Podcasts are a widely enjoyed form of digital media that allow creators to share audio content on a range of topics. Initially emerging as a niche hobby, podcasts have grown to become a habit of millions worldwide.
Currently, there are over five million podcasts with more than 75 million episodes as of 2024.
Looking ahead, the money made from podcast ads in the US is expected to go over $4 billion by 2024 and potentially reach $12 billion by 2030.
Key Stats
- Listeners Worldwide: The number of podcast listeners globally has reached 464.7 million and is projected to hit 504.9 million by the end of 2024.
- Podcasts and Episodes: Over 5 million podcasts exist, with more than 75 million episodes available.
- Market Value: The podcast industry’s market size is valued at $23.56 billion as of 2023, with predictions to grow to $30.03 billion in 2024 and potentially reach $131.13 billion by 2030.
- Listening Habits: The average American listens to 8 podcasts weekly, with the average podcast listener spending 7 hours per week tuned into their favorite shows.
- Device Preference: Smartphones are the preferred device for podcast consumption, with 73% of listeners using them, followed by laptops and desktops at 13%.
- Age Groups: A significant portion of podcast listeners in the U.S. are aged 12-34, accounting for 66% of the audience.
- Discovery: 40% of listeners discover new podcasts through in-app search functions, with friends, family, and internet searches also being popular methods.
- Listening Occasions: Most people (59%) listen to podcasts while doing something else, with 32% tuning in while driving or traveling.
- Popular Platforms: Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the leading platforms, holding 33.7% and 27.6% of the total listener share, respectively.
- Genre Preferences: Comedy is the most popular podcast genre in the U.S., followed closely by news, true crime, and sports.
- Downloads: Apple Podcasts dominates in terms of podcast downloads, accounting for over 70% of all download requests.
- Ad Revenue: Podcast advertising revenue in the U.S. is expected to reach $4 billion in 2024, with sports, society & culture, and comedy being the top genres for ad revenue.
- Marketing Utilization: Over 50% of marketers are incorporating podcasts into their strategies, highlighting the medium’s growing importance in digital marketing.
- AI in Podcasting: AI-enabled podcasting is projected to be worth $3 billion at the start of 2024, with a 500% growth in AI-powered podcasts in 2022. AI is being used to improve podcast quality, reduce costs, and enhance listener engagement.
Podcast Listeners Worldwide
The global podcast listener base has shown consistent growth from 2019 to 2024. Beginning with 274.78 million listeners in 2019, the audience expanded to 332.12 million in 2020, marking a significant increase likely influenced by changing media consumption habits.
This growth continued with 424.22 million listeners in 2022. By 2023, the number of podcast listeners worldwide reached 464.67 million, underscoring the medium’s growing appeal.
The projected figures for 2024 anticipate a further increase to 504.89 million listeners, highlighting podcasts’ solidifying position as a key component of global media consumption.
| Year | Number of Podcast Listeners |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 274.78 million |
| 2020 | 332.12 million |
| 2021 | 383.67 million |
| 2022 | 424.22 million |
| 2023 | 464.67 million |
| 2024(Expected) | 504.89 million |
Source: Statista
Podcasts Growth by Nation
Between recent years, the growth in podcast listening has varied significantly across different countries.
Chile leads with an impressive 83% growth, showcasing the highest surge in podcast popularity.
Following Chile, Argentina experienced a 55.23% increase, indicating a strong upswing in listener engagement.
Peru also saw a notable rise, with a 49.11% growth in podcast listenership.
Mexico wasn’t far behind, posting a 47.78% growth.
China rounds out this list with a 43.56% increase, reflecting a broad interest in podcasts.
| Nation | Percent of growth |
|---|---|
| Chile | 83% |
| Argentina | 55.23% |
| Peru | 49.11% |
| Mexico | 47.78% |
| China | 43.56% |
Podcast Listeners By Country
In terms of monthly podcast listeners by country, the United States leads with 40% of its population tuning into podcasts.
Following closely are Sweden and Norway, with 34.56% and 34.22% of their populations respectively engaging with podcast content on a monthly basis.
| Country | Monthly Podcast Listeners |
|---|---|
| United States | 40% |
| Sweden | 34.56% |
| Norway | 34.22% |
| Australia | 33.22% |
| Canada | 32.78% |
| Spain | 30% |
| Denmark | 28.34% |
| UK | 27.89% |
| Finland | 27.56% |
| Mexico | 25.78% |
Podcast Popularity by Genres
- News podcasts are the most popular podcast genre at 22%, showing people like to stay updated.
- True crime comes next with 19% of listeners, proving its gripping nature.
- Sports and Health & Fitness are both liked by 18% of people, showing a big interest in staying active and healthy
| Genre | Percentage |
|---|---|
| News | 22% |
| True crime | 19% |
| Sports | 18% |
| Health & Fitness | 18% |
| Religion & Faith | 17% |
| Politics | 17% |
| Self-help | 14% |
| Investigative journalism | 14% |
| Finance | 14% |
Podcast Stats By Age
Contrary to the common misconception that Gen Z isn’t interested in podcasts, the data tells a different story.
The 13-17 age group leads in podcast listenership with an impressive 11% share, debunking the myth that younger listeners steer clear of podcasts.
This engagement level significantly surpasses all the age groups. In even if you double the engagement level of these age groups, they will still lag behind the GenZ.
| Age Category | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| 13-17 | 11% |
| 18-24 | 4% |
| 25-34 | 2% |
| 35-44 | 3% |
| 45-54 | 5% |
| 55-64 | 4% |
| 65+ | 4% |
Source: Podcaster
Podcast Market Size & Listeners Growth
The podcast industry is projected to have a remarkable growth in market size from 2023 to 2030.
Starting at $23.56 billion in 2023, the industry’s market size is expected to increase to $30.03 billion in 2024, showing a substantial year-over-year growth.
This trend is anticipated to continue, with the market size reaching $38.36 billion in 2025, $49.03 billion in 2026, and $62.71 billion in 2027.
The growth momentum is projected to carry forward, surpassing the $100 billion mark to reach $102.53 billion in 2029, and finally achieving $131.13 billion by 2030.
| Year | Podcast Industry Market Size |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 23.56 billion |
| 2024* | 30.03 billion |
| 2025* | 38.36 billion |
| 2026* | 49.03 billion |
| 2027* | 62.71 billion |
| 2028* | 80.07 billion |
| 2029* | 102.53 billion |
| 2030* | 131.13 billion |
Source: MarketResearch
Podcast Listeners Growth
Starting with 274.8 million in 2019, the number of listeners jumped to 333.2 million in 2020, a 21% increase thanks to 58.4 million new listeners.
In 2021, the audience grew by another 19%, adding 50.5 million to reach 383.7 million
The growth rate started to slow down in 2022, with an 11% increase, adding 40.5 million more to total 424.2 million.
The forecast for 2024 predicts a slight dip in the growth rate to 9%, expecting to add 40.2 million more listeners and reaching a total of 504.9 million.
| Year | Podcast Listeners | Increase on Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 274.8 million | N/a |
| 2020 | 333.2 million | 58.4 million or 21% increase |
| 2021 | 383.7 million | 50.5 million or 19% increase |
| 2022 | 424.2 million | 40.5 million or 11% increase |
| 2023 | 464.7 million | 40.5 million or 10% increase |
| 2024** | 504.9 million | 40.2 million or 9% increase |
Popular Podcasting Platforms
Where do people listen to podcasts?
Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the leading platforms for podcast listening, capturing 34% and 27% of the audience, respectively.
These two platforms dominate the market, offering extensive libraries and user-friendly experiences.
Beyond these leaders, a variety of other platforms share the remaining market, including iHeartRadio (6%), Google Podcasts (4%).
The “Other” category accounts for 17%, indicating a diverse range of less dominant platforms also contribute to the podcasting ecosystem
| Platform | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Spotify | 34% |
| Apple | 27% |
| iHeartRadio | 6% |
| Google Podcasts | 4% |
| Chrome | 3% |
| Amazon Music | 3% |
| Alexa | 2% |
| Castbox | 1.5% |
| Stitcher | 0.8% |
| Overcast | 0.6% |
| Pocket Casts | 0.6% |
| Podcast Addict | 0.5% |
| Other | 17% |
Podcasting Download Stats by Platform
Apple dominates the podcast download market with a commanding 71% share, making it the most preferred platform for downloading podcasts.
Spotify follows with 9%, significantly trailing Apple but still holding a notable second place.
Other platforms collectively account for 6%. The rest of the market is fragmented among several platforms like iHeartRadio, Alexa, Overcast, and several others.
Where do most people download podcasts?
| Platform | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Apple | 71% |
| Spotify | 9% |
| Other | 6% |
| iHeartRadio | 3% |
| Alexa | 2% |
| Overcast | 2% |
| Stitcher | 1% |
| Amazon Music | 1% |
| Google Podcasts | 1% |
| Podcast Addict | 1% |
| Castbox | 1% |
| Chrome | 1% |
| Pocket Casts | 0.9% |
What is an Average Podcast Duration?
The average podcast duration most commonly falls between 20 to 40 minutes, representing the sweet spot for both creators and listeners, balancing depth of content with convenience for daily listening.
The next common lengths are 40 to 60 minutes (21%) and over 60 minutes (18%).
| Podcast Duration | Percentage of Episodes |
|---|---|
| Under 10 minutes | 15% |
| 10 to 20 minutes | 15% |
| 20 to 40 minutes | 30% |
| 40 to 60 minutes | 21% |
| >60 minutes | 18% |
How Many Downloads Does the Average Podcast Get?
The average number of downloads for a podcast varies widely but is typically around 141 downloads per episode.
This number can change based on things like how good the content is, how often episodes come out, and how well the podcast is promoted. To do well, make sure your content is good, you stick to a schedule, and you reach out to your audience.
How Podcast Rank Affects Downloads ?
A podcast’s position in the rankings can significantly increase its visibility and opportunity for growth. The higher a podcast ranks in charts and search results, the more new listeners it will be exposed to.
Podcasts in the top 1% average a high of 5,080 downloads, showcasing the immense popularity and reach of the most successful shows.
Those in the top 5% see a considerable drop to an average of 1,123 downloads, indicating a sharp decline even among relatively popular podcasts.
By the time we reach podcasts ranked in the 50th percentile, the average downloads plummet to just 32.
| Rank | Average downloads in first 7 days |
|---|---|
| 1% | 5080 Avg Downloads |
| 5% | 1123 Avg Downloads |
| 10% | 478 Avg Downloads |
| 25% | 121 Avg Downloads |
| 50% | 32 Avg Downloads |
Source: PodcastHost
Most Popular Podcasts in the US
The Joe Rogan Experience is considered as the biggest podcast in the world with over 2400 episodes in 14 years.
| Rank | Podcast Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Joe Rogan Experience |
| 2 | The Tucker Carlson Podcast |
| 3 | Media Pressure |
| 4 | New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce |
| 5 | Call Her Daddy |
| 6 | Huberman Lab |
| 7 | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von |
| 8 | Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast |
| 9 | Crime Junkie |
| 10 | Shawn Ryan Show |
Source: Podcastchart
