More than one-sixth (17%) of the US population listens to podcasts on a weekly basis, and it seems that weekly podcast listeners are tuning in more often than they used to. Indeed, 43% could be classified as heavy listeners (spending at least 6 hours per week listening), compared to 36% last year, according to a Westwood One study.
The results of the survey – fielded among 600 adult weekly podcast listeners – indicate that while the podcast audience skews towards men and Millennials, other demographics are catching up in listening time.
This year Gen X listeners, ages 35-49, reported spending 7.2 hours per week tuning in to podcasts. Not only did that rival the time spent by Millennial listeners (7.4 hours), but it also represented a 22% increase from last year’s estimated time spent (5.9 hours).
Women also upped their listening time, by 20%, to 5.5 hours per week. That still trails male listeners (7.6 hours), but men didn’t increase their amount of time spent with podcasts much from the previous year.
Looking specifically at heavy podcast listeners (those spending at least 6 hours per week with podcasts), and noting that this represents a fairly small sample size, the results suggest that this audience skews towards men, Millennials, and higher-income adults.
Podcast Content Trends
- Comedy is the most popular podcast genre, with 57% of weekly listeners saying they regularly listen to this type of podcast, up from 51% last year. (Nielsen also ranks comedy as being among the most popular genres.)
- Business podcasts, while on the lower end of the popularity spectrum, have shown some growth, with 38% now listening regularly, up from 31% last year.
Podcast Listeners Not Turned Off by Ads
The US podcast advertising market was estimated to have doubled in size last year, and research has found more than two-thirds exposed to podcast ads agreeing that the ad experience made them aware of new products and services.
The Westwood One research indicates that podcast listeners are comfortable with an increased ad load, and are growing more likely to respond to ads.
This year respondents said they would consider 4 ads per 60-minute podcast to be an appropriate number, up from an average of 3.8 last year.
It’s worth noting that respondents prefer host-voiced ads over pre-produced ones, in line with other pieces of research on this topic.
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