Podcast Statistics and Facts (2025)

Introduction

Podcast Statistics: Podcasts have become a significant medium for information and entertainment, revolutionizing content consumption globally. In 2024, the global podcast market reached USD 30.03 billion.

A podcast is an audio program available on the internet, typically released in episodes, allowing users to download and listen on demand, enhancing accessibility. In the United States, 67% of individuals aged 12 and older have listened to a podcast, with 47% engaging monthly and 34% weekly. Globally, podcast listenership is projected to reach 504.9 million by 2024, indicating a steady upward trend.

Demographically, 59% of U.S. individuals aged 12-34 are monthly podcast listeners, followed by 55% aged 35-54, and 27% aged 55 and above. The medium’s appeal is further evidenced by 46% of weekly podcast listeners reporting product or service purchases based on podcast advertisements. Additionally, 23% of weekly listeners spend 10 hours or more engaging with podcasts each week. These statistics underscore podcasts’ expansive reach and influential role in modern media consumption.​

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• The global podcasting market is projected to reach USD 130.63 billion by 2030.
• In 2024, worldwide podcast advertising spending is estimated to hit USD 4.02 billion, reflecting a 16.18% increase from 2023.
• The United States podcast industry will generate approximately USD 2.5 billion in ad revenue in 2024, representing a 20% increase from 2023.
• As of January 2025, there are approximately 4.42 million podcasts worldwide.
• In 2024, over 2.7 million podcasts are available globally, with more than 70 million episodes produced.
• The number of global podcast listeners is projected to reach 584.1 million in 2025, marking a 6.84% increase from 2024.
• An estimated 144 million monthly podcast listeners in the United States make up around 55% of the adult population.
• In the United States, 47% of individuals aged 12 and older have listened to a podcast in the past month as of 2024.
• The majority of podcasts (nearly one-third) have a length of 20 to 40 minutes.
• Listeners spend an average of 7 hours per week engaging with podcasts, with 23% dedicating over 10 hours weekly.
• Approximately 34% of Americans listen to an average of 8.3 podcast episodes per week.
• On average, an American listens to almost 9 podcast episodes per week.
• In 2024, podcast listeners subscribe to 6 podcasts and spend about 1 hour and 45 minutes per day listening to podcasts.
• 86.1% of listeners worldwide use mobile devices as the primary medium for podcast consumption.
• While podcasts are portable, 90% of listeners prefer tuning in at home.
• 40% of podcast listeners are aged 18-34, 35% are aged 35-54, and 25% are aged 55+.
• The gender distribution among podcast listeners is fairly balanced, with 52% male and 48% female.
• 60% of listeners report purchasing a product or service after hearing about it on a podcast.
• In 2024, the most preferred podcast platforms are Spotify (30%), Apple Podcasts (25%), Google Podcasts (15%), and others (30%).
• YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts collectively account for 64% of weekly podcast listeners’ preferred platforms in the United States as of April 2024.
• Video podcasts are gaining traction, with 33% of U.S. podcast listeners opting for watchable content.
• In 2024, the content preferences share of podcasts includes news and politics (25%), comedy (20%), society and culture (15%), true crime (10%), business (10%), and others (20%).
• Comedy remains a leading podcast genre, with 22% of listeners tuning in, followed by news (21%), true crime (18%), and sports (17%).

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General Podcast Statistics

• The podcasting landscape now boasts over 3 million distinct shows, encompassing an impressive total of more than 189 million episodes.
• The global podcast listenership has exceeded 504 million individuals.
• The global podcast listener base, currently exceeding 464 million, is anticipated to surge to 504.9 million by 2024.
• The average listener devotes an impressive 7 hours per week to their favorite podcast app, with episodes lasting between 20 and 40 minutes being the most popular.
• The optimal listening period is in the morning, with the majority of episodes being consumed on mobile devices.
• Spotify and Apple Podcasts are at the forefront, fiercely competing for supremacy in the global audio landscape.
• Video podcasts are experiencing a surge in popularity, introducing a novel dimension to the realm of audio storytelling.
• Podcast Statistics further report that 40% of podcast listeners engage in discovering new shows by leveraging the in-app search functionalities.
• On average, podcasts that have been available for 30 days achieve approximately 141 downloads within their first month.

Podcast Market Size By Market.us

• The Global Podcasting Market is expected to reach USD 233.9 billion by 2032, growing from USD 27.3 billion in 2023 at a CAGR of 27.8% from 2024 to 2033.

(Source: Market.us)

• The News & Politics segment is projected to be the most lucrative, capturing a 31.7% market share with a CAGR of 27.2% during the forecast period.
• The Sports category is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6%.
• The Interviews format dominates the market with a 30.6% share and a CAGR of 27.8%.
• The Solo format is anticipated to expand rapidly within the format segment, achieving a 25.7% market share and a CAGR of 28.2%.
• North America is projected to be the most lucrative region in the global podcasting market, holding a 40.6% market share and registering a CAGR of 27.3%.
• Latin America is expected to be the fastest-growing region, with a CAGR of 28.4% during the forecast period.
• The global podcast landscape includes over 3.3 million podcasts, though competing estimates suggest a figure of 4.1 million.
• Collectively, podcasts provide more than 189.3 million episodes, averaging 57 episodes per podcast.
• Anchor FM, a Spotify subsidiary, dominates podcast hosting with a 55.8% market share.
• Podcasts are available in over 100 languages globally.
• Spotify hosts around 4.7 million podcasts, while Apple reports 2.5 million podcasts as of January 2023.
• The United States produces 64% of global podcasts, with 61% in English.
• By 2026, North America is expected to account for 46.3% of the global podcast audience.
• Europe is projected to represent 32.8%, followed by Latin America at 32.4%.

By Global Listener Growth and Trends

(Reference: backlinko.com)

• The above graph, taken from a report published by Backlinko, states that in 2019, the total number of podcast listeners was 274.8 million, and in 2020, there were 333.2 million listeners, an increment of 20.90% from last year.
• The total number of listeners and YoY growth rate by years are followed by 2021: 383.7 million (18.70%), 2022: 424.2 million (10.60%), 2023: 464.7 million (9.60%), and 2024: 504.9 million (8.7%).

By Popular Platforms

(Reference: backlinko.com)

• In 2024, Spotify is the most popular podcast platform, with 33.7% of total listeners.
• Apple Podcasts holds the second-largest share, accounting for 27.6% of listeners.
• iPhone Radio follows with 6.2% of the total podcast audience.
• Google Podcasts represents 3.6% of total listeners.
• Chrome is used by 2.85% of podcast listeners.
• Amazon Music has a 2.7% share of the podcast market.
• Alexa accounts for 2% of total podcast listeners.
• Castbox is used by 1.5% of podcast listeners.
• Stitcher holds a 0.8% share of podcast listeners.
• Overcast and Pocket Casts each have 0.6% of total listeners.
• Podcast Addict is used by 0.5% of listeners.
• Other platforms collectively account for 17.4% of total podcast listeners.

By Downloads

• In 2024, more than 70% of all podcast downloads will occur through Apple Podcasts, making it the leading platform for downloads.
• Spotify accounts for only 8.9% of total podcast download requests, despite being the leading platform for streaming podcasts.
• Other popular podcast apps and their respective download shares include:
  • iHeartRadio: 3%
  • Alexa: 2.3%
  • Overcast: 1.6%
  • Stitcher: 1.3%
  • Amazon Music: 1.2%
  • Google Podcasts: 1.2%
  • Podcast Addict: 1.1%
  • Castbox: 1%
  • Chrome: 1%

Podcast Publishers’ Statistics By Unique Streams and Downloads

(Reference: statista.com)

• In June 2023, iHeartRadio ranked as the leading podcast publisher globally, with 377.24 million unique streams and downloads.
• Wondery secured the second position with 176.23 million unique streams and downloads.
• NPR followed closely in third place, recording 162.04 million unique streams and downloads.
• The New York Times achieved 111.71 million unique streams and downloads.
• The Daily Wire accumulated 79.94 million unique streams and downloads.
• NBC News recorded 70.41 million unique streams and downloads.
• PRX generated 52.45 million unique streams and downloads.
• The Walt Disney Company reported 41.36 million unique streams and downloads.
• Vox Media accounted for 38.19 million unique streams and downloads.
• CNN registered 35.07 million unique streams and downloads.

U.S. Monthly Podcast Listener Numbers Statistics

(Reference: shopify.com)

• The total number of podcast listeners in the U.S. is projected to reach 131.2 million in 2024.
• In 2023, the number of podcast listeners in the U.S. was also 131.2 million.
• The projected annual growth rate for podcast listeners in 2025 is 4.3%, bringing the total to 142.7 million.
• In 2022, the total number of podcast listeners in the U.S. was 125 million.
• In 2021, the number of U.S. podcast listeners reached 117.8 million.
• In 2020, the number of podcast listeners in the U.S. was 107.8 million.
• In 2019, the total number of podcast listeners in the U.S. was 100 million.
• In 2018, 75.1 million Americans listened to podcasts, representing 26.9% of the total internet user population.
• The average American listens to around nine podcast episodes per week, though this varies among listeners.

(Source: buttercms.com)

• Podcast listeners have many choices now; in January 2024, there were more than 4.3 million podcasts.

In the same period, the total number of published podcast shows by period is depicted below:

The Share of Podcast Listeners Statistics by Number of episodes listened to in the last week, 2024, are followed as:

Top 5 Most Frequently Listed Podcasts on Apple Podcasts in the U.S.

• As of Podcast Statistics 2024, there are 2,757,012 active podcasts on Apple Podcasts.
• The host preference shows that 96% of podcasters list their shows on this platform.
• There are a total of 110 categories, with new subcategories emerging, such as Mental Health.
• With over 71 million episodes, the most content can be found in the Spirituality and Religion categories.
• Apple Podcasts holds a 26.9% market share, placing it behind Spotify’s 33.7%.

Monthly Podcast Consumption Statistics

(Reference: statista.com)

• In 2023, a survey on podcast consumption indicated that 42% of U.S. adults had engaged with a podcast, which increased from last year, resulting in 38%.
• Approximately 47% of the U.S. population aged 12 and older are monthly podcast listeners, marking a significant increase from previous years.
• This translates to about 98 million weekly podcast listeners, showing a 34% rise from earlier estimates.

Preferred Podcast Platforms Statistics By Age

(Reference: statista.com)

• According to a comprehensive study on podcast consumption in the United States in 2023, Spotify emerged as the leading platform for podcast listening. Podcast consumption by age group includes 18 to 34 years (53%), 35 to 54 years (40%), 55 years and older (20%), and others (42%).

Furthermore, the table below details all other referred streaming platforms for podcast consumption in the United States:

Podcast Listeners Statistics By Age Demographics

(Source: prioridata.com)

• Podcast Statistics show that in 2024, podcast listeners span a variety of age groups.
• The largest portion of listeners is in the 12—to 34-year-old age range, which makes up about 50% of the audience.
• Further breakdown: People aged 13 to 17 represent 11% of the total podcast listenership, while those aged 18 to 24 make up 4%, and those aged 25 to 34 constitute 2%.
• Listeners aged 35 to 44 years account for 3%, those aged 45-54 make up 5%, and listeners in the 55 to 64 age range hold 4% of the total.
• The 65+ age group also comprises 4% of podcast listeners.

Top Global Podcast Publishers & Networks Statistics

• Podcast Statistics further state that in June 2024, the leading podcast publisher globally is iHeart Audience Network, with a staggering 646.81 million unique streams and downloads.
• This figure includes 569.94 million streams and downloads from RSS feeds and 76.86 million views on YouTube across their 32,223 shows.

Furthermore, podcast industry ranking by top podcast publishers & networks global delivery in the Q2, 2024:

(Source: analytics.podtrac.com)

Podcast listeners in Selected Countries in Latin America

(Reference: statista.com)

• In 2023, Brazil boasted approximately 51.8 million internet users who engaged with podcasts every month, significantly surpassing the 27.5 million listeners in Mexico and the 10.4 million in Argentina.

The table below shows the number of internet users (in millions) who listen to podcasts in selected countries in Latin America

Usage Rate of Podcasts in Selected Countries in Europe

(Reference: statista.com)

• Podcast Statistics further states that Germany boasted the highest podcast usage rate among Europe’s five largest nations, with 22.1% of its internet users engaging with podcasts at least monthly.
• Meanwhile, other countries with a higher share of internet users who listen to podcasts were the United Kingdom (18.4%), France (16.4%), Spain (14.7%), and Italy (13.6%).

The coming year’s analyses are detailed below:

Number of Podcasts and Podcast Episodes Statistics

(Reference: statista.com)

• According to a Statista insight analysis, the total number of podcasts has surged to approximately 3.2 million.
• Additionally, the cumulative number of episodes published has surpassed 178.37 million as of October 2023.

Podcast Listenership Statistics By Countries and Regions

(Reference: statista.com)

• According to the above graph analyses of Podcast Statistics, in August 2022, 40.8% of internet users in the North American region consumed podcasts, and this increased in 2023 to 42.4% of users.
• By the end of 2024, the Share of podcast listeners in this region will be around 30.9%, and in the coming years, the estimated shares will be 2025 (45.2%) and 2026 (46.3%).

The Table Below Elaborates on the Share of Podcast Listeners Among Internet Users:

By Country, 2024

 (Source: backlinko.com)

Podcast Users Statistics By Countries

(Reference: statista.com)

• Brazil had the highest proportion of podcast users in February 2024, with a 51% share.
• Indonesia ranked second with 49% of podcast users.
• Mexico secured the third position with a 48% share of podcast users.
• South Africa accounted for 46% of podcast users.
• Sweden recorded 45% of podcast listeners.
• Spain and Romania each had 43% of podcast users.
• India, United Kingdom, Australia, and Finland each reported 41% podcast listener engagement.
• Norway had 40% of its population listening to podcasts.
• Portugal reported 39% of podcast users.
• Ireland had a 38% share of podcast listeners.
• Poland and Colombia each recorded 37% of podcast users.
• Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Chile, and New Zealand all had 35% of their population using podcasts.
• Greece and Turkey each accounted for 34% of podcast listeners.
• United States also had 34% of podcast users.
• Thailand, Italy, Vietnam, and Netherlands each recorded 33% of podcast listeners.
• Argentina, Denmark, and Saudi Arabia each had 32% of their population using podcasts.
• Peru and Kenya both had 31% of podcast listeners.
• Czechia and Hungary each reported 30% of podcast users.
• Serbia recorded 29% of podcast listeners.
• Austria and Lithuania each accounted for 28% of podcast users.
• Nigeria and Egypt both had 27% of podcast listeners.
• Singapore and France each reported 26% of podcast users.
• China had 24% of podcast listeners.
• Hong Kong accounted for 23% of podcast users.
• Belgium recorded 21% of podcast listeners.
• Taiwan had 19% of its population listening to podcasts.
• South Korea, Pakistan, and Japan each had 18% of podcast users.

Popular Podcast Genres Statistics

(Reference: backlinko.com)

• In the United States, comedy reigns as the most popular podcast genre, capturing 22% of the weekly listener share in 2024.
• Additionally, other popular genres are True crime (18%), Sports (17%), Health and fitness (17%), Religion and faith (16%), Politics (16%), Self-help (15%), Investigative journalism (13%), and Finance (13%).
• Podcast Statistics also show that around 34% of U.S. adults who have engaged with podcasts over the past year consistently gravitate toward those dedicated to true crime.
• A significant 7% of podcast listeners in the United States, specifically within the 30-44 age demographic, engage with sports podcasts daily.

Ranking of Podcast Genres on Spotify By Listening to Hour Share

(Reference: statista.com)

• A study on global podcast consumption in the first half of 2023 revealed that comedy podcasts accounted for 30% of total listening hours on Spotify, while society and culture podcasts comprised 18% of the listening time.
• In the same period, leading podcast genres on Spotify worldwide by Share of listening hours were lifestyle and health (15%), true crime (10%), and Educational (7%).

News Podcast Access Statistics By Countries

(Reference: statista.com)

• A report published by Statista on Podcast Statistics In early 2023, around 19% of surveyed individuals in the United States reported engaging with a news podcast within the preceding month, followed by Sweden (17%), and Australia (14%)
• Meanwhile, in February 2023, consumers who accessed a news podcast by country were followed by Ireland (14%), Spain (14%), Japan (13%), Norway (13%), Canada (13%), Denmark (13%), Switzerland (12%), Austria (12%), Finland (11%), Singapore (11%), Germany (10%), Italy (10%), France (9%), Netherlands (9%), Argentina (9%), Belgium (9%), United Kingdom (8%), and average across all countries (12%).

Top Podcast Channels By Country

The Influence of a Podcast’s Ranking on its Download Metrics

• Based on Podcast Statistics, the leading 1% of podcasts achieve close to 3,994 downloads within the initial seven days following their release.
• The other average number of downloads within the first seven days by rank is followed by 795 (5%), 335 (10%), 93 (25%), and 30 (50%).

Podcast Duration Statistics

• Around 30% of podcast episodes will capture the majority of podcasts that lie between 20 and 40 minutes long by 2024.
• However, other podcast durations by episode shares are followed by 40 to 60 minutes (21%), >60 minutes (18%), 10 to 20 minutes (15%), and under 10 minutes (15%).

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Podcasts

• Podcast Statistics also projected that the market value of AI-enabled podcasting will reach USD 3 billion by early 2024.
• Around 84% of podcasters and 57% of listeners believe that A.I. tools, such as ChatGPT and Canva, will enhance the quality of podcast content.
• Furthermore, A.I. promises to slash costs for podcasters by up to 50%.
• Additionally, a survey by Headliner discovered that 66% of podcasters are utilizing A.I. to elevate their podcasts.
• Acast’s study revealed that 85% of listeners deem it ethical for podcasters to incorporate A.I. in their productions.

Podcast Marketing Statistics

• Podcast Statistics also reports that advertising revenue in the U.S. is projected to reach over USD 4.02 billion in 2024, and the total number of listeners is estimated to reach 668.1 million by 2028.
• The average conversion rate for podcast ads is 1.0% for site visits, 0.1% for purchases, 0.3% for lead conversions, and 0.4% for app installations.
• Host-read ads generate the majority of podcast ad revenue, accounting for 55% of the total.
• Dynamically inserted ads (DAIs), which are pre-recorded and inserted based on listener profiles, now generate 84% of podcast ad revenue.
• Most podcast listeners (70%) prefer ads read by the host over pre-recorded ads, and 75% of listeners report being satisfied with purchases made through podcast ads.
• About 15% of listeners are willing to pay between USD 10 and USD 25 to attend live-recorded podcast events, which presents a lucrative opportunity for podcasters to engage with their audience in real-time.
• In 2024, over 5 million podcasts will be available, and the U.S. will lead in podcast listeners, with 40% of internet users tuning in monthly.

Video Podcast Statistics

• Approximately 17% of podcast hosts produce episodes in both audio and video formats.
• In 2023, the Podcast Index cataloged 50,000 video podcasts, a significant increase from approximately 39,000 the previous year.
• A study by Morning Consult revealed that 32% of podcast listeners in the United States favor video podcasts over audio-only ones.

Podcast Statistics By Largest Podcast Advertisers

(Reference: statista.com)

• In the first quarter of 2024, BetterHelp emerged as the largest podcast advertiser in the United States, with its ad expenditure amounting to USD 24.6 million, surpassing Amazon’s USD 15.6 million investment.
• In contrast, other Leading podcast advertisers in the nation by ad spend are VGW (USD 13.4 million), HelloFresh (USD 11 million), Shopify (USD 9.2 million), DraftKings (7.8 million), Rocket Companies (USD 7.8 million), MGM Resorts International (USD 7.4 million), Oracle Corporation (USD 6.9 million), and Athletic Greens (USD 6.3 million).

Industries Affected By Podcasts, 2025

Advertising:

• USD 1.7 billion projected revenue from podcast advertising in the U.S.
• 55% of podcast listeners have purchased a product after hearing an ad.

Retail:

• Almost 64% of podcast listeners say they have discovered new products through podcasts.
• 45% of small businesses report increased sales attributed to podcast advertising.

Education:

• 35% of educators use podcasts as supplementary teaching tools.
• 70% of students report an improved understanding of topics through educational podcasts.

Entertainment:

• Over 50% of podcast listeners consume T.V. and movies based on podcast recommendations.
• 30% increase in audiobook sales linked to podcast promotions.

Health and Wellness:

• 79% of listeners say health podcasts have motivated them to adopt healthier habits.
• 40% of wellness brands have seen growth through podcast advertising.

Technology:

• 60% of tech enthusiasts follow podcasts for the latest industry updates.
• USD 500 million estimated revenue from tech-related podcasts.

How Do People Listen To Podcasts

(Source: prod.website-files.com)

• Regarding listening preferences, 71% of people opt for the privacy of headphones, while 29% prefer enjoying audio through speakers with others.
• Smartphones are the preferred choice for 75% of people when it comes to listening to podcasts.
• Only 13% of listeners use laptops and desktops, making them less popular.

When Do People Listen to Podcasts

• As mentioned in Podcast Statistics, around 49% of people tune in to podcasts while performing household chores such as cleaning, tidying up, or doing the dishes.
• 42% listen while commuting to or from work, whether driving themselves or using public transport.
• 29% engage with podcasts while working out or participating in sports.
• 25% enjoy them while out for a walk.
• 21% listen before going to sleep or even while sleeping.
• 15% prefer podcasts at their workplace.
• 14% have them on during meals.
• Finally, 11% listen while waiting in lines, whether at the store, post office, or coffee shop.

Podcast Statistics By Purchasing Behavior

• Among heavy listeners, 86% concur that podcasts motivate them toward self-improvement.
• 79% of listeners report that podcasts inspire them to improve themselves.
• 77% state that listening to podcasts has led them to make more informed decisions.
• 68% of respondents feel a profound connection with their favorite podcasters.

Conclusion

Podcasts have firmly established themselves as a dominant medium for content delivery, influencing various industries and reaching diverse audiences worldwide. The future of podcasts looks promising, with continuous advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence, enhancing content creation and listener experience. AI-driven podcasts are already reaching millions and are set to transform the industry further.

As the medium evolves, it will continue to shape and influence how information and Entertainment are consumed, offering endless possibilities for creators and listeners alike.

Joseph D'Souza

Joseph D'Souza founded Sci-Tech Today as a personal passion project to share statistics, expert analysis, product reviews, and experiences with tech gadgets. Over time, it evolved into a full-scale tech blog specializing in core science and technology. Founded in 2004 by Joseph D’Souza, Sci-Tech Today has become a leading voice in the realms of science and technology. This platform is dedicated to delivering in-depth, well-researched statistics, facts, charts, and graphs that industry experts rigorously verify. The aim is to illuminate the complexities of technological innovations and scientific discoveries through clear and comprehensive information.

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