20 Podcast Statistics You Should Know in 2022

December 23, 2021
Rayomand Engineer
Trends

Podcasts are great fun because you can listen to something while multitasking and doing something else. People listen to podcasts while typing, cooking, jogging, or doing a whole lot of other things. Podcasts can be found on a variety of topics under the sun. From fitness to storytelling, there’s something for everyone.

Top Podcast Statistics

Podcasts can also be a pretty niche tool if looked at from a marketing perspective. There are many content creators and brands that leverage podcasts for business. You can really build up a large following and that could help your brand. Alternatively, if you are an enthusiast, there are amazing podcasts to tune into. Anyways, whether you are a person who listens to or creates podcasts, here are some interesting podcast statistics that you should know in 2022.

Podcasts Are Available in Over 100 Languages

There’s literally something for everyone. Even if you are in the US, if you want to tune into something in a foreign language, you can always listen to a podcast. A podcast in another language can be a great way to pick up new linguistic skills. Since all you really need to do in order to create and spread a podcast is to record and advertise it aptly, there are thousands of podcasts in different languages worldwide.

78% of Americans are Aware of Podcasting

Compare this to back in 2006 when you had just 20% of the adult population in America aware of podcasting, and this number seems significant. The majority of the population today tunes in to something of their choice today.

Over 2 Million Podcasts Exist

There are more than 2 million active podcasts currently, according to these insights. If we went back by about 3 years, there was just a quarter of that figure. Today there are millions of episodes across a wide range of topics to choose from.

Over 150 Million Americans Have Listened To A Podcast

This data says that around 163 million US citizens older than 12 have listened to a podcast. Compare that to 2006, when the number was just around 11 million.

Podcast Ad Revenue May Exceed 2 Billion in 2023

eMarketer estimates that US marketers may spend more than around $1.3 billion on podcast ads this year. This might exceed the 2 billion dollar mark after 2 years, touching 3 billion USD in 2025.

The US Accounts For The Highest Number of Podcast Listeners Worldwide

The US accounts for 47.9% of all podcast listeners, while the UK ranks way below 6.3% and Canada with around 5%.

The Podcast Listener Base is Diversifying

If we look at gender and race specifically, data from Edison Research says that podcast listeners are growing diverse, demographically. In 2021, listeners were predominantly white males, but over the recent past, they include females and listeners from South American countries as well.

Comedy Still Is Priority

This is funny because data from last year says that 22% of podcast listeners in the US prefer comedy as a genre. The news comes a close second, followed by true crime, sports, and health and fitness, amongst others.

The Best Brand Awareness is by Pandora

Infinite Dial’s data says that in terms of audio brand awareness, Pandora, a music and podcast delivery platform, leads. More than 80% of all respondents have heard of it. It edges out iHeartRadio, which has 73%, and Spotify, which has 72%. This data says that Spotify might become the best podcast platform in America in 2021.

The Average Listener Tunes In For More Than 6 Hours Weekly

The average listener spends a lot of time listening to podcasts, especially during commute hours. Downloaded to smartphones, podcasts can be heard through car speakers, earphones, or as people choose.

Podcasts Influence Purchasing Decisions

This data says that around 60% of all podcast listeners have purchased something from a podcast ad, a healthy percentage, head and shoulders above other advertising mediums.

More Listeners Are Going Mobile

This should come as no surprise. More and more smartphone users are going mobile, with around 78% tuning in from mobile devices in 2019, a jump from around 42% in 2013.

More Listeners Spend More Time Listening

In 2019, podcast listeners spent a little more than 28% of their time listening to podcasts, leaving behind regular radio, at 24%, and streamed and owned music at 15% and 13% respectively. Podcasting is very engaging.

61.1 million American Families are Fans of Podcasts

A lot of Americans tune into music podcasts, followed by television and movies, with around 60.5 million households watching or listening to such podcasts regularly. Other major podcast genres are technology, science, arts, politics, games, business, sports, and religion.

74% of Podcast Users Listen To Learn Something New

Edison Research says around 74% of all listeners listen for educational purposes. Around 60% of US citizens use podcasts to keep abreast with the news, and 51% of listeners say they find podcasts relaxing.

Podcasts Are 10% of All Content Millenials Listen To

Millennials are very keen on podcasts because they fit into life’s daily schedule. You can listen to the latest episode regardless of time and space. Popular podcast platforms allow users to stream and download on demand.

Only Half of All Podcast Listeners Listen To Entire Episodes

According to data from Edison Research dated 2019, 52% of podcast consumers listen to the whole audio episode. Americans who use podcast platforms to download episodes are more likely to watch or listen to the entire broadcast, as they are attracted to this kind of broadcasting that gives them whatever information they want whenever they want it. Podcast users develop a kind of relationship with podcasters, interested in what the latter has to say.

Majority of Podcast Consumers Prefer to Tune In From Home

This is ironic because the entire point of a podcast is that you can listen anywhere, anytime. In reality, however, consumers prefer to listen to podcasts at home. Other popular locations amongst American listeners include the car or truck (64%), the gym (43%), work (37%).

The Best Times To Release A Podcast

Data shows that Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are days consumers are most likely to download podcast episodes, with the number falling to its lowest during the weekends.

Around 39% of Small and Medium Business Owners Are Podcast Users

Around 65% of these owners listen to podcasts weekly, according to podcast listenership statistics from 2018. Around 70-72% of business owners with around 100-500 employees listen to podcasts.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, podcasts are all the rage, and their popularity shall only continue to grow. In no particular order, here are some amazing podcasts that you can tune into, from across various topics as listed by the New York Times. If you are a marketer and want to tap into the potential of podcast advertising, read our blog on how to do so. Our blog on the unique features of podcasting for marketing and brand building can help you use this tool to reach your audience in a big way.

Tags: statistics surveys

Rayomand Engineer

I am a writer based out of Kolkata, West Bengal, and I like to write on tech, politics, travel, music, environment, and wildlife amongst others. I’ve also written scripts for branded content, and also scripts for short films. I’ve been writing for more than a decade and I love it.

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Digital Monetization Update – March 24, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – March 17, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – March 10, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – March 3, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – February 24, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – February 17, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – February 10, 2022

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Digital Monetization Update – February 3, 2022

1. Google Ad Revenue Surges 33% In 2021 Q4 (MediaPost) In the fourth quarter of 2021, Google’s overall ad revenue increased by 33% to $61.2 billion, above analysts’ expectations by 4%. Search advertising increased by 35% to $43 billion, and Google’s YouTube increased by 25% to $8.6 billion. YouTube’s ad dollar increases in the quarter eclipsed Netflix’s $7.7 billion in subscription revenue. 2. Meta Shares Plunge 20% As It Feels Heat From Apple And TikTok (AdAge) Apple’s recent privacy reforms and competition from firms like TikTok, might start to wear on Meta’s ad platform. Meta’s ad revenue in the first quarter of this year will be between $27 billion and $29 billion, representing a 3% to 11% growth year over year. In after-hours trading, Meta shares fell more than 20% due to the bleak forecast. 3. Gaming Companies Are Merging With Ad Tech For Real Reasons (AdExchanger) In the year 2021, there was tremendous consolidation in the ad tech industry. The combination of gaming companies with ad tech platforms is one especially noticeable little trend that is gaining traction. The objective behind the change is to replace old cookie-based technology with first-party data, which is the future of advertising. 4. Spotify Declares Itself To Be A Creator Company Now (TheVerge) Spotify announced its quarterly numbers at a particularly difficult period for the firm. Its monthly active users increased by 18% year on year to 406 million, while paid customers increased to 180 million. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek aspires to achieve 50 million creators who will profit from the platform. 5. Regulators Find Europe’s Ad Tech Industry Acted Unlawfully (Engadget) Data protection experts from throughout the European Union have determined that Europe’s ad tech business has been functioning unlawfully for years. The judgment, issued by Belgium’s APD (.PDF) and backed by authorities throughout the EU, determined that the industry’s underpinning system breached a number of GDPR standards. 6. NortonLifeLock Launches Feature To Protect Social Media Accounts (MediaPost) Norton LifeLock, a software and cybersecurity firm, announced a new feature to help users better safeguard their social media accounts against harmful attacks. In 2021, the number of people on social media has risen to 4.48 billion, accounting for more than half of the world’s population (56.8%). As the user increases, so will the number of threats. 7. Big Tech Boycotts Tend To Be Short-Lived (Axios) Boycotts of tech services have become increasingly common as political division and dissatisfaction with misinformation have grown. However, evidence shows that boycotts and the media attention they generate are usually short-lived. Even the most virulent boycotts have little influence beyond a single news cycle on Big Tech giants.
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