24 Crucial Podcast Statistics to Show How Big It Is in 2023

Podcasts are a great way to take in new and exciting information. You can learn, grow, and laugh as you do other things. Listening to content is especially convenient if you’re on your way to work or while exercising. And there are so many amazing shows out there that anyone can find a podcast that intrigues them. 

The industry has been booming in recent years. So, here are some podcast stats you may find interesting if you’re into this popular content medium.

Fascinating Podcast Statistics

These fascinating podcast stats and facts prove that it’s a hot topic:

• 88.9 million people listened to podcasts in the U.S. in 2022, up from 82 million in 2021.
• There are 464.7 million podcast listeners worldwide in 2023.
• There are over 3 million podcasts, with over 1.9 million from the US.
• Among them, 316,426 are the last active podcasts in 2023.
• There were over 220,000 new podcasts in 2022, down from 1 million new podcasts in 2020.
• The average podcast has 141 downloads within the first month.
• The top 10% of podcasts have over 3400 downloads.
• U.S. Podcast advertising revenue reached $1.6 billion in 2022 and it's expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2024.
• The global podcast market size was estimated at $25.85 billion in 2023, up from $20.14 billion in 2022
• Spotify has the most popular podcast platform with a 43% market share.
• 50% of Americans aged 12 to 34 listen to podcasts every month.
• 57% of podcast listeners in the US are men, and 43% are women.
• In 2021, US consumers listened to roughly 15 billion hours of podcasts.
• When it comes to purchasing habits, 38% of listeners report buying the products or services mentioned in podcasts.

General Podcast Statistics

Here are some podcast listening stats to give you a general idea of the ways people are enjoying this new and exciting medium.

1. The number of podcast listeners is expected to reach 464.7 million in 2023, up from 424.2 million in 2022.

(Insider Intelligence)

383.7 million people listened to podcasts in 2021, and 332.2 million people in 2020.

Number of Podcast Listeners Worldwide (2019-2024)

2. 88.9 million people listened to podcasts in the US in 2022, up from 82.7 million in 2021.

(Statista)

There were 75.9 million podcast listeners in the United States in 2020, up 65% from 46.1 million in 2017.

Number of Podcast Listeners in the United States (2017-2024)

3. 50% of Americans 12-34 years old are listening to podcasts on monthly basis.

(Statista)

More than half of people aged 12 to 34 tune into podcasts every month, compared to 22% of people over 55. Given that podcasts are a relatively new form of broadcasting, these numbers are quite remarkable.

4. There are over 3.02 million podcasts in 2023.

(Listen Notes)

The number of new podcasts reached 220,926 in 2022 and 729,715 in 2021. The peak number of new podcasts was in 2020 at 1.02 million.

5. The Apple Podcast index contains 2.4 million shows.

(Startup Bonsai)

Podcast listening stats show that Apple has the industry’s largest directory, containing 2.4 million shows.

6. 94% of podcast listeners are doing other tasks while tuning in.

(Startup Bonsai)

Podcasts are great because you don’t have to just sit and listen. You can do other things and still enjoy your favorite shows. It turns out they’re quite useful in adding variety to mundane tasks like commuting or shopping.

7. The average podcast gets around 27 listens per episode.

(Riverside.FM)

This is the average number of listeners per podcast. However, the most popular podcasts get almost 3,200 per episode.

8. In 2021, US consumers listened to roughly 15 billion hours of podcasts.

(Semrush)

The number marks an increase of 3 billion listeners compared to 2019’s 12 billion.

9. The most popular podcast category is comedy.

(Statista)

22% of Americans tune into podcasts that fall under the comedy genre. People are looking for reasons to laugh, and that’s a convenient and easy way to do so.

Podcast Industry Statistics

You may be wondering what else is happening within the podcast industry. Check out some interesting facts that may surprise you.

10. Podcast advertising revenue in the US is expected to reach $4.2 billion in 2024, up from $1.6 billion in 2022.

(Statista)

Podcast ad revenue was estimated at $1.5 billion in 2021, up 72% from 2020.

11. Podcast market size was estimated at $20.14 billion in 2022 and grew with a CAGR of 28.4% by 2023.

(The Business Research Company)

The global podcasting market grew to $25.85 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $66.24 billion in 2027.

12. By 2028, podcasting will be a $94.88 billion industry.

(Insider Intelligence)

Predictions show that podcasting is here to stay and will continue to take over in terms of market share.

Podcast Market Share Statistics

Curious about what the podcast market research shows? Read on to find out:

13. Spotify has the most popular podcast platform with a 43% global market share.

(MIDiA research)

They are followed by Google and Apple Podcasts with market shares of 19% and 18% respectively.

14. 66% of consumers prefer podcasts over TV.

(First Site Guide)

Many people are using podcasts as a way to relax, get informed, or have a good laugh. People are no longer sitting around watching TV. In fact, 66% of consumers today prefer watching podcasts instead of TV.

Podcast Listener Demographics

Another interesting question to ask is who are the average podcast listeners.

15. 57% of podcast audiences in the US are male.

(Insider Intelligence)

43% of people listening to podcasts are women.

16. 42% of podcast listeners in the US are aged between 18 and 34 years.

(Insider Intelligence)

24% aged 35-44, 20% aged 45-54, and 14% aged 55+.

17. 72% of podcast listeners are White.

(Insider Intelligence)

The podcast's audience is 72% White, 13% Hispanic, 10% Black, 3% Asian, and 2% other ethnicities.

18. Over 66% of listeners have a college degree with an average annual household income of $75,000 or greater.

(Buzzsprout)

Over half of podcasts listeners have a bachelor’s degree or higher. This may come down to interest as well as access.

Podcast Growth Statistics

On-demand audio is increasing in popularity, which means even more podcast listeners in the future. Here are the latest podcast growth statistics.

19. Monthly podcast listening is growing the fastest among Americans aged 55+.

(Statista)

The older generations are taking to podcasting and are tuning in more and more. More than 25% of Americans aged 55+ listen to podcasts monthly.

20. Forecasts show that the number of monthly podcast listeners will increase to 160 million by 2023

(Buzzsprout)

The podcast industry statistics show that the number of listeners continues to grow, and the medium will become even more popular in the years to come.

21. As of April 2022, there are over 2,423,127 valid podcasts.

(Buzzsprout) 

It’s apparent that podcasts are in demand. In comparison, there were just over 850,000 active podcasts in 2021.

Average Podcast Download Statistics

These are some of the most interesting podcast download stats to know.

22. The average podcast gets about 141 downloads in the first 30 days.

(Income School)

The top 10% of podcasts get over 3,400 downloads per episode, the top 5% get over 9,000 downloads, and the top 1% get over 50,000 downloads.

23. The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast in terms of monthly podcast listeners.

(Buzzsprout, Wikipedia)

When it comes to podcast popularity, very few can rival the JRE. It gets a lot of attention and has a huge number of dedicated listeners. In 2019, Joe Rogan shared that the show gets close to 200 million downloads per month.

24. The average podcast length is 36 minutes.

(Story Ninety Four)

People want information, and they want it fast. Therefore, the average podcast length isn’t too long. 

Wrap Up

Here we are in 2022, and the podcast industry continues to grow and flourish – the podcast facts we shared with you prove it.

This relatively new medium provides an exciting way to learn new things and listen to your favorite hosts. If you wish to create your own show one day, the insights we shared with you could definitely prove useful. And if you need inspiration or ideas, just take the time to check out some of the most popular podcasts out there. There’s a ton to choose from, and you’ll get to see what the hype is all about.