U.S. Podcasting Industry - statistics & facts
Podcasting is no longer a niche medium. In the U.S., awareness of podcasting soared over the last couple of decades. Back in 2006, less than a fifth of the adult population in the United States was aware of podcasting, at just 22 percent. By 2022, this figure had risen to almost 80 percent. Podcasting is an increasingly popular pastime in the U.S., and close to 70 million people listened to podcasts in 2023. This number is projected to rise even further, reaching over 110 million listeners by 2029.
Podcast listening is not just a pastime for the younger consumer. While older generations tune in less than their younger peers, more than 20 percent of adults aged 55 years or above now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. Looking at those aged between 35 and 54 years, the share who listen monthly is more than double that, at over 40 percent, and as high as 50 percent among 12 to 34-year-olds. Podcasts are also used as a news source, with more than a third of U.S. adults aged under 50 years using podcasts for news at least semi-regularly.
NPR competes with iHeartRadio for the top spot when it comes to listeners and downloads both in the United States and worldwide, with iHeartRadio having built up a solid lead over NRP in recent years. Podcasts can be a lucrative source of revenue for media companies, evidenced by iHeartMedia which filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and emerged with revenue of over 3.68 billion U.S. dollars at the end of the following year thanks to its digital and podcasting endeavors. Meanwhile, the format’s growing popularity and potential led music streaming giant Spotify to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on podcast-related acquisitions, including award-winning company Gimlet. Even retail behemoth Amazon is intending to get involved in the industry, paving the way for disruptions and competition in the market.
Podcasts have an engaged audience
As awareness and usage has grown, so has consumption frequency. Survey data shows that more than 40 percent of the U.S. population listened to a podcast in the past month, almost three times the share recorded a decade earlier.Podcast listening is not just a pastime for the younger consumer. While older generations tune in less than their younger peers, more than 20 percent of adults aged 55 years or above now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. Looking at those aged between 35 and 54 years, the share who listen monthly is more than double that, at over 40 percent, and as high as 50 percent among 12 to 34-year-olds. Podcasts are also used as a news source, with more than a third of U.S. adults aged under 50 years using podcasts for news at least semi-regularly.
National Public Radio and iHeartRadio are competing for market dominance
When it comes to publishers, National Public Radio (NPR) is one of the leaders the United States, usually drawing in a unique monthly audience of over 18 million listeners. Using the reputation and influence from its massive U.S. based following, NPR also ranks among the top podcast publishers worldwide, accumulating hundreds of millions of unique streams and downloads each month. The success of NPR can be partially attributed to its unique content; a number of its podcasts, such as NPR Politics Podcast, TED Radio Hour, Planet Money, and Fresh Air offer listeners a combination of entertainment and practical knowledge that has become popular among listeners. However, the most popular podcast publishers in the U.S. remain iHeartPodcasts and Wondery.NPR competes with iHeartRadio for the top spot when it comes to listeners and downloads both in the United States and worldwide, with iHeartRadio having built up a solid lead over NRP in recent years. Podcasts can be a lucrative source of revenue for media companies, evidenced by iHeartMedia which filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and emerged with revenue of over 3.68 billion U.S. dollars at the end of the following year thanks to its digital and podcasting endeavors. Meanwhile, the format’s growing popularity and potential led music streaming giant Spotify to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on podcast-related acquisitions, including award-winning company Gimlet. Even retail behemoth Amazon is intending to get involved in the industry, paving the way for disruptions and competition in the market.
