Podcast Statistics

Many marketers still haven't included podcasting in their marketing strategy. And that's a grave mistake. Since it was first introduced back in 2004, podcasting has become a way for people to listen to professionals and specialists, influencers, or just ordinary people talk about subjects that are of interest to them.

Marketers can use podcasting to create better brand awareness for their company and connect with their audience on a different level. That’s why we’ve gathered the most vital podcast statistics for 2020, so marketers like yourself can achieve the maximum effect with their marketing strategy.

Podcast Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

• There will be more than 132 million podcast users in the US by 2022.
• The average length of podcasts is 43 minutes and 24 seconds.
• More than 60% of all podcasts are downloaded through Apple’s podcasting app.
• More than 50% of podcast users are more likely to check out a brand advertised on their favorite podcasting show.
• 51.2% of all ads are baked-in ads, and they are the most popular ad delivery method.
• 77% of listeners choose to stream their podcasts.

Podcast Listener Statistics

1. In 2020 there is bigger podcast awareness.

A couple of years ago, not many knew what podcasting was. In 2006, only 22% of the US population knew what podcasting is. Since then, things have dramatically changed. Recent podcasting statistics reveal that 70% of internet users in the US know about podcasting. Also, 64% of global users have heard about podcasting.

(Statista)

2. Podcast users in the US will be more than 132 million by 2022.

This stat might catch the attention of marketers. Podcasts statistics show there were around 86 million podcast users in the US in 2019. And the popularity of podcasting doesn’t end there, with the number projected to grow to 132 million by 2022.

(Statista)

3. The time spent listening to podcasts reached new heights in 2019, with an average of 17 hours per week.

Those who love listening to podcasts really invest a lot of time in it. It helps though that this activity can be done anywhere and anytime — at work, on the train or at home before sleep. Statistics on podcasts indicate that the average podcast user spends around 17 hours per week listening to their favorite podcasts.

(EdisonResearch)

4. Today there are now more than 800,000 active podcasts.

Forbes data suggests that the number of podcasts is more than 800 thousand with over 54 million episodes currently available worldwide. They further expect the number to keep growing and that the majority of businesses will invest more in this industry going forward.

(Forbes)

5. 75% of people who don't listen to podcasts say that they feel that podcasts aren't for them.

EdisonResearch’s podcast audience statistics further suggest that 51% of users don’t have enough time to listen to podcasts. Only 36% meanwhile say that podcasts don't cover topics that interest them.

(EdisonResearch)

6. Mobile devices account for 65% of podcast listening.

The popularity of podcasts has spiked even more because of mobile devices. This trend comes at no surprise given the widespread use and longer battery life of smartphones and tablets. Only 25% of podcast listening comes from a laptop or a computer, and 10% from smart speakers.

(EdisonResearch)

7. The most popular podcast platforms in the US are Apple, Spotify, and Sticher.

Apple has the biggest podcast platform market share in the US with 52%. Spotify and Sticher follow with 9% and 4.6%, respectively. The balance is divided among the other podcasting platforms on the market.

(Musicoomph)

8. True Crime is the most popular podcast topic.

People are fascinated by the darkest side of life. That’s the reason why True Crime is the most popular podcast show in America. Other popular topics include chat shows, news, current affairs, TV show discussions, sports, feminism, and food.

(Podcast)

9. Serial is one of the most popular podcasts online.

Serial was one of the podcasts that amassed the most audience back in the early days of podcasting. Since then, it has become a podcast giant, with more than 340 million downloads in 2019.

(Podranker)

10. 90% of podcast users say they listen at home.

According to recent podcast audience numbers, users mostly listen to podcasts at home. 64% of them say they listen to podcasts in a car or a truck, 49% listen while taking a walk and 37% listen at work and on the bus/train.

(EdisonResearch)

11. More than 40% of podcast fans use Spotify.

Podcast listenership seems to like Spotify the most on a global level. 43% of all listeners use this platform. It had more than 200 million active users per month and more than half a billion downloads on Android in 2019.

(EdisonResearch)

12. South Korea is the country where podcasting is the most popular.

Podcast popularity statistics reveal that podcasting is the most popular in South Korea, where 53% of the population listens to a podcast at least once per month. Spain follows with 39%, Ireland comes in third with 37%, while Sweden and the US share fourth place with 35% each.

(Statista)

Podcasts Demographics Statistics

13. Men listen to podcasts more than women.

The latest podcast listeners demographics stats reveal that 36% of American males who are 12 years or older listen to podcasts every month, compared to 29% of female users. It is a market dominated by men, but that’s because the most popular shows are related to sports and gaming.

(Convince and Convert)

14. The average age of podcast listeners is 34 years old.

The majority (~40%) of podcasts audiences come from people aged 12-24 and 25-54. Even though the 55+ age group has increased by 13% year-on-year, they account for only 17% of the overall podcast audience.

(Marketing Land)

15. The podcast audience is diverse, despite still being white-dominated.

Recent podcast stats reveal 57% of all users in the US are white. African American podcast users are second with 13%, followed by Hispanic users with 15%, and Asian users with 4% of the market share.

(EdisonResearch)

16. Podcasts account for 10% of the content millennials engage with.

Podcasting facts show that this medium became popular at the same time when millennials were still high schoolers or college students. The main reason why they spend so much time on them is that they deem podcasts more trustworthy and intellectual than articles or news programs.

(Billboard)

17. 80% of podcast users have a college degree or a higher education.

According to recent podcast listener numbers stats, the majority of users have high education — 80% of all users. If we analyze them better, we can see that 27% have some college degree, 25% have a four-year college degree and 28% have a grad school or advanced degree. On the flip side, only 20% of listeners have a level of education high-school or less.

(EdisonResearch)

Podcast Advertising Statistics

18. Podcast advertising revenue is projected to grow for more than $650 million by 2020.

Statista’s podcast growth statistics reveal that podcasting made $400 million in 2019. Further 50% growth is projected for 2020, meaning more than $650 million in revenue.

(Statista)

19. The total market revenue estimate for podcasting increased by 53% in 2018.

Recent podcast market size data reveals that year-over-year growth was significant for both self-reported revenues and total market revenues. Self-reported podcasters posted a 34% rise in revenue for 2018 compared to 2017.

(IAB)

20. Baked-in ads were the most popular delivery method in 2018 with 51.2% of the market share.

According to IAB’s podcast statistics, backed-in or edited-in ads still remain the preferred way of delivering ads to the audience. The number, however, dropped from 2017’s 58.3% of edited-in ads. Dynamic ads meanwhile grew by 7.1% year-on-year in 2018 to 48.8% of the market share.

(IAB)

21. Host-read ads are the most preferred type of podcasting advisement.

In the podcast industry, there are three types of ads — announcer-read ads, host-read and supplied ads. The last reports show that 63% of all ads in 2018 were host-read, while announcer-read ads stood at 35%. Supplied ads remained less popular with only 1.7%. Compared to the previous year, there was a 2.3% increase in announcer-read ads. The percentage of other ads did not change significantly.

(IAB)

22. 60 seconds is the most common length for podcast ads.

IAB’s podcast facts suggest that 30% of marketers mostly invest in minute-long ads. Next up are 90-second ads with 27%, and 15-second ads with 23%. Ads over 90 seconds are used only 1% of the time.

(IAB)

23. 54% of podcast users are more likely to check out brands advertised on podcasts.

That’s great news for marketers and brands. A study about podcast listeners reveals that 54% of them would check out a brand if they heard about it on their favorite podcast show. Investing in the right niche podcasting can bring you more customers and create bigger brand awareness.

(EdisonResearch)

24. You can find more than 700,000 podcasts on iTunes.

Apple’s official podcast numbers reveal that there are more than 700,000 podcasts on iTunes. If you didn’t know, Apple is a major player in the podcasting game. You can listen to a podcast through their app that is free to download, or you can download iTunes on your computer and listen to your favorite podcast there.

(ExpandedRamblings)

25. The average podcast length is 43 minutes and 24 seconds.

Well, that’s an average from all podcasts. Different categories have different podcasts lengths. For instance, gaming podcasting has an average length of 72 minutes. Some podcasts last 180 minutes with guest speakers covering tons of topics. Then, some categories have podcasts that don’t last too long. One such example would be language course podcasts that have an average length of 7 minutes or less.

(Pacific Content)

26. 77% of users stream podcasts.

It seems that users prefer streaming rather than downloading podcasts. That, however, does not mean they don’t download at all. The average podcast downloads statistics show that41% of users download their favorite podcasts and half of them subscribe to automatic download.

(Musicoomph)

27. 39% of Podcast users use smart speaker devices to listen to podcasts once per week.

Through Amazon Echo and Google Home smart speakers, people now have the chance to listen to their favorite podcasts more easily. Relaxing on your chair or doing the dishes, you can just tell Alexa to put your favorite show on. That’s why the latest podcast trends show that 39% of those who buy a new smart speaker listen to their podcasts at least once per week.

(Convince and Convert)

28. 60% of all podcasts are downloaded through Apple.

Without a doubt, Apple is the king of podcast downloads. Through their Podcasting app, they own 60% of the podcasting download market. Apple’s latest podcast download statistics reveal the top five shows on their app: The Joe Rogan Experience, The Daily, Stuff You Should Know, The Dave Ramsey Show and The Ben Shapiro Show.

(RainNews)

29. 94% of podcast users are active on social media.

Musicoomph’s podcast stats reveal that podcast users are more active on social media compared to the rest of the population. 94% are active on at least one social media platform, compared to 81% for the entire US population.

(Musicoomph)

30. The best time to publish podcasts is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Podcast download numbers statistics reveal that these are the days when users usually download their podcasts. Keep in mind though that podcast platforms need more time to approve the podcast. Plus, if you live in the US, during the major holidays, there is an even bigger delay for approval.

(IncomeSchool)

FAQ

How many podcasts are there?

In 2020, it’s estimated that there are more than 800,000 podcasts with more than 54,000,000 podcast episodes. In the first ten months of 2019, there was a new podcast record with 192,000 uploaded podcasts. The number is projected to rise in the coming years, as more and more people globally discover the importance of podcasting.

How many people listen to podcasts?

Recent statistics show that more than 144 million Americans listen to podcasts. Or to put that in percentage terms, that’s exactly 51% of the US population. And if we compare these numbers to last year, there are more than 20 million new American podcasters users. Podcasting is expected to become even bigger in the next couple of years.

Who listens to podcasts?

Podcasts are the most popular among the 12-24 and the 25-54 age groups. Or the average year of a podcaster user is 34 years old. These age groups make 40% of the podcast audience.

Where do people listen to podcasts?

90% of the podcast users listen to their favorite podcasts at home. 64% of podcats fans listen to them in their car. 49% further enjoy podcasts when they take a walk and 37% listen to podcasts at work.

How long are podcasts?

Podcats can run for hours. The average length of a podcast from 2019 is 43 minutes and 24 seconds. Different categories, however, last differently. For instance, the podcasts about video games last for 73 minutes on average.

Why do people listen to podcasts?

The main reason people listen to podcasts is to stay informed about a particular subject. This can be a current or past event, education, motivation, information about their favorite brand or tv show and much more.

Conclusion

People find podcasting a good way to get informed about a subject and listen to different opinions. It’s no wonder then that podcasting is projected to get bigger, and that platforms such as YouTube have started offering ways for people to enjoy podcasts.

As the podcast statistics we provided in this article show, podcasting can be easily integrated into your marketing strategy and bring a new audience to your brand or business.