As a consultant helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses through podcasting, I want to provide the most useful data on the state of the podcasting industry in 2024. If you‘re considering starting a podcast or already have one, these comprehensive statistics, facts, and trends will help guide your strategy and measure your progress this year.
Global Podcast Growth Continues Rising
- There are over 4 million active podcasts globally as of March 2023, with over 390,000 publishing new episodes in the past 30 days [1].
- Monthly podcast listeners across 18 countries surveyed reached 383 million in 2021, up from 274 million in 2019 [2].
- By end of 2023, monthly global listeners projected to exceed 460 million [2].
- The United States continues leading with 117 million monthly podcast listeners, but other countries gaining ground [3]:
| Country | Monthly Listeners (millions) |
|---|---|
| United States | 117 |
| China | 104 |
| India | 56 |
| Germany | 21 |
| Japan | 21 |
- Sweden has highest podcast listener penetration: 57% of total population [4].
- English dominates podcast languages at 60% globally [5], but other languages rising:
| Language | Share of Podcast Content |
|---|---|
| English | 60% |
| Spanish | 12% |
| Portuguese | 7% |
| Indonesian | 5% |
| German | 3% |
The steady growth in active shows and listeners worldwide highlights the universal appeal of podcasts. As more people come online globally, podcasting looks to engage audiences across languages and cultures.
Podcast Listening Habits: Deep Engagement
- 68% of listeners report listening to most or all of each podcast episode [6]. Just 7% listen to less than 10%.
- 73% listen on their smartphones [6], showing the convenience of podcasts for mobile users. After phones, computers (11%) and tablets (7%) are most common.
- Over half (55%) of US podcast listeners are aged 12-34 [7]. 22% are 35-54.
- Weekday mornings see peak listening: over 20% of podcasts are consumed from 6-10 AM [8] when many commute to work or school.
This data demonstrates that today‘s podcast listeners are deeply engaged, not just casual browsers. They concentrate on full episodes, mostly on phones they carry everywhere. Podcasters should focus on retention and loyalty in their audience.
Industry Financials: Revenue Growing Over 20% Annually
- Global podcasting market projected to grow from $14.6 billion in 2024 to $41.5 billion by 2028, registering robust 19.7% compound annual growth rate [9].
- US podcast ad revenue expected to top $3 billion in 2024, up from $2.2 billion in 2021 [10].
- Top ad rates for host-read ads now range from $25-$80 CPM (cost per thousand listens) [11].
- Average podcast episode length between 20-40 minutes [12]. Only 16% exceed one hour.
- Most popular podcast genres [13]:
| Genre | Share of Listeners |
|---|---|
| Arts | 15% |
| Business | 12% |
| Comedy | 11% |
| Education | 8% |
| News | 7% |
| True Crime | 6% |
Rising revenue and engagement show the podcasting business opportunity. But creators need quality content that connects with listeners regularly, not sporadic long episodes.
Apple and Spotify Lead in Platforms
- Apple Podcasts has biggest market share at over 38% [14] of listeners despite lower brand awareness.
- Spotify tops in brand recognition with 80% awareness vs. 72% for Apple [15].
- Other major platforms: Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Pandora.
- New platforms like Amazon, YouTube, Facebook helping podcasts expand reach.
Leveraging leading platforms is vital for discovery, but podcasters should distribute everywhere possible to maximize listeners. A solid hosting provider like Buzzsprout can syndicate a podcast widely.
Conclusion: Podcasting Growing But Competition Also Rising
The data overwhelmingly points to a thriving global podcasting ecosystem. But with over 4 million shows now active, standing out requires creativity, consistency, and utilizing best practices on promotion, production value, and listener engagement. As a consultant who has helped dozens of entrepreneurs successfully launch and expand their podcast-fueled businesses, I‘m here to advise you on smart strategies and avoiding pitfalls. Let‘s connect to discuss how podcasting can take your business ambitions to the next level.
Sources
[1] Listen Notes[2] Insider Intelligence eMarketer
[3] Vurbl
[4] Reuters Institute
[5] Podcast Insights
[6] Midas Report
[7] Nielsen
[8] Edison Research
[9] Grand View Research
[10] Interactive Advertising Bureau
[11] AdvertiseCast
[12] Buzzsprout
[13] Nielsen
[14] Buzzsprout
[15] Edison Research
