Source: MRI Simmons
MRI Simmons provides audience insights in a report published in August 2021.
About the study:
- Data for this survey was collected online between July 14 and July 30, 2021.
- Two thousand seven hundred fifty-eight adults over age 18 were surveyed.
- Final data was sample balanced and fused to the MRI-Simmons USA Study for deeper profiling.
It’s no secret that podcasts continue to grow in popularity. Here are some interesting stats for you to share at your next water-cooler moment or meeting.
How many people are listening to podcasts?
- Twenty-six percent of Americans listened to a podcast in the last 30 days.
- Twenty-three percent listened to a podcast in the previous seven days.
How much are they listening?
- A typical listener averages four programs or five hours of listening time a week.
- Heavy listeners spend 11 hours a week listening to podcasts.
- Fifty-three percent of listeners are listening to 1-2 programs a week.
Who is listening to your podcast?
- Podcast listeners are primarily young (median age of 34), male (65 percent), single, educated (52 percent with a bachelor’s degree) and affluent (median income $119K).
- Podcast listeners are “artistic in their leisure activities.”
- Listeners are heavy internet (34 hours weekly average), social media (16 hours weekly average) and radio users (17 hours weekly average).
- While tv is not the heaviest medium used when podcast listeners use it, they are watching comedy, news, sports on Comedy Central, BBC America, VICE and Bloomberg.
- Podcast listeners stream video without ads on Netflix (82 percent), YouTube (71 percent), Prime Video (63 percent) and more.
How long are listeners listening?
- Eighty-seven percent listen to podcasts in their entirety.
- Seventy-two percent feel close to podcast hosts.
- Seventy-one percent discuss what they hear on the podcasts.
- Sixty-seven percent consider podcasts a part of their daily routine.
Do you advertise on podcasts?
- Sixty-six percent of listeners feel that ads should provide helpful, practical information–particularly about new products and services.
- Sixty-four percent listen to ads no matter the category if they like a podcast.
- Fifty-six percent will likely buy products and services from companies that sell on podcasts.
What are popular topics on podcasts (in order of popularity)?
- Comedy (38%)
- News and current events (32%)
- Music (29%)
- Crime/True Crime (27%)
- Sports (25%)
- Entertainment and pop culture (25%)
- Health/Fitness (24%)
- Politics (22%)
- Business and finance (20%)
- Talk (18%)
- History (17%)
Top podcast programs, listened to the last seven days:
- The Joe Rogan Experience
- The Breakfast Club
- Dateline
- Crime Junkie
- TED Radio Hour
- NPR News Now
- The Ben Shapiro Show
- The Daily Show
- ESPN Daily
- The NPR Politics Podcast
- 30 for 30
To learn more about the Podcast Study, email info.ms.@mrisimmons.com.
