According to a study on podcast consumption in the United States as of May 2021, 14 percent of respondents stated that they listened to podcasts on a daily basis while 20 percent said they listened more than monthly. On the other hand, 40 percent said that they never listened to podcasts.

According to a survey held in early 2024 in the United States, 59 percent of respondents aged 12 to 34 years old had listened to a podcast within the preceding month, compared to 27 percent of those aged 55 or above. Adults in the latter age category have been increasing their podcast listening consistently for years, to a point where respondents aged 35-54 almost caught up on the younger age category. Podcasts are gaining popularity This increased monthly podcast consumption shows the growing prevalence of the format in the United States. A survey on podcast consumption found that in 2012 only 29 percent of U.S. respondents had ever listened to an audio podcast, but this figure increased annually and reached 57 percent in 2021. Although this rise in popularity is significant, it might also reflect the generational gap in podcast consumption, with younger consumers tuning in more regularly than their older counterparts. In 2021, the share of Millennial podcast consumers in Canada and the U.S. amounted to 48 percent, with Boomers only making up 23 percent. Podcast providers The recent controversy surrounding Spotify and the Spotify-exclusive podcast ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, in which Spotify sided with Joe Rogan despite complaints from artists, demonstrated the rising influence of podcasts and their importance for streaming platforms. In the United States, the main platform used to access podcasts among adults was Spotify in 2020, with 31 percent of respondents using the service. Slightly less popular was Apple Podcasts with 22 percent of respondents citing the platform as their preferred provider. Similarly, data on the most popular podcast providers in the United States according to users’ age showed that Spotify was the go-to choice for all adults in the survey, though Apple Podcasts also fared well and SoundCloud was also the preferred platform among 26 percent of those aged 18 to 34 years old.

The device most commonly used to listen to podcasts in spring 2024 in the United Kingdom (UK) was the smartphone as 78 percent of podcast listening time was via smartphones. Laptops were the second most used device, with 11 percent of podcast listening time. What do people do while listening to podcasts? Podcasts have become extremely popular in the UK in recent years. But what are people doing while they listen? Most people listen to podcasts while driving/travelling, and many also just listen while relaxing or doing nothing in particular.   Podcasts still not the most listened to audio Although podcasts have gained popularity, they’re still not the most listened to audio. Live radio and TV viewing are the most common types of audio that people listen to weekly. The most positively rated radio and podcasts in the UK include Desert Island Discs and Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2.

In recent years, monthly podcast listening in the United States has gained in popularity, both with male and female consumers. The most recent data gathered in 2024 also showed that men have always been more likely to consume podcasts every month, since 2021. However, women caught up over time and in 2024, they were just three percent behind male listeners.

According to a forecast from August 2023 on global podcast consumption, the number of podcast listeners worldwide has steadily increased and is predicted to rise even further. In 2023, the number of podcast listeners worldwide amounted to over 500 million internet users, while this number was predicted to grow to more than 650 million in 2027.

In 2024, a survey on podcast consumption revealed that 47 percent of U.S. adults had listened to a podcast within the last month, a figure which has more than tripled over the past decade. Weekly podcast consumption has also sharply increased, and some of the world’s leading podcast publishers achieve millions of unique streams and downloads per month. Podcast consumption in the U.S. Once a niche format, podcasts have now become part of the mainstream media landscape. Between 2009 and 2019, the share of Americans who had ever listened to an audio podcast more than doubled, growing from 22 to 51 percent. As podcasts have grown in popularity, so has the variety of content available in the format. Some of the more popular podcast genres are music and comedy, but tens of millions of U.S. households have fans of sports, science, news and arts podcasts too. Podcasts are often also used as part of marketing strategies or to generate engagement between bloggers, news publications, or even different departments within a company. Like most forms of modern media, podcasts frequently include ads, and podcast ad revenue reached almost 480 million U.S. dollars in the United States in 2018. By 2021, it is expected that advertising revenue in this sector will grow by around 200 million each year and will exceed one billion U.S. dollars in 2021. For U.S. consumers, podcasts are not just a source of inspiration or a way to escape from daily life but also an opportunity to educate themselves. In a survey held in early 2019, the majority of respondents said that their main reason for listening to podcasts was to learn new things. There are podcasts on philosophy, history, travel, and business, as well as much more including content aimed solely at educating children.

According to the most recent data, 53 percent of the podcast audience in the United States was male, while 46 percent who had listened to a podcast in the last month were female. Podcasts were more popular among users in the 12-34 age group compared to older generations, and were predominantly consumed by White people.

As of 2021, there were over 19.1 million podcast listeners in the United Kingdom (UK). The audience is growing steadily as the popularity of podcasts increases, with estimate of over 28 million listeners by 2026.

Podcast listening behavior and UK trends Over the past decade, podcasts have become one of the most popular forms of (audio) entertainment in the UK. While podcast reach and consumption are as high as ever, podcasts are still most widespread among young audiences, with close to 40 percent of UK listeners aged 26 to 35 listening to podcasts on a weekly basis. Correspondingly, a recent survey showed that smartphones are by far the most commonly used device to listen to podcasts. When asked about their podcast listening behavior, a large share of UK audiences stated that they primarily listened to podcasts while driving or traveling.

What is the most popular podcast genre in the UK? Audiences can choose from an ever-expanding catalogue of podcast genres, titles, and formats. Recent surveys indicated that sports and comedy were the most popular podcast genres with male listeners in Great Britain, while comedy and music were the leading genres among female listeners. Overall, News and Weather and Desert Island Discs ranked as most popular radio programs and podcasts in the UK, with 48 and 36 percent of listeners having a positive opinion of these shows in 2020.

According to a survey from May 2023, most people in Czechia listened to podcasts at home when relaxing or before going to sleep. This share amounted to 47 percent of the respondents. Over a third listened to podcasts while doing housework.

The reach in terms of listeners in the 'Podcasts' segment of the advertising market in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 37.2 million users (+48.7 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the reach in terms of listeners is estimated to reach 113.62 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the reach in terms of listeners of the 'Podcasts' segment of the advertising market was continuously increasing over the past years.Find more in-depth information regarding the number of users concerning the OTT video segment of the media market worldwide and the revenue growth concerning the traditional TV & home video segment of the media market in Poland. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In 2020, the most commonly used app for listening to podcasts in the United States was Spotify, with 25 percent of podcast listeners aged 18 or above saying that they used Spotify to listen to podcasts. Meanwhile, Apple Podcasts was used by 20 percent of adults, down from 21 percent in the previous year.

Growing market for podcasts

The term podcast, the name being a merge of the words “play on demand” and “broadcast”, refers to audio or video content in episodic formats that can be streamed or downloaded digitally. Topics cover a huge range of interests such as politics, health, or true crime; however, a study found that the most popular podcast genre in the United States was comedy. With 75.9 million podcast listeners in the United States alone, podcasting has become a large market within the audio sector.

Podcast consumption

Despite the growing podcast audience, the consumption among listeners is relatively low with 11 percent of consumers stating that they listen to podcasts less often than once a month. The relatively new audio format is preferred by younger generations, with 20 percent of the age group of 18 to 34 years having paid to access podcasts.

A 2023 survey on podcast listening trends in India revealed that more than a quarter of Indians listen to podcasts at least once daily. Another 25 percent listened to podcasts one or more times per week. Meanwhile, about three in 10 Indians did not listen to podcasts at all. Podcast listening has emerged as a growing trend among audio streaming users in India since 2021.

In 2023, podcast consumption in Poland has taken an interesting turn, with YouTube emerging as the dominant platform for listeners. Over half of Polish podcast enthusiasts turn to the video-sharing giant for their audio content, while traditional podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts lag behind. The rise of video-based podcasting The popularity of YouTube for podcast listening in Poland reflects a broader trend in content consumption. With 53 percent of listeners using the platform, it is clear that visual elements are becoming increasingly important in the podcast experience. This trend aligns with the growing diversity of podcast categories available to Polish audiences, with education, society and culture being the most prevalent genres. As of February 2024, Polish listeners had access to nearly 8,800 podcasts across various topics, indicating a rich and expanding market for audio content. Listener demographics and preferences The podcast audience in Poland shows distinct characteristics and preferences. In 2023, podcasts were most popular among higher-education individuals, suggesting a correlation between educational background and podcast consumption. Content played a crucial role in attracting listeners, with half of Polish internet users citing it as the primary factor in choosing podcast titles. Informative podcasts emerged as the most popular category in 2022, underscoring the audience's appetite for educational and enlightening content. These trends highlight the potential for podcasters to target specific demographics and tailor their content to meet listener demands.

According to a study conducted in late March 2020, Gen Z adults were the most likely group to listen to podcasts more as a result of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, with 31 percent saying that their podcast consumption would likely increase, compared to 16 percent of Gen X respondents.

During the latest annual survey in 2024, it was found that 67 percent of US consumers listened to audio podcasts, up from 64 percent in the previous year. Podcasts have grown increasingly popular, with the percentage of U.S. consumers saying that they had ever listened to a podcast more than doubling over the last decade.

In 2023, Germany had the highest usage rate of podcasts among the five biggest countries in Europe, as more than 22 percent of internet users in the country listened to podcasts at least once a month. By contrast, this percentage was lowest in Italy, standing at 13.6 percent. However, forecasts expect that the podcast usage rate in all five European countries will grow further until 2027.

According to a study conducted in early 2019, 26 percent of podcast listeners in the United States increased playback speed in order to listen to podcasts faster, up by seven percent from the previous year. This shift in listening habits could have to do with efficiency. The vast wealth of content available via podcasts, video streaming services, and online music platforms means that listeners and viewers have more content to watch than ever before, but for many consumers, there simply isn't enough time in the day.

A 2023 survey on podcast listening trends in India reported that Spotify was the leading choice of app to listen to podcasts among 39 percent of urban Indians. This was followed by Google Podcast and Audible. Podcast listening has emerged as a growing trend among audio streaming users in India since 2021.

In 2024, around 45 percent of people in Germany listened to podcasts. This is a reflection of the sudden increase in the popularity of podcasts in recent years. Just five years ago, in 2018, around 22 percent of people stated that they listened to podcasts.

Entertainment was the most popular podcast genre among the 25 to 34 year-olds in the United Kingdom in 2022, with 79 percent of listeners. Additionally, comedy ranked second, with 78 percent of respondents saying that they listened to the genre.