Podcasts have existed for the last two decades, but this industry has gained massive popularity in the past few years.
Podcasts will continue to become popular thanks to emerging technologies like smart speakers and the diversity showcased through this platform.
If you’re looking to start a podcast or become a devout listener, knowing the statistics of this industry might help. So here are 25+ podcast statistics that you should know.
You can read the list of the best podcast platforms in 2023. This will help you and save you a lot of time.
Here’s a rundown of the main podcast statistics discussed in the post:
- The number of podcast listeners worldwide currently stands at 464.7 million.
- By 2024, the number of podcast listeners will have increased to 504.9 million, exceeding the half-a-billion threshold.
- Apple and Spotify account for the largest share of Podcast streaming apps
- 79% of Americans know what a podcast is
- 50% of podcast listeners are aged between 18 and 34 years, while another 43% are aged between 35 and 54.
- 90% of Aussies are aware of podcasting
More Comprehensive Podcast Statistics
You now have a rough idea of statistics in the podcast industry. This next section delves deeper into what this landscape looks like:
- Number of podcasts worldwide
As of February 2023, the total number of podcasts falls between 3.8 and 4 million. However, the exact figure could be much higher depending on other factors. For instance, if you factor in inactive podcasts, this number is closer to 5 million.
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- The population of podcast listeners
If the latest statistics are anything to go by, Podcast is among the fastest-growing media platforms.
The number of podcast listeners worldwide increased from 424.2 million in 2022 to 464.7 million in 2023.
This accounts for a whopping 22% of all Internet users. Experts project that this figure will have risen to 504.9 million by the end of 2024.
- Market share of Podcast streaming apps
Apple and Spotify are the most prominent players in the podcast space. By the start of the year, Spotify was home to 4.7 million podcasts.
Apple followed closely, hosting up to 2.5 million podcasts. This chart ranks the most popular apps used for podcast streaming:
App Market Share
Spotify 26.8%
Apple Podcasts 37.4%
Web Browser 2.5%
Google Podcasts 2.4%
Castbox 2%
Podcast Addict 1.5%
- Most popular podcasts on the leading platforms
Are you wondering which podcasts people listen to the most? On Spotify, the top 8 are:
- The Joe Rogan Experience
- Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind
- Breaking Points
- Huberman Lab
- New Heights
- That Chapter Podcast
- This Past Weekend
- Call Her Daddy
On Apple, the top 8 most popular podcasts are:
- The Daily
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty
- Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
- We Can Do Hard Things
- The Mel Robbins Podcast
- Deep Cover: Never Seen Again
- Crime Junkie
- Huberman Lab
- 79% of Americans are familiar with podcasts
On the surface, this might not sound like a big deal, but it is. Back in 2006, a measly 20% of the U.S. population was familiar with podcasts.
Fast forward to 2023, and most of the population seems to have caught on. The most recent stats show that up to 79% of the U.S. population knows what podcasting is. This translates to a whopping 262 million Americans being aware of the platform.
- Who listens to podcasts?
If you’re looking to start a podcast, you might be wondering about the demographics of this platform.
The number of podcast listeners is somewhat evenly distributed among different age groups. However, those aged 18 to 34 constitute the majority, accounting for 50% of listeners.
Podcast listeners aged 35 and 54 comprise 43%, while those aged 55 years or older comprise 22%.
- 90% of Australians are familiar with podcasting
The Podcast has gained immense popularity in the U.S. But this doesn’t compare to the platform’s popularity in Australia.
In the latter, 90% of Aussies are reportedly familiar with podcasts. Australians downloaded up to 755 million podcasts in 2022 alone.
- Mobile phones are the most preferred device for podcast streaming
If you want to start a podcast, you’ll want to ensure it’s mobile-friendly. That’s because up to 73% of listeners use their mobile phones to stream podcasts. 11% of listeners use their laptops, and only 7% stream using their tablets.
- Most podcasts are multilingual.
Podcasts can be found in more than 100 languages. Considering other social media networks don’t have this capacity, podcasts seem to have an edge in this sector.
- Podcast listeners spend 7 hours listening to their favourite podcasts
Research shows that the average podcast listener is a very devoted one. 82.4% of these listeners spend 7 hours or more each week streaming their favourite Podcast.
- On average, most podcasts are between 20 and 40 minutes long
Perhaps one of the reasons that podcasts are helping the boom is that they are brief. Buzzsprout puts the average podcast length at 38 minutes, while Pacific Content came up with 43 minutes and 24 seconds.
But most experts agree that the average length of a podcast ranges from 20 to 40 minutes.
- How do people integrate podcasts into their lives?
Another fact you might be interested in is where most people stream podcasts from. Statistics show that 49% of listeners stream them from home, and 59% of podcast listeners listen to them while they’re conducting house chores.
Similarly, 49% of listeners stream their favourite podcasts while driving. This isn’t surprising considering how annoying traffic congestion can be. Only 46% listen to their podcasts when they go out for a stroll.
- Podcast revenue may hit $2.20 billion by the end of 2023
With this platform’s popularity increasing steadily, it’s not surprising that its revenue has also been growing.
In the U.S. alone, podcast revenue may reach a new high of $2.2 billion by the end of 2023, representing an increase of 27.2% annually.
It may increase to a staggering $2.56 billion in 2024. Considering podcast revenue in the U.S. was a mere $701 million in 2019, this represents tremendous growth.
- 81% of listeners give heed to podcast ads
If you want to market your new brand or product, podcast advertising might be your best bet. Statistics show that more than 81% of podcast listeners take note of the ads they hear in podcasts.
Meanwhile, 63% of the respondents interviewed reported that they always or occasionally ignore TV advertisements.
This proves that podcast advertising has a higher engagement rate from its audience than other avenues.
- Reasons for listening to podcasts
This is another valuable statistic for individuals thinking of starting a new podcast. About 74% of listeners stream podcasts to learn something new.
- Measuring your Podcast performance
One metric you can use to gauge your Podcast’s performance is the number of episodes downloaded within a given timeframe.
Buzzsprout, one of the leading hosting podcast platforms, provides insight into this. If you get x number of downloads within a week of releasing, you’re ranked in the top y%. Here’s a chart showing more detailed figures:
4,761 downloads get you to the top 1%
1,016 downloads get you to the top 5%
420 downloads get you to the top 10%
108 downloads get you to the top 25%
29 downloads get you to the top 50%
- Podcast growth rate by country
The podcast industry has been growing the fastest in the following countries:
Country Growth rate
Chile 84%
Argentina 55.3%
Peru 49.1%
Mexico 47.8%
Chine 43.6%
- 41% of Internet users in North America listen to a podcast
Chile may be experiencing the fastest growth in Podcast, but it’s not the most significant consumer.
That goes to North America, where 40.8% of Internet users listen to a podcast at least once every month.
Western Europe is also a big podcast consumer, with 28.1% of its Internet users being Podcast listeners.
- Comedy is the most popular podcast niche.
According to a study done by Edison Research, comedy appears to be the most popular genre for podcast listeners. Here’s a chart showing how it stacks up against other niches:
Niche
- Comedy
- News
- Society & Culture
- True Crime
- Sports
- Business
- Arts
- TV & Film
- Education
- Religion & Spirituality
- Almost half of all podcast listeners have a household income $75,000 or more.
Another intriguing fact is that podcast listeners are generally wealthy. A study by Edison Research revealed that 45% of podcast listeners have an income of at least $75,000.
- There are more male podcast listeners than female.
According to the latest statistics, up to 53% of the podcast audience in the U.S. comprises male listeners.
I will add more data about the podcast statistics to help you find all the information you need about podcasts.
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Oyundoyin Anthony is a blogger and an affiliate marketer that offers helpful contents to people who are looking for different products for their needs. He enjoys helping people to achieve success in their business.