With year-end coming up quicker than ever, now’s the time to redefine your podcast marketing strategy for the year ahead.
To help you and your team create a data-driven podcast marketing strategy that will make your show stand above the noise, the team at CoHost compiled the essential podcast statistics all marketers need to know going into 2024.
Whether you’re already sold on podcasts as marketing tools or are still doing research, our roundup of podcast statistics can help you build your strategy, set KPIs, and provide an insightful look into the state of the industry.
Analytics and demographics
More people 54 and under are listening to podcasts than ever before
Age groups of podcast fans in America monthly:
12-34 years old: 55%
35- 54 years old: 51%
55+ years old: 21%
Why it matters: If you're looking to reach listeners between the ages of 12 to 54, you’re in luck. This year listenership in the two youngest age groups has increased by 5% and 8% respectively, growing your potential audience. 12-54 is a large range of ages though, so use your analytics to nail down your audience and create targeted content.
The sweet spot for downloads is 250-500 an episode
Why it matters: Don’t get caught up in the numbers. The average number of downloads for high-income (those earning $50,000+ a year from their podcast) podcasters was between 250-500 an episode.
41% of Americans have listened to a podcast on a monthly basis
Why it matters: Podcasts can reach a broad and diverse audience. However, don’t forget that you need to develop a target audience and niche! Trying to reach everyone means you’ll end up reaching no one.
73% of podcast listeners prefer listening on their smartphones
Why it matters: Podcasts are designed to be easily accessible and consumable on-the-go and avid listeners take advantage of it. That’s why it’s important to make your podcast available on all the listening apps and optimize your podcast landing page for mobile.
Most audiences listen to podcasts in the morning or midday
25% of podcast listeners tune into podcasts in the morning before 10 AM. Slightly more (26%) listen between 10 AM to 2 PM.
The least popular time to listen to podcasts is between 2 AM and 6 AM where only 3% of people tune in.
Why this matters: Knowing your audience and nailing your niche are two of the most important things that marketers can do. If your content is tailored to insomniacs, newborn parents, and those working overnights, publishing your episodes between 2 AM and 6 AM may yield favorable results. We recommend tracking your show’s peak listening times to cater your publishing times to your specific audience.
35% of women (18+) had listened to a podcast in the last month
Why it matters: This statistic is up 67% over the past five years. When podcasting first entered the scene, audiences tended to be primarily male. Now, the listenership has more or less evened out with only 7% more men listening to podcasts each month.
The top podcast listening platform is Apple Podcasts
According to Buzzsprout's October 2023 research, Apple Podcasts is the top listening app, closely followed by Spotify.
Why it matters: White Apple Podcasts and Spotify represent the majority of podcast listening, there are still about 30% of other listeners tuning in regularly on other podcast apps. That’s why your podcast must be available on all the major platforms.
49% of listeners prefer listening at home
Why it matters: Knowing where your audience listens can help you tailor your content to suit them best. When people listen at home, they’re often doing so while multitasking. This information can help you decide a variety of factors such as length and when to include CTAs (call to action)!
Most podcast listeners are decision-makers at their company
Why it matters: If you’re launching a B2B podcast, know that your listeners are most likely decision-makers at their company. This means that your content should be especially high-quality, valuable, and educational to cater to your audience’s increased expertise and expectations.
The majority of podcast listeners have a household income of $100,000+
Why it matters: Podcast listeners have the disposable income to spend on goods and services advertised on podcasts. This is yet another reason to invest in podcasting as a marketing strategy.
Podcast marketing and advertising
Nearly half of all podcast listeners have used a podcast to fall asleep and 54% of those listeners remembered an ad the next day
Why it matters: Podcast ads have a lasting impact on audiences — an impact that traditional marketing approaches often struggle to achieve. Even if listeners aren’t in the most “captive” state, ad messaging still shines through most of the time.
There are 2.5 million podcasts on Apple Podcasts, but only 450,000 are active
Why it matters: Inactive podcasts are classified as shows that have not released a new episode in 90 days or more, meaning that 82% of the shows on Apple Podcasts have technically “podfaded.” This means that while the podcast landscape appears to be more crowded than ever, in reality, many of these shows aren’t posting. This gives you and your brand a higher chance of being discovered as long as you stay consistent.
Podcasts lift brand awareness by 89%
Why it matters: Podcasts are marketing powerhouses. They enable brands to reach new audiences and increase their brand awareness and recognition by associating them with thought leadership and a well-produced product.
Audio ads outperform video for attention and brand recall
Why it matters: Podcast ads possess the potential to mesmerize listeners through compelling narratives, culminating in an authentic bond with a brand or product. Unlike traditional advertising or promotional methods, podcasts offer a more authentic and long-form platform for showcasing knowledge, experiences, and perspectives.
68% of listeners prefer host reads where it’s clear that the host uses the product or service
Why it matters: Listeners value the intimate and personal connection podcasts offer. Even if your show is affiliated with a brand or you’re launching podcast ads, maintaining a personal and authentic relationship with listeners is extremely important.
55% of podcast revenue comes from host-read ads; whereas, brand or agency-produced ads make up only 3%.
Why it matters: Even if you’re leveraging podcasts to make a profit, the less it feels like a sales pitch the better. Nurture the human connection that podcasts provide to tap into a trusted and loyal listener base.
Podcast revenue is forecasted to reach $4 billion by 2024
Why it matters: Advertisers are beginning to wake up to the power of podcasts as vehicles for reaching their target audiences. Whether your brand wants to create your podcast or advertise on them, now’s the time!
Podcast ad expenditure is expected to reach 2.5 billion dollars in 2024
Why it matters: With more listeners year over year, brands’ investment in podcasting reaches a record high. Partnerships and sponsorships have become a major part of the podcasting industry.
64% of listeners pay full attention to podcast ads
Why it matters: It can be hard to keep people’s attention and get them to listen to ads. Luckily with podcasts, people like to listen while multitasking, so often listen through ads, unlike YouTube where it's much easier to skip. Engagement actually increased when audiences were listening as a secondary activity!
60% of listeners have made a purchase based on a podcast ad – that’s a 5% increase from last year
Why it matters: Over half of listeners making a purchase is a great sign of a healthy ROI. Podcast listeners trust the hosts of their favorite shows, and take their recommendations seriously.
CoHost tip: If you’re interested in learning more about the effectiveness of podcast advertising and how you can leverage audio ads for your brand in 2024, check out our up-to-date guide.
Podcasts and brands
B2B podcast listeners are dedicated, with a significant percentage tuning in weekly
Why it matters: Alongside being decision-makers at their companies, B2B podcast listeners are very loyal, meaning that as long as you’re consistently producing content that they find relevant and valuable, you are guaranteed a captive listenership.
The top B2B podcast episode topics are content marketing (37%) and content distribution (25%)
Why it matters: When it comes to finding your niche, it’s important to compare your show to competitors in your industry to find what unique value you can provide and where you can differentiate your show to stand out from the noise.
Podcast listeners are nearly as likely to listen to a branded podcast as they are to a celebrity show
Why it matters: Podcast listeners do not feel negatively toward a brand’s involvement in a podcast. In fact, they feel quite the opposite. In other words, your brand’s involvement with a podcast will not dissuade listeners from checking out your show.
63% of branded podcasts use an interview/discussion format
Why it matters: Interviewing thought leaders in the industry can boost your brand's authority in the space, and be beneficial for both your brand and your guest. Not to mention this helps expand your professional networks.
85% of companies capture video for their podcasts
Why it matters: Video and podcasting may seem like natural opposites, but video is actually a great way to support your podcast. Not only can you re-purpose video content for other channels, but you also reach audiences who may prefer visual content over audio. Plus, 46% of podcast listeners say they prefer listening to podcasts with video.
65% of branded podcast showrunners share short video clips at least once per week
Why it matters: Short-form videos, either TikToks or YouTube Shorts, are becoming increasingly popular marketing methods. By capturing video when recording a podcast, brands give their marketing teams lots to work with when recycling the podcast into other mediums.
B2C brands had a 95% higher average number of reviews than B2B
Why it matters: It's common that B2C brands go after larger audiences, while B2B brands target more specific and niche audiences. When you’re in a highly specialized niche, it can be more challenging to bring in reviews because the target audience is smaller. However, both categories have average reviews above 4.5 on Apple Podcasts.
Branded podcasts are here to stay
As a marketer, you know how fluid and fast-paced content marketing can be. However- podcasts are here to stay. They are invaluable for increasing brand awareness, reaching new audiences, building trust and credibility, and becoming a thought leader in your industry.
There’s no time like the present for getting into the podcasting space, whether it's with a branded podcast or by advertising on topical shows.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to grow your show in 2024, reach out to the CoHost team!
Further podcast reports to explore
If you’re interested in other podcasting reports, check out our resources below:
- CoHost State of Branded Podcast Report 2022
- Edison Research the Infinite Dial Report 2022
- BBC Audio Activated Report
- CapSho State of Podcast Marketing Report
- Wistia State of Video Report
- The Future of Video Podcasting for Brands Report
- Podcast Advertising Benchmark Report
- Q1 2023 Podcasting Report
- Q2 2023 Podcasting Report
- Q3 2023 Podcasting Report
