Podcast stats marketers should know

Upfronts—including the IAB Podcast Upfront—are rapidly approaching. For marketers who might be considering investing in podcasts, now is a good time to brush up on some audience stats.

About half of US adults said they’ve listened to a podcast in the past year, according to a recent Pew Research Center study of more than 5,000 respondents. One in five said they listen at least a few times a week, a share that increases to about a third among adults under the age of 30.

Not your (grand)parents’ podcast: Younger US adults “are much more inclined than their elders to engage with podcasts,” according to Pew. About two-thirds (67%) of adults ages 18 to 29 said they’ve listened to a podcast in the past year.

On average, “younger adults also listen to more podcasts,” the research found: 63% of podcast listeners under the age of 50 said they’re currently listening to at least two shows, while 54% of listeners between 50 and 64 and 40% of listeners 65 and older said the same.

Podcast persuasion: Podcasts have the potential to move listeners to action—such as lifestyle changes and purchases—the report suggests.

• Three in five podcast listeners said they’ve read a book, watched a movie, or listened to music because of a podcast, and 36% said they’ve made (or tried) a lifestyle change, like a new diet.
• More than a quarter (28%) said they’ve bought something that was promoted or discussed on a pod.

The “why”: Many podcast listeners are in it for entertainment and background noise—but also to learn new things. Of the six possible reasons for listening to podcasts presented by Pew, the largest shares of listeners said they tuned in to learn (88%) or be entertained (87%).