How many people do podcasts reach?
Podcast audiences continue to grow exponentially. More than 800,000 active podcasts are producing more than 29 million episodes.
Spotify’s addition of podcasts expanded its platform’s share of podcasts to 19%.
Podcast audiences are gender-balanced — 52% are male, and 48% are female.
And if you’re not entirely convinced about the intrinsic value of podcasts, here’s more:
- Podcast listeners are well-educated — 45% more likely to have a college degree. Podcast listeners are also more likely to be higher-income families.
- The #1 way to listen to podcasts is via smartphones — 54% via the Apple iOS and 43% on Android.
- Listening at home constitutes a whopping 49% of where people listen to podcasts. Another 22% listen in the car, and 11% listen at work.
- Podcast listeners are loyal — 80% listen to the entire episode or almost all of the episode.
- Almost 70% of podcast listeners say that podcast advertising informs them about new products or services.
- One hundred fifty million people in the U.S. listen to at least one podcast monthly – that’s roughly 1/3 of the U.S. population.
- Younger adults (18-44) comprise 67% of podcast listeners.
- Regular weekly listeners spend an average of 6 hours and 37 minutes each week listening to podcasts.
- Podcasts garner a substantial audience from HNIs (high-net-worth individuals). Net household income families over $250,000 are 45% more likely to be podcast listeners.
Why Choose MediaTracks?
MediaTracks has a 30+ year history as a leading producer of audio and radio services for the public relations industry. The MediaTracks team is made up of award-winning writers and producers who are committed to helping make your client projects a success. We are the producers and syndicators of Radio Health Journal and Viewpoints, the nation’s most widely heard public affairs programs on radio, reaching over 6 million weekly listeners on more than 1,200 radio stations.
Here’s how we work
Our team assists with carefully crafting your message to engage your target audience and desired demographics.
- A MediaTracks team member begins every project by listening to your objectives and then recommending a media solution that works for both you and your client.
- Together, we develop the messaging and offer options for placement, from local to regional to national audiences.
- You’ll work one-on-one with our writers and producers to create memorable content, meticulously produced.
- We use recognized reporting methodology to analyze and provide real-world analytics.
Let’s Get Started
Are you ready to get started? Renting a podcast studio near you couldn’t be easier. MediaTracks’ podcast studio is located near Chicago’s O’Hare airport, easily accessible from almost every major highway in the Chicago area.
In addition to podcast studio rental for your podcast production, we can help with an array of other audio products for your clients, including:
- Audio News Releases (ANRs)
- Radio Media Tours (RMTs)
- Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
- Custom Feed ANRs
- Spanish-Language ANRs
Call us to learn more about our podcast recording studio at 847-299-9500 or email us [email protected].
What are podcasts?
Podcasts are a relatively recent media phenomenon. Podcasts began as “audio blogging” during the 1980s. The introduction of the iPod propelled podcasts into mainstream media in 2001.
Podcasts are digitally-delivered audio content, featuring an endless array of topics, available anytime via multiple podcast platforms and on many devices. These custom-produced programs are designed to engage and influence a particular audience or demographic. Typically, podcasts are produced as a series and new episodes are released to subscribers weekly.
Subscribers download their favorite podcasts and listen via computer, tablet, smartphone or smart speaker. Podcasts most likely got their name from the iPod that propelled audio blogging into an “easy-to-consume” format that was broadly available. Ben Hammersley, a BBC journalist, is widely believed to have “invented” the word — PODCAST.
Podcasts provide an effective way to reach consumers in an engaging way. They are ideal for any type of programming from news and entertainment to educational and corporate communications. Because listeners subscribe, you reach an audience who has already expressed an interest in your messaging that may include products, services or technology.
Podcast listenership is growing at a rate of 20 percent per year. A significant reason for this is the declining use of PCs and tablets, as smartphones have replaced these devices. Add in the popularity and ease of use of the iTunes podcast platform, now known as Apple Podcasts, and it’s easy to understand why podcasts are gaining new listeners every day.
Podcast listeners are heavy consumers of radio as well. They are also more likely to be active social media consumers and tend to be more tech-savvy, as evidenced by their high likelihood of ownership of smart speakers, like Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Podcast advertising revenue is growing too. Ad revenue grew from $69 million in 2015 to $402 million in 2018. Experts predict 2020 podcast advertising revenue to reach $659 million — a whopping 1,000% increase in a mere five years!
