Christopher Hughes
Research expert covering Australia and New Zealand
Podcasts in Australia - statistics & facts
Australians are now the world’s most avid podcast listeners. In 2023, Australian podcast listenership was the highest ever recorded, climbing to 43 percent. This was close to double the share of monthly podcast listeners in Australia five years earlier. While this growth can be partially attributed to the surge in consumption between 2020 and 2021, the figure tends to increase at a rate of around three percent each year, meaning that more than two-thirds of the Australian population could be monthly podcast users by 2030. So, how do Australians engage with podcasts and what do they like to listen to?
Looking at Australia’s leading podcasts, while home-grown pop culture podcast “Shameless” was the most popular by number of monthly listeners as of early 2024, a number of true crime podcasts also ranked highly in terms of both listenership and downloads. Indeed, true crime remains one of the leading podcast genres on Spotify worldwide (1428226). Whilst Australians do not stand out in terms of their genre preferences in this respect, when it comes to news, that is another story.
Most Aussies that listen to podcasts weekly are aged between 18 and 24 years, with more than half of adults in this age bracket listening to podcasts on a weekly basis, and once Australians begin engaging with a podcast, they tend to stick around. Most like to listen to more than one episode, with around a quarter listening to four or five episodes per week. This level of engagement can be capitalized on by news outlets, existing and aspiring creators, and advertisers alike. Once the humble new kid on the block, podcasts are on the up in Australia, with their reach likely to continue expanding.
Australian podcast engagement
Most Australians choose either Spotify or YouTube to listen to podcasts, preferring these larger platforms over the podcast’s own mobile app. Video podcasts will be one to watch as the medium gains traction – over 40 percent of Australian podcast listeners already listen to podcasts with video, something for hosts and publishers to bear in mind when seeking to invest in or diversify their content.Looking at Australia’s leading podcasts, while home-grown pop culture podcast “Shameless” was the most popular by number of monthly listeners as of early 2024, a number of true crime podcasts also ranked highly in terms of both listenership and downloads. Indeed, true crime remains one of the leading podcast genres on Spotify worldwide (1428226). Whilst Australians do not stand out in terms of their genre preferences in this respect, when it comes to news, that is another story.
Unlocking the potential of news podcasts
Tied with Irish and Spanish consumers, Australians are the third most likely in the world to access news podcasts. From The Sydney Morning Herald’s podcast “Please Explain” to ABC Australia’s “AM” and “PM” podcasts covering key daily news topics, podcasts are already becoming an integral part of Australia’s news landscape. News outlets seeking to build their digital audiences could consider branching out into podcasts to improve the versatility of their offering.Most Aussies that listen to podcasts weekly are aged between 18 and 24 years, with more than half of adults in this age bracket listening to podcasts on a weekly basis, and once Australians begin engaging with a podcast, they tend to stick around. Most like to listen to more than one episode, with around a quarter listening to four or five episodes per week. This level of engagement can be capitalized on by news outlets, existing and aspiring creators, and advertisers alike. Once the humble new kid on the block, podcasts are on the up in Australia, with their reach likely to continue expanding.
