Forget your old radio dial because over two-fifths of Americans are now tuning in each month to a vast universe of voices and stories, where listeners are just as likely to be women as men, spend over seven hours a week engrossed in content, and are reshaping media habits from their morning commutes to their evening routines.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 42% of Americans aged 12 and older listened to a podcast in the past month, marking a steady increase from previous years
- Among US podcast listeners aged 12+, 67% are monthly listeners as of 2023
- 12% of US Americans aged 12+ started listening to podcasts for the first time in the past year according to 2023 data
- US listeners aged 25-54 consume 7 hours of podcasts weekly on average in 2023
- 69% of US monthly podcast listeners tune in weekly in 2023 Edison data
- Average US podcast listener spends 7 hours per week listening in 2023
- Comedy is the top genre for 37% of US monthly podcast listeners in 2023
- News podcasts attract 34% of US monthly listeners in 2023 Edison
- True Crime appeals to 29% of US podcast audience in 2023
- 75% of US monthly podcast listeners use smartphones as primary device 2023
- 32% use desktop/laptop computers for podcasts US 2023 Edison
- Smart speakers used by 23% of US monthly listeners 2023
- Global podcast market reached $23.56 billion in revenue 2023
- US podcast revenue grew 13.8% YoY to $2.16 billion in 2023
- Number of active podcasts worldwide hit 4.52 million in 2023
Podcast listenership continues to grow globally, reaching millions of diverse and engaged fans.
Content Genres
- Comedy is the top genre for 37% of US monthly podcast listeners in 2023
- News podcasts attract 34% of US monthly listeners in 2023 Edison
- True Crime appeals to 29% of US podcast audience in 2023
- Sports/Fantasy Sports genre listened by 24% of US monthly in 2023
- Business podcasts reach 22% of US listeners aged 12+ monthly 2023
- Technology genre preferred by 20% of US monthly podcast listeners 2023
- Society & Culture genre has 18% penetration among US listeners 2023
- Education podcasts consumed by 17% of US monthly listeners 2023
- Health & Fitness appeals to 15% of US podcast listeners in 2023
- History genre listened by 14% of monthly US audience 2023 Edison
- In UK, Music podcasts top for 22% of listeners in 2023 RAJAR
- Self-Improvement genre popular with 25% globally per 2023 data
- True Crime grew 40% in listens YoY among US women 2023 Nielsen
- Politics/History combo favored by 28% of US educated listeners 2023
- Kids & Family genre reaches 12% of US parents listeners 2023
- Fiction/Storytelling appeals to 11% of global podcast fans 2023
- Religion & Spirituality 10% of US monthly listeners 2023 Edison
- Arts genre 9% penetration US 2023
- TV & Film podcasts 8% of US audience 2023
- Science 7% of monthly US listeners 2023 Edison
- Comedy remains #1 genre globally with 42% preference 2023
- Mental Health podcasts surged 50% in listens US 2023
- Australia Comedy 35% top genre 2023 GWA
- True Crime #1 for women (32%) US 2023 Edison
- Sports #1 for men (35%) US podcast listeners 2023
- Business podcasts up 25% YoY global 2023
Content Genres Interpretation
While we collectively seek self-improvement and news to navigate our anxieties, it seems our podcast habits reveal a global truth: we'd rather laugh at the chaos, dissect a crime, or escape into sports than directly confront the daunting reality that comedy is our number one coping mechanism.
Demographics
- In 2023, 42% of Americans aged 12 and older listened to a podcast in the past month, marking a steady increase from previous years
- Among US podcast listeners aged 12+, 67% are monthly listeners as of 2023
- 12% of US Americans aged 12+ started listening to podcasts for the first time in the past year according to 2023 data
- Women represent 51% of monthly podcast listeners in the US in 2023
- Men account for 49% of monthly podcast listeners among US adults aged 12+ in 2023
- 35% of US monthly podcast listeners are aged 12-34 in 2023
- 39% of US monthly podcast listeners are aged 35-54 in 2023
- 26% of US monthly podcast listeners are aged 55+ in 2023
- Households earning $75,000+ annually comprise 58% of US monthly podcast listeners in 2023
- College graduates make up 48% of US monthly podcast listeners aged 25+ in 2023
- In the UK, 42% of adults aged 15+ have ever listened to a podcast as of 2023
- 28% of UK adults aged 15+ listened to a podcast in the past month in 2023
- Globally, 464 million people listened to podcasts monthly in 2023, skewed towards urban demographics
- In the US, White listeners comprise 70% of podcast audience in 2022 Nielsen data
- Hispanic listeners represent 14% of US podcast audience per 2022 Nielsen
- Black listeners account for 11% of US podcast consumers in 2022 Nielsen report
- Asian listeners make up 5% of the US podcast listening population in 2022
- Urban dwellers represent 62% of US podcast listeners in 2023 Edison data
- Suburban residents comprise 30% of US monthly podcast listeners in 2023
- Rural Americans account for 8% of monthly podcast listeners in 2023
- Parents with children under 18 are 1.8x more likely to listen to podcasts monthly in US 2023
- 55% of US Gen Z (aged 12-27) have listened to podcasts in past month 2023
- Millennials (28-43) represent 32% of US monthly podcast listeners in 2023
- 24% of US podcast listeners have household income over $150,000 in 2023
- In Australia, 48% of adults aged 18+ listened to podcasts in past month 2023
- Canadian podcast listeners aged 18-34 make up 40% of monthly audience 2023
- In India, 25% of urban millennials listen to podcasts weekly as of 2023
- 37% of US employed full-time adults are monthly podcast listeners 2023
- Students represent 22% of US monthly podcast listeners aged 12+ in 2023
- Retirees account for 12% of US podcast monthly listeners in 2023
Demographics Interpretation
While the podcast audience is broadening to a near-even gender split and an older, more suburban crowd, it remains predominantly a pastime for the educated, affluent, and urban—suggesting that for now, the medium speaks loudest to those already plugged into the cultural conversation.
Device and Platform Usage
- 75% of US monthly podcast listeners use smartphones as primary device 2023
- 32% use desktop/laptop computers for podcasts US 2023 Edison
- Smart speakers used by 23% of US monthly listeners 2023
- Tablets account for 15% of US podcast device usage 2023
- In-car infotainment systems used by 20% during drives US 2023
- Spotify holds 31% share of US podcast listening hours 2023 Edison
- Apple Podcasts 30% of US listening share 2023
- YouTube represents 12% of US podcast consumption 2023 Edison
- Amazon Music/Audible 4% share US podcasts 2023
- 21% use web browsers for podcast access US 2023
- Globally, 60% access podcasts via mobile apps 2023 Backlinko
- 45% of UK listeners use BBC Sounds platform 2023 RAJAR
- iOS devices dominate with 52% of US podcast app users 2023
- Android users 48% of US podcast app market 2023 Statista
- 35% of US listeners use multiple platforms weekly 2023 Nielsen
- Smart TV usage for podcasts at 8% US 2023 Edison
- Wearables like Apple Watch used by 5% for podcasts 2023
- 28% download podcasts for offline listening US 2023
- Streaming without download preferred by 72% US 2023
- Alexa devices 15% of smart speaker podcast use US 2023
- Google Home/Assistant 8% smart speaker share podcasts US 2023
- Australia Spotify 40% platform dominance 2023 GWA
- Over-ear headphones used by 55% during listening US 2023
- Wireless earbuds preferred by 62% of mobile listeners 2023
- Car stereo systems 25% of audio hardware for podcasts US 2023
Device and Platform Usage Interpretation
The data paints a clear and noisy picture: the American podcast listener, smartphone in hand and earbuds firmly in place, is an opportunistic omnivore, snacking on content across a fragmented digital ecosystem but almost always on the go.
Listening Habits
- US listeners aged 25-54 consume 7 hours of podcasts weekly on average in 2023
- 69% of US monthly podcast listeners tune in weekly in 2023 Edison data
- Average US podcast listener spends 7 hours per week listening in 2023
- 41% of US podcast listeners listen daily or almost daily in 2023
- 64% of US time spent listening to podcasts occurs while driving in 2023
- 56% listen to podcasts while doing household chores per 2023 US data
- 49% of US podcast listening happens during exercise or commuting in 2023
- 28% listen to podcasts at work per 2023 Edison Research
- UK podcast listeners average 8.2 hours per week in 2023 RAJAR data
- 52% of global podcast listeners multitask while listening per 2023 Backlinko
- US listeners aged 12+ spend average 1 hour 11 minutes daily on podcasts if daily, 2023
- 75% of US podcast fans listen on mobile phones primarily in 2023
- 22% prefer smart speakers for podcast consumption in US 2023
- In-car listening accounts for 30% of total podcast time spent US 2023
- 45% of US listeners binge podcasts, listening multiple episodes at once 2023
- Average session length for podcast listening is 42 minutes globally 2023
- 61% of listeners prefer full episodes over clips in US 2023 Nielsen
- Weekend listening peaks at 35% of total weekly podcast hours US 2023
- Evening hours (6-10 PM) see 40% of US podcast listening in 2023
- Morning commute (6-9 AM) captures 25% of daily podcast listens US 2023
- 38% speed up playback to 1.5x or faster regularly US 2023
- Skipping intros is done by 55% of avid US podcast listeners 2023
- 67% listen to podcasts alone rather than socially in 2023 global data
- Repeat listening to favorite episodes occurs in 29% of US sessions 2023
- Australia podcast listeners average 7.5 hours weekly in 2023
- 70% of US listeners discover new podcasts via recommendations from friends 2023
Listening Habits Interpretation
While Americans are basically renting out their eardrums to podcasts seven hours a week, it seems we've officially outsourced our inner monologues, with our commutes, chores, and workouts now soundtracked by other people's conversations.
Market Trends and Growth
- Global podcast market reached $23.56 billion in revenue 2023
- US podcast revenue grew 13.8% YoY to $2.16 billion in 2023
- Number of active podcasts worldwide hit 4.52 million in 2023
- Monthly podcast listeners globally increased to 464.7 million in 2023
- US monthly podcast listeners reached 109.1 million in 2023 Edison
- Podcast ad spend projected to grow 10.5% to $2.6 billion US 2024
- 67% growth in podcast listeners since 2018 globally 2023 data
- UK podcast reach up 5% to 28% of adults monthly 2023 RAJAR
- 90% of US monthly listeners are aware of podcast ads 2023 IAB
- 61% of listeners take action after hearing podcast ad US 2023
- Programmatic ad share in podcasts rose to 20% US 2023 IAB
- Host-read ads comprise 58% of US podcast advertising 2023
- Australia podcast market grew 25% YoY in listens 2023 GWA
- 144 million US weekly podcast listeners projected by 2025
- Global podcasts expected to reach 584.1 million monthly by 2025
- 80% of top 30 US podcasts saw audience growth 2023 Nielsen
- Video podcasts grew 79% in popularity US 2023 Edison
- 39% of US listeners now watch video podcasts 2023
- Average CPM for podcast ads $25 US 2023 IAB data
- 50% of US podcast listeners pay for premium content 2023
- Subscription revenue for podcasts up 20% YoY US 2023
- 3.2 million podcasts launched in 2023 globally
- Retention rate for top podcasts averages 25% after first episode 2023
Market Trends and Growth Interpretation
The global podcast boom, now a $23 billion industry with nearly half a billion monthly listeners, proves that people aren't just tuning in for entertainment but are actively engaged, with over 60% taking action from ads and half willing to pay for premium content, making it a uniquely persuasive medium where hosts hold more trust than traditional commercials.
Sources & References
- Reference 1EDISONRESEARCHedisonresearch.comVisit source
- Reference 2RAJARrajar.co.ukVisit source
- Reference 3BACKLINKObacklinko.comVisit source
- Reference 4NIELSENnielsen.comVisit source
- Reference 5STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 6GWAgwa.com.auVisit source
- Reference 7BMIbmi.caVisit source
- Reference 8IABiab.comVisit source