Podcast Statistics By Market Size, Publishers & Networks, Largest Podcast Advertisers and Facts

Introduction

Podcast Statistics: Podcasts have become a significant medium for information and Entertainment, revolutionizing how people consume content. They offer a versatile platform for storytelling, education, news, and more, reaching audiences globally. In 2024, the global podcast market will reach USD 30.03 billion.

A podcast is an audio program available on the internet, typically released in episodes. Unlike traditional radio shows, podcasts can also be downloaded and listened to on demand, making them highly accessible.

This article has covered all essential analyses of the platform’s current trends from different insights and will guide you accordingly.

Editor’s Choice

• The podcast industry in the United States will generate approximately USD 2.5 billion in ad revenue in 2024, representing a 20% increase from 2023.
• An estimated 144 million monthly podcast listeners in the U.S. make up around 55% of the adult population.
• Based on demographics40% 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.
• In 2024, the most preferred podcast platforms are Spotify (30%), Apple podcasts (25%), Google podcasts (15%), and others (30%).
• Meanwhile, listeners subscribe to 6 podcasts and spend about 1 hour and 45 minutes per day listening to podcasts.
• Podcast Statistics further states that, on average, an American consumes almost nine podcast episodes per week.
• To date, there are over 2.7 million podcasts available globally, with more than 70 million episodes produced.
• In 2024, the content preferences share of podcasts are new and politics (25%), comedy (20%), society and culture (15%), true crime (10%), business (10%), and others (20%).
• Around 60% of listeners report purchasing a product or service after hearing about it on a podcast.

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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 Statistics By Market Size

(Reference: backlinko.com)

• As of 2024, the industry is valued at over USD 30.03 billion, up by USD 23.56 billion from 2023.
• The projections indicate an exponential growth trajectory, surpassing USD 38.36 billion by 2025, followed by 2026 (USD 49.03 billion), 2027 (USD 62.71 billion), 2028 (USD 80.07 billion), 2029 (USD 102.53 billion), and 2030 (USD 131.13 billion).

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)

• Podcast Statistics also states that in 2024, Spotify will be the most popular podcast platform, with 33.7% of total listeners.
• Furthermore, other platforms’ total listener share is followed by Apple (27.6%), iPhone radio (6.2%), Google Podcasts (3.6%), Chrome (2.85), Amazon Music (2.7%), Alexa (2%), Castbox (1.5%), Stitcher (0.8%), Overcast (0.6%), Pocket Casts (0.6%), Podcast Addict (0.5%), and Other (17.4%).

By Downloads

• Although Spotify will be the leading platform for streaming podcasts in 2024, a substantial majority, exceeding 70%, of podcast downloads will occur through Apple Podcasts.
• In comparison, Spotify users exhibit a lower propensity for downloads, with the platform trailing significantly at a mere 8.9% of total download requests.
• Furthermore, popular apps download shares are 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%), and Pocket Casts (0.9%).

Podcast Publishers’ Statistics By Unique Streams and Downloads

(Reference: statista.com)

• In June 2023, iHeartRadio emerged as the leading podcast publisher globally, achieving an impressive 377.24 million unique streams and downloads.
• Trailing in second and third place, Wondery made up 176.23 million and NPR with 162.04 million streams and downloads during the same period.
• Podcast Statistics also elaborates the other podcast publishers by unique streams and downloads were New York Times (111.71 million), Daily Wire (79.94 million), NBC News (70.41 million), PRX (52.45 million), The Walt Disney Company (41.36 million), CNN (35.07 million), and Vox Media (38.19 million).

U.S. Monthly Podcast Listener Numbers Statistics

(Reference: shopify.com)

• Podcast Statistics further states that in 2018, the number of American listeners reached 75.1 million, representing 26.9% of the total internet user population, followed by 2019 (100 million), 2020 (107.8 million), 2021 (117.8 million), 2022 (125 million).
• The total number of podcast listeners in the U.S. will be around 131.2 million in 2024, an increase from 131.2 million in 2023.
• The projected annual growth rate for 2025 is anticipated to reach 4.3%, resulting in 142.7 million podcast listeners.
• The average American listens to around nine podcast episodes per week, with significant variance 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)

• As shown in Podcast Statistics, Brazil had the highest proportion of podcast users in February 2024, with a 51% share.
• Indonesia and Mexico captured the second and third highest positions, accounting for a share of 49% and 48%, respectively.
• Furthermore, during the same period the Share of podcast users by countries are followed by Mexico (48%), South Africa (46%), Sweden (45%), Spain (43%), Romania (43%), India (41%), United Kingdom (41%), Australia (41%), Finland (41%), Norway (40%), Portugal (39%), Ireland (38%), Poland (37%), Colombia (37%), Canada (35%), Switzerland (35%), Germany (35%), Israel (35%), United Arab Emirates (35%), Chile (35%), New Zealand (35%), Greece (34%), Turkey (34%), United States (34%), Thailand (33%), Italy (33%), Vietnam (33%), Netherlands (33%), Argentina (32%), Denmark (32%), Saudi Arabia (32%), Peru (31%), Kenya (31%), Czechia (30%), Hungary (30%), Serbia (29%), Austria (28%), Lithuania (28%), Nigeria (27%), Egypt (27%), Singapore (26%), France (26%), China (24%), Hong Kong (23%), Belgium (21%), Taiwan (19%), South Korea (18%), Pakistan (18%), and Japan (18%).

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, 2024

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.

Maitrayee Dey

Maitrayee, after completing her graduation in Electrical Engineering, transitioned into the world of writing following a series of technical roles. She specializes in technology and Artificial Intelligence, bringing her experience as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, with a focus on education and healthcare under the Australian system. From an early age, writing and painting have been her passions, leading her to pursue a full-time career in writing. In addition to her professional endeavors, Maitrayee also manages a YouTube channel dedicated to cooking.

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