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Podcasts are a great way to stay updated with the latest news, get educated on niche subjects, and stay entertained on long commutes. The industry’s statistics have indicated substantial growth that only proves that podcast listeners are here to stay.

Podcasters, advertisers, and listeners continue to benefit from this medium around the world. While we look into global podcasts and trends, we also discuss podcasting in the U.S. as well as advertising on the platform.

Editor’s Picks

  • There are currently 2,519,351 podcasts globally.
  • The top 10 podcast shows reach ⅓ (33%) of all weekly podcast listeners.
  • Forecasts suggest that in 2023, there will be more than 160 million podcast listeners and this figure will increase by 20 million every year afterward 
  • U.S. weekly podcast listeners over the age of 12 years old averaged 8 podcasts in the last week.
  • Advertising on podcasts is an effective way to reach a relevant customer base with 25% of listeners purchasing a product they discovered through a podcast ad.

Here’s a rundown of the stats we’re going to cover:

Podcast Industry Stats

Around the world, there are approximately 2,519,351 podcasts and from 2006 to 2021, the American adult population aware of podcasting increased from 22% to 78%. With the most preferred podcast genre in 2019 comedy and humor (46%), the top 10 podcast shows reach 33% (⅓) of all weekly listeners. 

  • There are currently 2,519,351 podcasts globally
  • From 2006 to 2021, the American adult population aware of podcasting grew from 22% to 78%
  • There are 121,614,702 monthly podcast downloads 
  • The top 10 podcast shows reach ⅓ (33%) of all weekly podcast listeners
  • Podcast genre preferences in 2019 were as follows:
    • Comedy and Humor: 46%
    • Educational: 28%
    • History: 27%
    • True Crime or Documentary: 26%

Sources: Podcast Industry Insights, Buzzsprout, Statista, Edison Research, Adobe

Podcast Listeners in Numbers

Last year, there were approximately 120 million podcast listeners and by 2023, there should be 160 million. There are 74 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. who are at least 12 years old and these listeners average 8 podcasts a week.

  • In 2021, there were an estimated 120 million podcast listeners in the U.S. alone
  • Forecasts suggest that in 2023, there will be more than 160 million podcast listeners and this figure will increase by 20 million every year afterward
  • According to a survey held in early 2022, 50% of Americans aged 12 to 34 years old had listened to a podcast within the last month and 22% were aged 55  years old or above
  • Podcast popularity where internet users listened to podcasts at least once a month in 2022 are as follows:
    • North America: 40.8%
    • Western Europe: 28.1%
    • Latin America: 26.7%
    • South Korea: 13.3%
    • Japan: 12.9%
    • China: 9.9%
  • There is an estimated 74 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. aged 12+ years old
  • U.S. weekly podcast listeners over the age of 12 years old averaged 8 podcasts in the last week
  • In 2022, 84% of Americans aged 18+ have ridden in a car in the last month with 32% using podcasts as the audio source in the vehicle 

Sources: Statista, Statista, Insider Intelligence, Edison Research

Advertising via podcasts may be relatively new but it has been proven effective with 60% of listeners looking up a product or service after hearing about it and 25% making a purchase. In 2019, the news was the top podcast genre for podcast ads and captured 22% of revenues. 

  • Advertising on podcasts is an effective way to reach a relevant customer base with 25% of listeners purchasing a product they discovered through a podcast ad
  • 60% of listeners look up a product or service after hearing an ad in a podcast 
  • In 2019, the news was the top podcast content genre for U.S. podcast advertisers capturing 22% of revenues 

Most podcast listeners will do so via mobile (87.8%) specifically with an Apple iPhone (68%.) As of November this year, Apple Podcasts (38.2%) was the most popular platform for listening to podcasts with 59% of White Americans over the age of 12 making up the most listeners. 

  • By device type, the breakdown of podcast listeners is:
    • Mobile: 87.8% 
    • Computer: 7.1% 
    • Unknown Device: 3.9% 
    • Smart Speaker: 0.8% 
    • Smart TVs: 0.4% 
  • In detail, devices that podcast listeners use:
    •  Apple iPhone: 68% 
    • Android Phone: 18.2% 
    • Windows Computer: 5.2% 
    • Unknown Device: 3.9% 
    • Apple Computer: 1.6% 
    • Apple iPad: 1.2%
    • Amazon Smart Speaker: 0.7%
    • Unknown Smart TV: 0.4%
  • By ethnicity, the U.S. population of monthly podcast listeners aged 12+ years old is
    • White: 59%
    • African-American: 16%
    • Hispanic: 16%
    • Other: 6%
    • Asian: 3%
  • As of November 2022, podcasts were listened to via:
    • Apple Podcasts: 38.2%
    • Spotify: 26.6%
    • Web Browser: 3.3%
    • Google Podcasts: 2.7%
    • Apple iTunes: 2%

Sources: Adobe, Interactive Advertising Bureau, Buzzsprout

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