Podcast Statistics 2023-2024: How Many Podcasts Are There ?

During the global pandemic, the podcasting industry experienced a massive boom.

There are 464.7 million worldwide podcast listeners and expected to grow 504.9 million by 2024. By the end of 2023, 103.6 million people in the US are estimated to engage in weekly podcast listening, which is roughly one third of the nation’s population.

88 percent of US podcast listeners listen to podcasts for learning, and 87 percent tune into their favorite podcasts for entertainment. 64 percent of podcast listeners listen to it to stay up to date with the latest events and current news.

#1 Podcast Statistics 2023–2024: How many podcasts are there in 2023?

As per recent data, over 5 million podcasts will exist globally in 2023, with over 70 million episodes. As per Forbes, the number of podcast listeners will surpass 160 million by 2024.

When do people listen to podcasts?

As per a survey by YouGov, the peak times when people usually listen to podcasts are:

• 49% of Americans listen to podcasts while performing their daily chores
• 42% of Americans listen to podcasts on their commute to work.
• 29% of Americans listen to podcasts when they are working out.

How many people listen to podcasts daily?

As per Statista, 62% of people in the US listen to podcasts daily. According to Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts is the most trending platform for podcast listeners, with a share of 41.3% and 57,784,043 podcast downloads.

How many listeners does a podcast have on average?

As per statistics, approximately 464.7 million people across the globe listened to podcasts in 2023.

Here is the current data from Buzzsprout:

• The top 1% of podcasts get more than 5084 listeners.
• The top 5% of podcasts get more than 1104 listeners.
• The top 10% of podcasts get more than 452 listeners.
• The top 25% of podcasts get more than 32 listeners

So now that you know there is an audience out there for your podcast, read down further to evaluate if you are fit for this career.

Here are some of the crucial stats for you:

How many Americans listen to podcasts?

According to Podcast Insights, nearly 6 out of every 10 Americans aged over 12 listen to podcasts. As per podcast listener statistics by Insider Intelligence, around 144 million people in the US listen to a podcast every month. The podcast listener numbers are estimated to reach over 200 million by 2025.

What are the latest growth statistics in the podcast industry?

As per podcast growth statistics shared by Insider Intelligence, by 2028, podcasting will be a $94.88 billion industry. Podcast listeners will start spending an additional 23 minutes per day by 2024.

Brands will spend 30.2% more money on podcast advertising by 2024. Podcast ad spending in the US will surpass the $2 billion mark in 2023.

Which age group listens to podcasts the most?

People between the age groups of 25-34 are the core audience of podcasts. As per the data, they spend around 16% of their audio time with podcasts. 55% of 12 to 34-year-olds listen to podcasts every month.  Audiences between the age brackets of 12-34 years old listen more frequently to podcasts than their older counterparts. As per a podcast consumption study in the US in 2022, 59% of millennials reported listening to a podcast within the past month.

As per Edison research, people aged between 55 and 64 spend only 4% of their audio-listening time on podcasts. There is still a largely untapped audience in the age demographic of 55 and older.  According to their report, this audience has the interest and tools to listen, but better targeting, awareness, and catering to their interests are required.

As per the Kids Podcast Listener Report, 29% of kids in the US aged between 6-12 years old are monthly podcast listeners. As per podcast industry statistics by SXM Media and the Gen Z Podcast Listener Report, 47% of Gen Z podcast listeners are highly engaged with podcasts in self-improvement niches. They primarily discover new podcasts from influencer accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

What are the top podcast-listening apps?

As per a report by Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts will be one of the most popular podcast platforms in 2023, with 41.3% of podcast audiences on it. Spotify occupies the second-highest position, with 30.2% of podcast audiences.

How many people listen to podcasts on Spotify?

There has been a spurt of growth in the number of Spotify users since they branched into podcasting. Spotify is estimated to reach 32.5 million podcast listeners per month by 2024.

How many podcasts are on Spotify?

Spotify has around 5 million podcast titles on its platform. A podcast-creation platform owned by Spotify-Anchor is responsible for 65% of new podcasts launched in 2020. Spotify brought in about $215 million in revenue in 2021. 

As per a Hollywood reporter, chief content and advertising business officer Dawn Ostroff said that he expects podcasts to be a $20 billion opportunity in the future. It acquired podcast production house Gimlet Media in 2019 and the Ringer Network in 2020. It also purchased the exclusive distribution rights to two podcasts “Joe Rogan Experience” and “Call Her Daddy.”.

Podcast Statistics 2023–2024: Favourite Format

Which podcast formats will be the most popular for new creators in 2023?

There are multiple existing podcasting formats that podcasters have been experimenting with. Running podcast interviews has been the most trending format for several years. However, as per podcast statistics by Podcast Planner Tool, 43% of the new and upcoming podcasters will be releasing solo formats.

How do consumers discover new podcasts?

As per reports, these are the most popular ways of finding new podcasts for people:

• Search My Podcast App’s directory: 40%
• Referrals by other listeners: 18.3%
• Social media or online communities: 15.2%
• Google Search-13.6%
• Podcast chart or Feature Section: 13%

If you are brainstorming which channels you should invest in more to grow your podcast audience, you know which areas to focus on for your marketing efforts.

By now, you are probably sure about launching your podcast. But just knowing the industry statistics is not enough before tapping your foot into it. You also need to have technical knowledge of podcast creation.

We have summarized it for you so that you can start your podcast right away rather than spending your time on months of research:

What audio equipment do podcasters commonly use?

Finding the perfect podcast equipment can be quite a time-consuming task. So it is better to have prior knowledge about this rather than constantly experimenting and wasting your time and money. As per the Podcast Host Gear Survey 2019, 74% of podcasters record podcasts with headphones.

Rode is the most popular microphone brand among podcasters, with Blue in second place. In the case of microphones, The Blue Yeti is the most trending brand among podcasters, with Blue Snowball in second place. When it comes to microphone type, 35% of people use a dynamic microphone, 33% use a dynamic mic, and 29% use a condenser mic.

What software do podcasters use?

There is a diverse range of podcasting software available on the market. As per the Podcast Host Gear Survey, 48% of podcasters use Audacity for editing their podcasts, and 31% of podcasters use Adobe Audition.

Podcast Statistics 2023–2024

How long are podcasts, on average?

As per podcast statistics 2023 by Buzzsprout, the most common length for podcasts is between 20 and 40 minutes. 

As per the data for January 2023:

• Podcasts lasting less than 10 minutes get more than 16% of listeners.
• Podcasts between 10-20 minutes get more than 15% of listeners.
• Podcasts between 20-40 minutes get more than 31% of listeners.
• Podcasts between 40-60 minutes get more than 20% of listeners.
• Podcasts over 60 minutes get more than 17% of listeners.

As per a report by Podcast Planner Tool, 53% of new podcasters plan to publish episodes between 20 and 40 minutes.

How often do podcasters publish an episode?

As per the Buzzsprout report, podcasters usually publish a new episode every 8 to 14 days.

• More than 7% of podcasters release a new episode within 0-2 days.
• More than 35% of podcasters release a new episode within 3-7 days
• More than 39% of podcasters release a new episode within 8-14 days
• More than 17% of podcasters release a new episode within 15-29 days
• More than 1% of podcasters release a new episode within more than 30 days.

As per reports by Podcast Planner Tool, 55% of new podcasters plan to release new episodes every week.

Do podcasters record videos too?

As per the IndiePod Census 2023, only 11% of podcasters record the video format of their podcast and upload the entire episode. 32% of podcasters do not record video episodes and do not plan to in the future.

What do podcasters struggle with the most?

As per a survey by Podcaster Problems, the majority of podcasters (47.2%) struggle the most with podcast promotion. The next common struggle for podcasters (17.9%) is generating ideas, script writing, and episode planning. While 13.4% of podcasters struggle with editing,

How do podcasters measure their success?

As per a survey by Podcast Cares, the most popular way among podcasters to measure the popularity of their podcast is an increase in the number of podcast downloads. Podcasters also rely heavily on feedback from listeners through comments on their video format on YouTube, mail, or podcast reviews to evaluate the performance of their podcast.

 The least popular way of measuring the success of a podcast episode among podcasters is like a podcast clip getting on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Twitter, or other social media platforms.

There are also several other ways podcasters use to measure their success, such as:

• A new financial investor or patron
• A positive rating
• A customer lead
• A product sale

Next, you might be thinking about which audience you should be catering to. Read on.

Where in the world are podcasts growing the most?

As per podcast statistics worldwide, released by Voxnext, some of the biggest audiences for podcasts are:

• China (83.9% growth)
• Argentina (55.28% growth)
• Peru (49.1% growth)
• Mexico (47.84% growth)
• China (43.62% growth)

As per a digital news report by Reuters, 58% of people in South Korea said that they listened to podcasts at least once a month. The study highlights that 43% of Australians tune in monthly to podcasts,which exceeds 42% of monthly podcast listeners in the US.

 A significant one-third of the Australian audience engages with a podcast every week, more than the US’s 31% statistic. Also, Japan is a country that has a lot of potential for podcast audience growth.

What is the most common reason for people to start podcasts?

What is your core reason for starting your podcast? Do you think “why” is strong enough for you to sustain this career? As per the Podcaster Cares Survey, the majority of podcasters (38.4%) launch their shows as hobbies, purely out of their passion for a creative outlet. 

The next common reason is personal brand building and growing an audience. 21% of podcasters launch it for this purpose. The remaining 19.7% of podcasters launch it to grow their businesses (selling their products and services through promotion on their podcast).

Now that you are ready to start your podcast, it is time to explore the popular podcasting genres.

Podcast Industry Statistics: What are the most popular podcast genres in the US?

According to data published by Edison in April 2023, true crime is one of the most trending genres that is likely to place a podcast among the top 200. Self-improvement and lifestyle podcasts also have a massively growing audience currently. Other than this, interviews with popular or highly intellectual people and political commentaries are also highly demanded.

As per the data, social and cultural podcasts accounted for 12% of the advertisement revenue in 2021 in the US, and news podcasts accounted for 19% of the advertisement revenue. The Joe Rogan Experience is the #1 podcast in the world, with over 1500 episodes discussing comedy, politics, philosophy, science, hobbies, and current events with renowned guests from across the globe.

Some of the other trending podcast genres are:

1. Comedy

22% of Americans prefer comedic podcasts, making them the third most popular genre after true crime and interviews. They generated 13% of the advertisement revenue in 2021 in the US.

2. Digital Marketing

It is one of the most in-demand skills in 2023, and several people are constantly exploring new sources to learn it. Your podcast can cover marketing nuggets, practical tips, the latest marketing news and trends, reviews of online marketing tools, interviews with marketing experts, etc. From branding to PR, there is an umbrella of topics to cover.

3. Freelancing

Since the lockdown, a vast majority of people have started freelancing as their side hustle or even as a full-time career, with increased layoffs. “How to start freelancing” was one of the most common Google searches during that period. In your podcast episodes, you can break down the journeys of popular freelancers and share actionable tips and strategies with your audience on how to become a successful freelancer.

4. Finance

In 2020, The Bid by Black Rock (finance podcast) was in the top 5% of podcasts across categories and had a 4.7 star rating on Spotify. In your podcast episodes, you can teach your audience about stock markets, mutual funds, real estate investments, budgeting, setting financial goals, etc.

5. The Entrepreneurship

The business genre of podcasts ranks fourth in the US in terms of popularity, with over 530 million podcasts. If you have experience launching your own business or have access to successful entrepreneurs, you can pass on that knowledge to your podcast audience.

6. Pop culture

12% of Americans prefer pop culture podcasts over anything else. You can recommend your favorite reads or watches in your podcast episodes or even review the popular ones in every category.

7. Gaming

The gaming industry will blow up even further by 2025, reaching a revenue of $268 billion. On a podcast, though you cannot live stream your game, you can share your honest reviews of popular games and even share insider tactics.

8. Fitness

As per the Nielsen Report, 51% of podcast listeners are inclined towards fitness podcasts. In your podcast, you can talk about how to set fitness goals, actionable advice for achieving them, post-workout care, holistic diet tips,etc. But do it only if you are a fitness freak or have access to people who have been successful in their fitness journey for more authenticity.

9. Parenting advice

The modern generation of parents is obsessed with educating themselves on how to parent their kids better. Are you a parent and think you are doing a pretty good job at it? Have you read several parenting books? You can guide your audience by bursting common parenting myths, giving tips, or simply sharing your authentic parenting journey.

10. Education Podcasts

Not just in the US, education podcasts also rank third globally in terms of popularity after comedy and cultural podcasts. You can talk about a diverse range of subjects under this category of podcasts, such as psychology, history, art, culture, philosophy, etc.

11. Guided meditation

Many people wind down before bedtime listening to guided meditations, peaceful sounds, etc. You can create 10-minute guided meditations for improving sleep, focus, mental clarity, etc. for your audience.

12. Science

As per recent figures released in April 2020 by Acast (a podcasting platform), science and medicine were the favorite categories among the majority of podcast listeners in the USA. If you have a background in science and a keen interest in learning about complex scientific topics, you can educate your audience about them through your podcast. 

Can you make a career out of podcasting?

If you consider yourself a great conversationalist with a passion for updating yourself with new information consistently, podcasting can be a fruitful career for you. Having your podcast show will teach you a multiple skills like storytelling, editing, scripting, marketing, etc. 

The best thing about starting your career as a podcaster is that you can easily do it during your free time after college, or office, or on the weekends. Once you grow on a platform, you can consider it your full-time profession.

You can monetize your podcast in one of the following ways:

• You can reach out to brands that align with your podcast’s audience and content for collaborations.
• You can sell ad spots in your episodes to advertisers or businesses.
• You can promote your merchandise, like t-shirts, mugs, etc., on your podcast.
• You can start a paid subscription model, offering exclusive or premium content to your subscribers.
• You can do affiliate marketing through platforms like Amazon, Impact, ShareASale, etc. by promoting products/services related to your podcast’s niche and even earning a commission on every sale.
• You can organize workshops, live events, shows, meetups, etc. related to your podcast’s theme and charge for the tickets.

Now that you are partly convinced that launching your podcast might be a good idea, you need to dig deeper into the podcasting industry statistics.

Conclusion

From all the figures discussed above, it is clear that the podcasting industry is expected to outgrow even visual content in the future. It is the smartest time to invest in launching your own podcast.