Insights: New Findings About The Podcast Audience

The latest Cumulus Media’s 2024 Audioscape report sheds light on some intriguing trends in podcast consumption. Here are the key findings:

Podcast Audiences Have Scale:

• Among 25-54-year-olds, one-third listen to podcasts daily, while 44% listen weekly, and 59% listen monthly.
• Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” study reports that 32% of U.S. 25-54s listen to podcasts daily, with weekly reach at 44% and monthly reach at 59%.

Podcasts Are the Top Audio Platform for Listeners:

• Once people get hooked on podcasts, it quickly becomes their most listened-to audio platform.
• In 2016, podcasts held a 26% share among podcast listeners, followed by AM/FM radio (22%) and streaming (17%).
• Today, podcasts have a 32% share among podcast listeners, surpassing AM/FM radio (22%) and streaming (18%).

Age Demographics:

• The median age of the podcast audience has remained steady at 34, despite massive audience growth.
• Compared to AM/FM radio listeners (median age 47) and linear television viewers (median age 56), podcast listeners are significantly younger.

Profile of Podcast Listeners:

• Podcast audiences tend to be employed, upscale, and educated.
• They are 43% more likely to have graduated college and have a post-graduate degree.
• Employment-wise, they are 29% more likely to be employed full-time and 33% more likely to work in a white-collar role.
• Additionally, 36% of podcast listeners have a household income of $100K or more.

Listening Habits:

• Most podcast listening occurs at home throughout the day.
• A third of podcast time spent occurs between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., followed by 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. (24%).
• Despite soaring podcast audiences, the majority of listening still happens at home (65%).

Growth Opportunities in Different Markets:

• Podcasts have room for growth in markets beyond the top ten.
• Nielsen Scarborough’s Podcast Recontact Study shows that podcast listeners over-index in the top ten markets (+13%) but are underrepresented in DMAs 51+ (-19%).
• Coastal DMAs and tech hubs like Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Austin exhibit exceptionally strong levels of monthly podcast listening.

Smart Speaker Usage:

Podcasts’ share of time spent on smart speakers has increased fourfold since 2018.

As smart speakers become more prevalent, podcasts are finding a significant audience through these devices.

The podcast landscape continues to evolve, and these findings provide valuable insights for both content creators and advertisers.