TL;DR
- Podcast reach is increasing across all age groups, according to an annual survey from Edison Research, with female listeners driving growth.
- Nearly half of the adult population in the US has listened to a podcast in the last month, up 12% year-over-year.
- Thirty-four percent have listened to a podcast in the last week, up 10% year-over-year. Online audio listening has also hit record highs, the report finds.
The number of Americans consuming podcasts has reached record highs and growth is being driven by female listeners, according to “The Infinite Dial,” an annual survey from Edison Research with support from Audacy, Cumulus Media, and SiriusXM Media. The study is based on a national survey in January 2024 of 1,086 individuals age 12 and older.
Nearly half of the adult population in the US has listened to a podcast in the last month, up 12% year-over-year. Thirty-four percent have listened to a podcast in the last week, up 10% year-over-year.
Increases in the number of monthly and weekly podcast listeners are seen across all age groups, but that growth is driven by large increases among women.
The study found that 45% of women have listened to a podcast in the last month, up from 39% in 2023, an increase of 15%. Thirty-two percent of women have listened to a podcast in the last week, up from 27% in 2023, an increase of 19%.
“Listening levels are up markedly despite changes in how downloads are being delivered and counted.” said Edison Research VP Megan Lazovick.
Online audio listening has also hit record highs, according to Edison Research. More than three quarters of Americans have listened to online audio in the last month, an estimated 218 million people. Ninety per cent of those aged 12-34 and 85% of those age 35-54 have listened to online audio in the last month, it found.
Other findings include that 70% of those age 18+ who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month currently listen to radio as an audio source in their primary car; 55% listen to online audio and 32% listen to podcasts.
AM/FM radio is still popular with 60% of those polled having a traditional set at home.
An outlier in this audio report is that Twitter/X usage has seen a sharp 30% decline in use following Elon Musk’s acquisition.
READ MORE: The Infinite Dial 2024 (Edison Research)
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