Attracting over 249.2 million listeners, the podcast industry is booming in the United States.
With over 5 million podcast titles and 504.9 Million people listening to podcasts globally, the podcast industry is set to make $34.89 Billion In 2024
In this article, I have compiled some of the most significant statistics about top podcasts, listeners, and platforms where podcasts are listened to.
Podcast Statistics Top Picks (2024)
- There are over 5 million podcasts globally.
- More than 150 million podcast episodes are there in total.
- The number of Global Podcast Listeners Is Set To Reach 504.9 million in 2024
- There are over 249.42 million podcast listeners in the US
- Podcasts in English account for 60.38% of all podcasts
- Americans aged 12 to 34 listen to a podcast every month.
- Spotify leads the podcast streaming platforms with over 33% share
- Sweden (47%) has the largest share of podcast listeners globally
- The Global Podcasting Market is expected to reach $34.89 billion in 2024
- The United States podcast industry revenue is forecast to reach $3 billion in 2024
Number of Podcasts
Podcasts have gained popularity and become a norm since the pandemic. People have adopted the long form of content and are listening to it very fondly.
1 . There Are Over 5 Million Podcasts Globally
With only around 570,000 podcasts in 2020, the podcast industry has grown immensely over the past few years.
Globally, more than 5 million podcasts are available to listen to in 2024, out of which 3.01 million are considered active.
New podcasts are released every day, and more than 4 million podcast episodes are updated.
Source: Podcastindex, Spotify
2. There Are More Than 150 Million Podcast Episodes
44% of podcasts have less than three episodes, and there are around 720k podcasts with more than 10 episodes.
With an average of 50 episodes per podcast, the number of episodes will add up to 150 million as of 2024.
These numbers have risen over the years, and hundreds of new podcast episodes are launched every day, talking about various topics from the environment to politics.
Source: AmplifiMedia, PodcastIndustryInsights
3. Podcasts In English Language Account For 60.38% Of All Podcast
Podcasts have become more diverse and are now available in more than 100 languages.
Most podcasts loved by the listener are in English and account for more than 60% share of all podcasts.
Spanish is the second most popular podcast language, with an 11.43% share.
Around 1.3 million podcasts are in English, and 220k are in Spanish.
Here is a table showing the distribution of podcasts by language:
| Rank | Language | Percentage |
| 1 | English | 60.38% |
| 2 | Spanish | 11.73% |
| 3 | Portuguese | 6.94% |
| 4 | Indonesian | 4.79% |
| 5 | German | 2.67% |
| 6 | French | 2.03% |
| 7 | Chinese | 1.7% |
| 8 | Italian | 1.01% |
| 9 | Japanese | 0.99% |
| 10 | Hindi | 0.9% |
Source: PodcastInsights
4. Comedy And Society & Culture Are The Most Popular Podcast Genres
A study on 11,675 podcast listeners concluded that the comedy or society and culture podcast genre was top among the listeners.
Here are the top podcast genres liked by listeners:
| Ranking | Genre |
| 1 | Comedy |
| 2 | Society and culture |
| 3 | News |
| 4 | True Crime |
| 5 | Sports |
Source: EdisonResearch
How Many People Listen To Podcasts?
Podcasts are listened to by the audience to feed their hunger for stories and shared experiences.
The ability of podcasts to deliver personalized knowledge and entertainment on the go has attracted millions of listeners worldwide.
5. There Are Over 249.42 Million Podcast Listeners In The US
The number of podcast listeners in the United States has grown steadily over the past few years.
More than 249.42 million Americans listen to podcasts in 2024, a 1.65 million increase from last year.
Further, the number of podcast listeners in the United States is set to reach 254.35 million by 2027.
Here is a table showing US podcast listeners over the years:
| Year | Number of Listeners |
| 2027* | 254.35 million |
| 2026* | 252.79 million |
| 2025* | 251.12 million |
| 2024* | 249.42 million |
| 2023 | 247.77 million |
| 2022 | 244.69 million |
| 2021 | 237.57 million |
| 2020 | 236.91 million |
Source: Statista
6. The Number Of Global Podcast Listeners Is Set To Reach 504.9 Million In 2024
Global podcast listeners increased by 20.9% between 2019 and 2020, and the number of podcast listeners has been increasing since.
In 2023, the number of global podcast listeners was around 464.7 million.
Considering the rapid growth and likeness of podcasts, the number of listeners is expected to cross 504.9 million in 2024.
Here is a table showing the number of global podcast listeners over the years:
| Year | Global podcast listeners |
| 2024* | 504.9 million |
| 2023 | 464.7 million |
| 2022 | 424.2 million |
| 2021 | 383.7 million |
| 2020 | 332.2 million |
| 2019 | 274.8 million |
Source: InsiderIntelligence
7. Americans Aged 12 To 34 Majorly Listen To A Podcast Monthly
Podcasts are mostly popular among teenagers and young people in the United States.
A survey conducted by Statista in 2022 concluded that 50 % of the people surveyed aged 12 to 34 had listened to a podcast in the previous month. 43% of respondents aged 35-54 listened to a podcast in the last month.
The proportion of those who have listened to a podcast in the previous month nearly doubled between 2017 and 2021.
Source: Statista
8. In 2023, 46% Of Men And 39% Of Women Listened To A Podcast In The US
Podcast creators are working toward making the content suitable and enjoyable for both men and women.
In 2022, 41% of men and 36% of women in the US had listened to a podcast in a month.
The percentage share increase has motivated the creators to make more engaging content for both genders.
9. Sweden, With 47%, Has The Largest Share Of Podcast Listeners
Statista surveyed 54 countries with 1,000 to 5,700 respondents per country and found that the majority of podcast listeners were from the country of Sweden.
Sweden had a 47% share of the podcast listeners, and the following were Ireland and Brazil, where 40% of the people listened to a podcast at some point.
Meanwhile, the United States and the United Kingdom had 34% and 31% share of podcast listeners, respectively.
Source: Statista
| Country | Percentage of podcast listeners |
| Sweden | 47% |
| Ireland | More than 40% |
| Brazil | More than 40% |
| United States | 34% |
| United Kingdom | 31% |
| Canada | 30-39% |
| Australia | 30-39% |
| Russia | 20-29% |
| India | 20-29% |
| China | 19% |
| Japan | 5% |
Source: Statista
Podcasting Platforms Statistics
Since the outburst of podcasts and the audience’s positive response, a new race of hosting and publishing podcasts has begun.
Many music-streaming companies capitalized on the opportunity, and several acquisitions were made along the way.
10. Spotify Leads The Podcast Streaming Platforms With Over 33% Share
With hosting some of the most popular podcasts and providing a platform for podcasters, Spotify has played an integral role in the growth of podcasting.
Spotify has around 33.7% share and is leading the race of podcast streaming platforms globally.
Apple podcast, with a share of 27.6%, is second.
Here is a table showing streaming platforms share in podcast streaming:
| Platform | Percent share |
| Spotify | 33.7% |
| Apple podcasts | 27.6% |
| iHeartRadio | 6.2% |
| Google Podcasts | 3.6% |
| Amazon Music | 2.7% |
| Others | 26.2% |
Source:
11. iHeartpodcasts, With 377.24 Million Streams, Was The Leading Podcast Streaming Platform In June 2023
Many new companies are being started in the music streaming industry.
According to Statista, iHeartPodcast was the leading podcast streaming with respect to unique streams and downloads.
The platform had over 377.24 million unique podcast streams and downloads in June 2023.
Wondery was second with around 176.23 million streams.
Here is a table showing leading podcast publishers by unique streams and downloads in June 2023:
| Platform | Unique streams and downloads |
| iHeartPodcasts | 377.24 million |
| Wondery | 176.23 million |
| NPR | 162.04 million |
| New York Times | 111.71 million |
| Daily Wire | 79.94 million |
| PRX | 52.45 million |
Source: Statista
12. Spotify Spent $600 Million On Podcast-Related Acquisitions
Having over 5 million podcast titles, Spotify is one of the key players in the podcasting industry.
Spotify acquired The Ringer in Feb 2020 for $196 million.
The music streaming giant has strategically acquired podcast-related companies to grow its hold on the podcasting domain.
Here is a table showing Spotify’s podcast-related acquisitions :
| Company | Year of acquisition | Price |
| The Ringer | 2020 | $196 million |
| Parcast | 2019 | $55 million |
| Gimlet Media | 2019 | $195 million |
| Anchor FM | 2019 | $154 million |
Source: Statista
Podcast Financial Statistics
In today’s time, when short videos prevail, making long-format content is a big challenge.
Since podcasts are usually more than an hour long, there are more instances of playing ads throughout the podcast.
13. The Global Podcasting Market Is Expected To Reach $34.89 Billion In 2024
The global podcasting market was valued at $21.4 billion in 2022.
Growing at a CAGR of 27.8%, the podcasting market is set to reach $34.89 billion in 2024 and will reach $133.9 billion in 2032.
Here is a table showing the global podcasting market’s expected growth in coming years:
| Year | Podcasting Market Value |
| 2023 | $27.31 billion |
| 2024 | $34.89 billion |
| 2025 | $44.63 billion |
| 2026 | $57.23 billion |
| 2032 | $133.9 billion |
Source: Market.US
14. Earning 30 Million In 2019, “The Joe Rogan Experience” Is The Highest-Earning Podcast
Castos reported that “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, which has been running for 14 years, earns $800,000 per episode on average.
According to Edison Metrics, “The Joe Rogan Experience” was the most listened-to podcast in the third and fourth quarters of 2022.
Combining the YouTube and Spotify earnings, the JRE made around $30 million in 2019.
Here is the table with the highest-earning podcasts:
| Podcast | Earnings |
| The Joe Rogan Experience | $30 million |
| My Favorite Murder | $15 million |
| The Day Ramsey Show | $10 million |
| Armchair Expert | $9 million |
| The Bill Simmons Podcast | $7 million |
Source: Statista
15. The Global Podcast Advertising Revenue Is Set To Reach $4.02 Billion By 2024
Podcasts are long-form media where ads can be run efficiently to generate revenue.
Due to increasing popularity and listenership, the global podcast advertising revenue is expected to reach around $4.02 billion in 2024.
The revenue is bound to grow at a CAGR of 6.95% between 2024 and 2028, reaching projected market volume of $5.26 billion by 2028.
Source: Statista
16. The United States Podcast Industry Revenue Is Forecast To Reach The $3 Billion Mark In 2024
The revenue generation of the podcast industry reflects the popularity of podcasts in the United States.
Considering the fact that the total ad revenue was just $105.7 million in 2015, it has grown substantially in the past years, reaching $3 billion in 2024.
Growing at an average annual growth rate of 45.3% from 2015 to 2025, the podcast ad revenue is set to reach $4 billion by 2025.
Source: Oberlo
Other Significant Podcast Statistics
17. AI-powered podcasting will be worth $3 billion in 2024.
18. More than 80% of podcast listeners spend more than 7 hours per week listening to their favorite podcasts.
19. Around 32% of the podcast episodes lasts between 20 and 40 minutes.
20. 59% of listeners listened to podcasts while doing chores.
21. 79% of podcast listeners tune in to podcasts via their mobile devices.
22. Only 17% of podcasters make video clips and recordings of their episodes.
23. Apple Podcasts has more than 2.55 million podcasts in 2023.
24. 32% of male listeners tune into the podcast during their workouts or sports activities.
25. 38% of adult podcast listeners have listened to podcasts while driving.
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