Even though the industry is relatively new, it has seen a sudden boom in the last few years.
Now:
There are many reasons for podcast growth, but the biggest one is accessibility. People can just tune into podcasts through easy-to-use apps like Spotify and Google Podcasts. A lot of people listen to them while running errands or while they’re on their commute to and from work.
The thing is:
With low attention spans and busy days, we need to constantly use our time to make the most of it, and listening to podcasts is the best way to consume knowledge.
With that in mind:
Here are some of the most amazing podcast statistics and facts that astonished even our researchers.
Fascinating Podcast Stats (Editor’s Choice)
- Every week, 62 million unique podcast listeners tune in.
- The first billion mark for subscriptions was in 2013.
- At least once a month, around 15% of all Americans listen to a podcast.
- More men than women listen to podcasts.
- The 18-54 age group listens to the most podcasts.
- 70% of Americans know what podcasts are.
- 1 out of 3 American podcast listeners tunes in weekly.
- 2 out of 3 podcast listeners use a mobile device.
General Podcast Statistics 2019
1. 62 million users listen weekly.
According to a podcast listener survey, 22% of all users tune in weekly. This means that more than 62 million listeners tune in to listen to their favorite podcasts on a regular basis.
Source: Infinite Dial 2019
2. Over 30 million episodes were available by December 2019.
With an increasing number of podcasts available online, the number of episodes has reached new heights. The podcast growth statistics show that podcasts have become a major part of online content consumption.
Source: Infinite Dial 2019
3. There are 700,000 active podcasts in 2019.
You might be wondering:
“How many podcasts are there online?”
This isn’t an easy question to answer because there are so many different sources where podcasts are available. In 2018, Apple confirmed that there were 550,000 podcasts available for users online. That number has risen significantly in just a year, with podcast analytics showing a rise of almost 150,000 podcasts.
Source: Musicoophm.com
4. Podcasts are available in over 100 languages.
Global podcast statistics show that podcasts aren’t just popular with English speakers. They exist in over 100 languages and cater to a large, diverse audience.
Source: Musicoomph.com
5. 26% of podcast listeners increase the speed.
Spotify listening stats show that about one-quarter of listeners like to increase the speed of the podcast by a little to finish it more quickly. This may indicate a need to make shorter podcasts so that people can easily listen to them during busy days.
Source: Edison Research
Where to Find Podcasts
6. 43% of all podcast listeners use Spotify.
Spotify statistics show that the application is one of the biggest streaming platforms for podcast users. With more than four out of ten listeners tuning in to Spotify, the platform dominates the market.
Source: Edison Research
7. 500 million podcast downloads occurred on Spotify.
The podcast consumer 2019 (study) found that the average podcast downloads for Spotify were almost 500 million in 2019 alone. This shows that the industry has become a regular mode of content consumption in the last few years.
Source: Edison Research
8. Spotify is the most popular podcast platform followed by Apple Podcast.
iTunes’ podcast analytics show that Apple Podcast is still one of the biggest podcast applications in the world. There are over 20 million episodes available on the application. However, as mentioned earlier, Spotify dominates the market with 43% loyal podcast listeners. Even so, those aren’t the only ones out there. Some of the best podcast platforms include Overcast and Castro.
Source: AppStore
9. 105 million active users are present on Amazon prime podcasts.
In 2018, the number of podcast subscribers was 95 million, which increased to 105 million by June 2019.
Source: Statista
10. Apple Podcast found 50 billion episodes have been streamed or downloaded.
In 2017, Apple Podcast stats found that around 13.7 billion episodes had been downloaded by users. Podcast download statistics found that this number increased exponentially to 50 billion in just under a year. Apple podcast analytics also suggest this increasing trend will continue over time.
Source: 9to5Mac
Who Listens to Podcasts?
11. 72% of all listeners are millennials.
Podcast listener demographics show that out of the 207 million active users of podcasts on Spotify, nearly three-quarters are Millennials. Spotify stats show that 18-44 years is the most popular age group for users.
Source: AdWeek.com
12. 36% of the male population and 29% of the female population listens to podcasts.
Podcast demographics based on sex are really interesting to note. While both male and female populations have seen an increase from 2017 to 2019, the growth rates have been significantly different. Podcast audience statistics show the percentage of men that listen to podcasts jumped from 27% to 36% in just a year, while women only rose from 24% to 29% in a year.
Source: Infinite Dial 2019
Podcast Popularity Statistics
13. The most downloaded podcast ever is Serial.
Serial is an award-winning show that had over 80 million podcast download numbers by 2016. It is one of the most interesting podcasts out there, which is why users get so hooked. It tells a true story through the perspective of investigative journalism and storytelling that users find fascinating. A single story is explored over the course of one season. The amazing storytelling and interesting content make this the most popular in the world.
Source: Samuel Thomas Davis
14. The most listened to podcast in 2019 is 1619.
So, what was the most popular podcast of 2019?
Well, according to the statistics, it was 1619. The episodes demonstrate the impact of the slave trade on the popular culture, political systems, and economy of the modern world. With controversial and intimate stories about African slaves’ work, this podcast explores music genres and songs as well. Among the popular podcasts in 2019, this one still continues to get more streams every day.
Source: Times
15. The top-earning podcast was Chapo Trap House.
With over $137,094 per month, the Chapo Trap House is a funny political podcast hosted by a well-known team of left-wing people. Felix Biederman, Will Menaker, and Matt Christman provide listeners with comedic commentary on modern political issues. It is one of the most successful podcasts if you actually see how much money podcasts make on average ($25-$40 per 1,000 users).
Source: Podcast.co
16. The top genre for podcast listener demographics is music.
Among avid fans, the most popular genre is music, with TV and shows coming in second. There are around 61.1 million total fans of the music genre, out of whom 37.7 million are avid fans. Podcast listener numbers show that these genres garner the most dedicated fan bases. They are some of the most subscribed podcasts online.
Source: Nielsen research
Podcasting Marketing Statistics
17. Podcasting advertising revenue is $479 million.
In 2017, advertisers spent $314 million on podcast advertisements. This increased by a whopping 53% to $479 million in 2019, which implies that this is a lucrative business model for people now. Podcasting marketing budgets are dependent on advertisement revenue so that they can grow.
Source: Forbes
18. 55.6% purchase an item after hearing advertisements on a podcast.
Podcasting statistics show that audio marketing has a great effect on podcast listeners. They tend to purchase products after hearing about them on a podcast.
Source: Podcast Trends Report 2019
19. 59% of listeners prefer podcasts over other social media.
Podcast listening is now becoming an avid habit for many people. They can listen to them while working, driving, or doing chores. Since they’re so easy to listen to, they allow listeners to multitask.
Source: Podcast Trends Report 2019
20. 82.4% of avid listeners listen for more than 7 hours weekly.
The vast majority of avid listeners tune in to podcasts for more than 7 hours in a week. What’s more, podcast listener statistics show that users listen to around 7 shows for every day of the week.
Source: Podcast Trends Report 2019
Podcast Analytics for Businesses
21. Podcast revenue to reach $1 billion by 2021.
Podcast companies estimate that podcasts will generate revenue of $1 billion by next year. This was based on surveys and market trends.
Source: Podcast Trends Report 2019
22. 39% of all podcast users are small and medium-sized business owners.
Podcast research shows that around 65% of business owners tune in to podcasts on a weekly basis. Around 70% of businesses also have 100-150 employees who like to listen to podcasts.
Source: Forbes
23. 55% of podcast listeners pay attention to advertisements.
One area where podcasts win the podcast vs. YouTube debate is when it comes to ads. Podcast listeners don’t skip the ads.
In fact, over half of listeners pay active attention to podcast ads since they are seamlessly integrated by the host into the program. Podcasting on YouTube has also become really popular, with The Joe Rogan Experience and The H3 Podcast being the most popular podcasts on this podcasting platform.
Source: Business Insider
Other Podcast Statistics
24. Most Americans listen to podcasts while doing chores.
Most consumers prefer to listen to podcasts while doing something else. The most common chores include driving, housework, and cooking. 50% even go to sleep while listening to podcasts.
Source: Edison Research
25. The average podcast length is 43 minutes.
Podcast length statistics show that most podcast episodes are just shy of three-quarters of an hour long. Listening statistics show that user interest is low if this limit is surpassed, and many will speed it up to shorten the length.
Source: Pacific Content
26. The best day to release a podcast is Monday, but Tuesday and Wednesday are also good.
Podcast industry experts have found that the best days to release a podcast are at the beginning of the week. On weekends, the number of downloads for podcasts is the lowest ever.
Source: Income School
27. Approximately 1 MB per minute is spent on podcasts.
So, how much data does podcast use? Since the approximate podcast length is 40 minutes, you should expect to use around 40 MB of data per podcast.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re looking at Apple Podcast charts or other podcast metrics, you will notice that the number of podcasts and their listeners is rising everywhere. All of these podcast statistics show that the industry is growing every single day without fail. People are tuning in from all over the world regularly, making it a lucrative career to get into.
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