The Podcast Industry

The podcast industry is experiencing turbo-charged growth as it becomes one of the most popular forms of media consumption.

There were over 4,105,000 podcasts registered globally in July 2023. Apple Podcasts continues to be the most popular platform, hosting almost 2,600,000 podcasts as of July 2023. That’s a 10% growth since September 2021, showcasing the post-pandemic boom of the podcast industry. In 2018, there were only 550,000 active podcasts in the iTunes library.

Roughly 20% of shows on Apple Podcasts are active, meaning they’ve released a new episode within the previous 90 days. There are currently almost 494,000 active podcasts on Apple Podcasts.

Data from Edison Research showed that on-demand audio, including podcasts, has overtaken linear audio, such as radio, with listening time. Weekly listenership continues to rise with podcasts remaining a largely untapped marketing tool and revenue stream for companies in every niche.

Over 40% of people have listened to a podcast in the last month – up 5% in the last year. This number remains relatively consistent as you break it down with over 30% listening to a podcast in the last week.

Podcasts present an opportunity to speak to your target demographic 1-to-1 at times when they wouldn’t usually be exposed to advertising. Almost 50% of people listen to podcasts while doing chores with 42% listening during their commute to work. Almost 30% of listeners engage with podcasts while working out.

Over 90% of podcasts are consumed through headphones with research by the University of California showing that headphone listening doubles the effectiveness of message reception. Podcasts are becoming an emerging space for sponsorship and advertising with research by Acast showing that 97% of listeners have a positive perception of brands advertised during podcast episodes.

Podcasts build trust, credibility, and authority with your target demographic.

Speak to Your Community

Podcasts offer a media form that enables you to add a narrative to your company story, promoting your core values and product or service. Branded podcasts can utilise long-form content to establish authority within their niche and build an engaged audience base within their target demographic.

Podcast listeners are actively engaged in your industry or feel connected to your brand story. Podcasting opens you up to a highly engaged audience that you can easily convert into customers and service users. You’ll be speaking directly to the community you want to build and listeners you can convert to customers.

Companies and service providers can reward podcast listeners with exclusive discounts and benefits, promoting these throughout your podcast episodes