podcasts were made in the US or by US citizens.
Number of Podcast Episodes
70 Million Podcast Episodes
With over 2 million unique podcasts now available, the number of individual episodes has ballooned to more than 70 million.
Podcast Length
The Average Podcast Is ~40 Minutes Long
When we look at all podcasts (whether popular or not), the average running time is approximately 40 minutes. If we look at just the top 100 podcasts, then the average run time increases to approximately 50 minutes.
Number of Listeners
100 Million Active Listeners in the US
The number of podcast listeners continues to grow year after year. This year, an increase of roughly 20% has seen the number of active US listeners increase from 82 million in 2021 to approximately 100 million in 2022.
464.7 Million Listeners Globally
As of January 2023, global podcast listener numbers increased to more than 464 million, with that figure expected to reach more than 500 million by the end of 2024.
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Podcast Demographic Statistics
Podcast Listeners by Gender
53% of the US Audience Is Male
With a wealth of podcasts covering a huge selection of genres and topics, there is something for everyone to listen to. That could be one of the reasons why the US podcast audience is almost evenly represented across genders, with males edging slightly ahead with 53%.
Podcast Listeners by Age
25–34-Year-Olds Listen Most
The age group 25-34 years accounts for 28% of podcast listeners. This is followed by 21% of listeners being aged 35-44 years, and the third largest group is 18-24 years with 18%.
22% of Listeners Over 55+ Listen to A Podcast Once a Month
The 55+ age group are the least avid podcast listeners, and of the few that do listen to podcasts, only 22% report that they listen to at least one podcast a month.
50% of People Aged 12-34 Listen Every Month
The 12-34 age group contains the most active podcast listeners, listening to more podcasts than any other age group and with 50% of them listening to podcasts at least once a month.
Podcast Listeners by Ethnicity
Percentage of Non-White US Listeners Increased
59% of US podcast listeners were white. This has been steadily falling since its peak of 68% in 2011. Hispanic listeners now make up 17% of listeners, and African-American listeners now constitute up to 14% of US listeners.
Podcast Listener Education & Employment
51% of Listeners Are Employed Full-Time
Almost exactly half of all podcast listeners are employed full-time, and 25% of them are college educated and hold a college degree.
17% of US Listeners Have a Household Income Between $100,000 and $150,000
Approximately 1 in 5 US listeners come from a household with a combined annual income of $100,000 to $150,000. Slightly more than half of all US podcast listeners have a household income of less than $75,000 per year.
Listening Preferences & Habits Statistics
Preferred Listening Time
Listening Figures Are Highest in the Morning
The most popular time of day to listen to podcasts is during typical morning commute hours. This aligns with one of the favorite places people listen to podcasts, which is in the car.
Listening Frequency
6 Hours and 40 Minutes per Week Listening to Podcasts
Although this figure can reach much higher for heavy podcast listeners and much lower for light podcast listeners, the average time spent listening to podcasts is almost 7 hours per week.
41% of US Listeners Tune in Every Month
When gender-specific data is combined, two-fifths of US listeners surveyed reported that they listen to at least one podcast every month.
28% of US Listeners Tune in Every Week
Almost one-third of US listeners listen to at least one podcast a week and most report listening to more than two episodes per week.
The Average User Listens to 7 Podcasts a Week
Using all data available across age groups, regions, and genders, the average podcast listener consumes approximately seven podcasts a week. This is up from 5 in 2017.
One-Fifth of Listeners Increase Podcast Speed
19% of listeners say that they increase the playing speed of the podcast when listening so that they have a higher likelihood of finishing the podcast.
Preferred Listening Location
22% of People Listen While in the Car
The car is the preferred listening location for 2.2 people out of every 10 surveyed, with listeners saying the commute to and from work is the best time for them to listen.
4.9 Out of 10 People Listen at Home
49% of podcast listeners say that they prefer to listen to podcasts at home while they are doing housework.
Podcast Completion Rates
78% of Podcast Listeners Listen to All or Most of a Podcast Episode
Podcast creators can be pleased with the knowledge that four-fifths of all podcast listeners finish all or most of every episode they start listening to.
Why People Listen to Podcasts
~75% of Listeners Tune in to Learn New Things
Approximately three-quarters of all podcast listeners say they do it to learn new things. That includes learning in the educational sense and learning new things about the topics, people, and things that interest them.
Why Some People Don’t Listen
65% of All Consumers Would Listen to More Podcasts If the Topic Interested Them
The most common reason people gave for not listening to more podcasts was a lack of interest in the topics the podcasts covered. If a wider variety of topics are made available, there is room for another significant increase in listener numbers.
20% of People Surveyed Said They Don’t Have Time for Podcasts
In the US and Europe, the most common reason given for not listening to podcasts was “I don’t have enough time” (20% each). 19% of Europeans and 18% of Americans surveyed said, “Podcasts don’t provide me with anything that I can’t already find elsewhere” as the second most common reason given.
Genre Statistics
Most Popular Genre
True Crime, Comedy, and Technology Are Most Popular Genres In the US
Comedy has been a favorite genre of US podcast listeners since 2020 and this year was no different. Other podcast genres that are extremely popular are true crime and technology.
How People Listen to Podcasts Statistics
Podcast Platform and Device
Apple Podcasts & Spotify Are Podcast Streaming Leaders
Apple Podcasts and Spotify completely dominate when it comes to the number of listeners that use their platforms to listen to podcasts. Apple Podcasts accounts for 40.1% of all podcast listeners, and Spotify has 27.3% of the audience.
44,194,930 Downloads
Apple Podcasts was the platform that had the most podcast episodes downloaded with more than 44 million downloads. Spotify was second place with 30,549,230 downloads.
89% of Listeners Use Their Smartphone for Podcasts
The overwhelming majority of listeners choose their mobile device as their preferred listening device. Since 2014, smartphone usage for podcast listening has increased by 157%.
Computer Is the 2nd Most Popular Way to Listen to Podcasts
The computer is the second most popular device to listen to podcasts on, but it only accounts for ~6% of listeners.
International Statistics
Highest Number of Podcast Listeners
Swedish People Listen to Podcasts the Most
54% of all Swedish reported that they listen to podcasts regularly and at least one podcast episode every month. This is the highest recorded active listener rate of all countries surveyed when population size is accounted for.
⅘ of US Population Knows What A Podcast Is
The percentage of the US population that is aware of what a podcast is has grown steadily every year. Nearly 80% of the US population now knows what a podcast is.
Podcast Awareness Decreased by 1% In Australia
Australia has seen a decrease in podcast awareness figures of 1%. Even with the decrease, Australia still has one of the highest awareness rates of any country surveyed, with 90% of Australians knowing what a podcast is.
177 Million US Citizens Have Listened to A Podcast
62% of the US population aged 12 and above report having listened to at least one podcast in their life, an increase from 2021 when 57% reported the same.
South America Has the Fastest-Growing Podcast Consumption Rates
Chile, Argentina, and Peru are the countries where podcast consumption is growing at its fastest rate. Chile has a growth rate of 85%, Argentina has 55%, and Peru is third with 49.1%. Spanish-speaking podcasts should see a big boost this year.
Most Popular Podcasts
The Joe Rogan Experience Is the #1 Podcast in US, Australia, and UK
The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast in the world, but not in every country or region. The popularity of this podcast is driven in large part by the US, Australia, and the UK (as well as other English-speaking countries like Canada) where it ranks #1.
Most Popular Genres
Comedy Is the Top Podcast Genre Worldwide
Across regions, the top genre can vary, with the news featuring prominently in many places. However, the most searched-for podcast genre worldwide is comedy.
Ad Statistics
Podcast Advertising Revenue
Ad Revenue Exceeded $1 Billion by End of 2022
Podcast ad revenues continue to grow globally, and the US market is no different. US podcast ad revenue exceeded $1 billion at the end of 2022 and it’s expected to surpass $4 billion by 2024.
60% of Listeners Search for a Product After a Podcast Advert
Surveys show that most podcast listeners don’t mind listening to advertisements on their favorite podcasts, as they are often related to the podcast’s topic. As such, studies show that 60% of listeners have searched for a product after hearing about it on a podcast.
Listener Ad Preferences
Podcast Listeners Are Less Likely to See TV Advertising
Podcast listeners are much more likely to subscribe to a video streaming service (e.g. Netflix and Amazon Prime) than non-listeners. This means they are exposed to less traditional TV advertisements, which could be one of the reasons why they report they don’t mind adverts within their favorite podcasts.
More than 70% of Listeners Would Skip Ads If There’s an Option
Although podcast listeners are generally receptive to receiving advertisements related to their podcast content or host, the overwhelming majority of listeners (~70%) would still prefer to skip ads if given the option.
Half of Heavy Podcast Listeners Believe Podcast Hosts Use the Products They Advertise
49% of people who listen to 5 or more hours of podcasts a week believe that the products and services the podcast host advertises are used by the podcast host themselves.
Free vs Paid Podcasts
25% of Listeners Prefer Paid Podcasts
The average podcast listener would rather have their podcasts contain advertisements and be free to listen to, rather than have an ad-free podcast requiring payment. But, 25% of listeners would like a paid-for podcast experience if it meant they didn’t have to listen to ads.
Podcast Ad Costs
The Average Cost of a 30-Second Advertisement Costs ~$20
The average cost of a 30-second podcast advertisement is $18. A 60-second ad costs an average of $25.
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Revenue Statistics
Podcast Revenue
Podcasting Industry Expected to Double Its Value by 2024
With interest in podcasts still growing and larger audience numbers expected, the value of the podcast industry is expected to double to more than $4 billion this year.
$30 Million for Most Profitable Podcast
The Joe Rogan Experience was not only the most listened-to podcast in the US and the rest of the world, but it was also the highest-earning podcast show, making $30 million.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Podcasts Are There?
Due to unreliable data collection and because podcasts are hosted on different platforms, it’s difficult to get an exact number. However, there are believed to be more than 2 million unique podcast shows, and some estimates say the number could be 5 million.
What Is the Average Number of Podcast Listeners?
The average podcast will get approximately 27 listens per episode. The top 1% of podcasts receive an average of 3200 listens per episode.
How Many Downloads Makes a Successful Podcast?
The top 1% of podcasts receive around 4,000 downloads in a week and 9,000 in 30 days.
How Many People Listen to Podcasts?
More than 450 million people around the world listen to podcasts at least once a month. In the US over 100 million people actively listen to podcasts.
What’s the Most Popular Podcast?
The most popular podcast in the world is The Joe Rogan Experience. A single episode can receive millions of listens.
Why Do People Like Podcasts?
Surveys show that people like to listen to podcasts to learn new things and because they wish to avoid being exposed to adverts in the same way as listening to the radio and watching the tv.
What’s the Average Length of a Podcast?
The average podcast length is exactly 38 minutes. However, this number is constantly changing as new podcasts are added.
How Much Time Do People Spend Listening to Podcasts?
The average podcast listener spends almost 7 hours a week listening to podcasts.
Is the Podcast Industry Growing?
Yes. It is reaching more ears than ever before, and the revenue generated by the industry is growing. Revenue topped $1 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $4 billion by 2024.
Sources
In addition to our own analysis, we’ve used parts of data from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Statista, Edison Research, IAB, Castbox, Podcastinsights, The Podcast Host.
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