The Rise of the Popularity of Podcasts
Imagine putting in your earbuds or plugging in your headphones and listening to a smooth, relaxing voice. You are hanging on every word and ready for your next binge. That is the beauty of podcasts, and today they are more popular than ever. With the COVID-19 pandemic, digital media such as podcasts has only continued to rise.
Here are some of the current statistics for podcasting in 2021:
- Over 55% of the US population have listened to a podcast
- In 2020 over 155 million people listened to a podcast every week
- Around 24% of the US population (68 million) listen to multiple podcasts weekly
- Podcast listeners consume an average of seven different shows per week
- There are over 700,000 active podcasts and 29 million podcast episodes available
- The most popular age group for podcasts listeners is 25-44, which make up 49% of total listeners
- Spotify is now the world's most popular podcast app, closely followed by the Apple podcast app
Multitasking and Podcasting
As the years go by, the world just keeps getting busier and busier. Because of that, the podcast format has become incredibly popular. Audio content allows the listener to multitask and get more stuff done. A recent study showed that 49% of podcast listening happens at home, 22% happens while driving, 11% at work, and 8% while exercising.
One of the most appealing aspects of listening to downloaded podcast episodes is that the listener has playback controls. Especially if listening to an interview podcast, it is much easier to choose your own pace and to be able to rewind and fast forward.
Podcast audio content gives listeners the ability to dive into topics without setting aside time to read or watch a video. Podcasts also offer articles in smaller bite-sized chunks perfect for daily commutes or busy routines.
There is Always a Podcast For Everyone
The advantage of the podcasting format is that it offers endless variety and options. Anyone can usually find any topic a person may be interested in online in podcast format. There is something for everyone from a true-crime, comedy, pop-culture, news, and opinions. What ever you are curious about - you can learn about through a podcast. And for a budding podcast creator, the ability to share information on a podcast hosting platform about their topic is easier than ever.
In this last year, the top five categories for podcasts are society & culture, business, comedy, health, news & politics. These podcasts offer deep dives into the minds of industry thought leaders through interviews. With less than an hour per day, listeners can become industry experts on their favorite topics.