Subscribe and listen on a major platform
As of 2025, there are over 4.52 million podcasts worldwide, with nearly 487,200 new shows launched in just the past three months.
In the U.S. alone, 55% of the population, around 158 million people, listen to podcasts every month. The global podcast industry is also on the rise, expected to reach $39.63 billion this year, up from $30.72 billion in 2024.
This article covers the latest Podcast statistics, including the number of podcast listeners, preferred podcast listening platforms, demographics of podcast listeners, podcast listening habits, and more.
Podcast Statistics 2025: Top Highlights
- As of May 2025, there are 4.52 million podcasts available worldwide.
- Around 584.1 million people across the globe listened to podcasts in 2025.
- In the U.S., about 158 million people tune into podcasts every month.
- One in three people in the U.S. listen to podcasts on YouTube, making it the most popular platform for podcasts.
- The global podcast market is estimated to be worth $39.63 billion in 2025.
- On average, podcast listeners spend about 7 hours per week listening to their favorite shows.
- About 86.1% of people prefer to listen to podcasts on their mobile phones.
- The average podcast episode usually lasts between 20 to 40 minutes.
How Many Podcasts Are There?
1. As of May 2025, there are 4.52 million podcasts worldwide.
487.2 K podcasts were published in the last 3 months, and 354.5K podcasts were published in the last 30 days.
Here is a table displaying the number of podcast shows published over a period of time as of May 2025.
| Time | Number of podcasts published |
|---|---|
| 3 days | 111,157 |
| 10 days | 245,905 |
| 30 days | 354,501 |
| 60 days | 431,538 |
| 90 days | 487,280 |
Source: Podcasting Index
How Many People Listen To Podcasts?
2. Approximately 584.1 million people worldwide listened to podcasts in 2025.
That’s a 6.83% rise from 2024, when there were about 546.7 million listeners.
Comparatively, just 506.9 million people worldwide listened to podcasts in 2023, and it’s expected to hit 651.7 million by 2027. That’s a total growth of 28.57% over five years.
Here is a table displaying the number of podcast listeners recorded worldwide by year:
| Year | Podcast Listeners Worldwide | % Increase from Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 506.9 million | — |
| 2024* | 546.7 million | 7.86% |
| 2025* | 584.1 million | 6.83% |
| 2026* | 619.2 million | 6.01% |
| 2027* | 651.7 million | 5.25% |
*Estimated Numbers
Source: eMarketer
Where Do People Listen To Podcasts?
About one in three people in the U.S. listen to podcasts on YouTube, making it the most popular platform.
Meanwhile, 26% of listeners prefer Spotify, and 14% choose Apple Podcasts to tune in. The remaining 27% use other platforms to enjoy their favorite shows.
The table below shows the most popular platforms for listening to podcasts in the United States.
| Platform | Share of U.S. Podcast Listeners |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 33% |
| Spotify | 26% |
| Apple Podcasts | 14% |
| Others | 27% |
Source: Edison Research
Podcast Listener Demographics
3. About 57% of men and 52% of women in the U.S. listen to podcasts.
While men make up a slightly larger share of the podcast audience, women are not far behind.
Source: Edison Research
4. In the U.S., 66% of people aged 12 to 34 listen to podcasts monthly.
61% of adults aged 35 to 54 also listen to podcasts monthly, while 38% of those aged 55 and older tune in regularly.
Here is a table displaying the distribution of monthly podcast listeners in the United States:
| Age Group | Share of Monthly Podcast Listeners in the U.S. |
|---|---|
| 12–34 years | 66% |
| 35–54 years | 61% |
| Over 55 years | 38% |
Source: Edison Research
5. 53% of the Democrats listen to the podcast, while 56% of the republicans listen.
This displays that podcasts are a go-to source of entertainment and information for people of all political backgrounds.
Source: Edison Research
Podcast Listeners In the United States
6. Approximately 158 million or 55% of the people in the United States listen to podcasts.
This is an 8 percentage point increase in the number of podcast listeners compared to the 47% of the monthly podcast listeners recorded in the United States in 2024.
Here is a table displaying the percentage of the population in the United States over 12 years that listened to podcasts every month:
| Year | Percentage of Monthly Podcast Listeners |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 55% |
| 2024 | 47% |
| 2023 | 42% |
| 2022 | 38% |
| 2021 | 41% |
| 2020 | 37% |
| 2019 | 32% |
| 2018 | 26% |
| 2017 | 24% |
| 2016 | 21% |
| 2015 | 17% |
| 2014 | 15% |
| 2013 | 12% |
| 2012 | 14% |
| 2011 | 12% |
| 2010 | 12% |
| 2009 | 11% |
| 2008 | 9% |
Source: Edison Research
7. An estimated 115 million or 40% of the adults in the United States listen to podcasts weekly.
That is a 6 percentage point increase from 34% of the weekly podcast listeners recorded in 2024.
Here is a table displaying the share of weekly podcast listeners recorded over the years in the United States:
| Year | Percentage of Weekly Podcast Listeners |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 40% |
| 2024 | 34% |
| 2023 | 31% |
| 2022 | 26% |
| 2021 | 28% |
| 2020 | 24% |
| 2019 | 22% |
| 2018 | 17% |
| 2017 | 15% |
| 2016 | 13% |
| 2015 | 10% |
| 2014 | 8% |
| 2013 | 7% |
Source: Edison Research
8. About 85% of people in the United States, roughly 245 million Americans, are familiar with podcasting.
This marks a 1 percentage point increase from the previous 84% awareness level.
Here is a table displaying further details about the awareness of podcasts recorded among Americans over the years.
| Year | Percentage of the population in the United States aware of podcasts |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 85% |
| 2024 | 84% |
| 2023 | 83% |
| 2022 | 79% |
| 2021 | 78% |
| 2020 | 75% |
| 2019 | 70% |
| 2018 | 64% |
| 2017 | 60% |
| 2016 | 55% |
| 2015 | 49% |
| 2014 | 48% |
| 2013 | 46% |
| 2012 | 46% |
Source: Edison Report
Podcast Listener By Country
9. 68% of the people in South Africa listen to podcasts for over one hour every week.
This places South Africa as having the highest percentage of adults listening to podcasts weekly. Saudi Arabia follows in second with 59% of weekly podcast listeners, while Indonesia ranks third with 57%.
Below is a table showing the share of adults who listen to podcasts for more than one hour each week by country:
| Country | Podcast Listening (1 h+ per week) |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 68% |
| Saudi Arabia | 59% |
| Indonesia | 57% |
| Thailand | 52% |
| Brazil | 44% |
| Spain | 41% |
| USA | 39% |
| China | 38% |
| Ireland | 37% |
| Poland | 36% |
| Italy | 31% |
| Canada | 31% |
| Germany | 27% |
| Netherlands | 24% |
| Japan | 10% |
Source: YouGov
10. In 2024, 43.8% of internet users in the North American Region are estimated to listen to Podcasts.
This share is expected to increase to 46.3% by 2026.
At the same time, 30.9% of internet users in Western Europe are more likely to listen to a podcast in 2024.
Conversely, just 12.9% of internet users in China are estimated to listen to podcasts in 2024.
Here is a table displaying the penetration of podcasts among internet users in different regions worldwide.
| World Region | 2024* | 2025* | 2026* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 43.80% | 45.20% | 46.30% |
| Western Europe | 30.90% | 31.90% | 32.80% |
| Latin America | 30.30% | 31.40% | 32.40% |
| South Korea | 15.20% | 15.90% | 16.50% |
| Japan | 14.80% | 15.40% | 16.00% |
| China | 12.90% | 14.60% | 16.60% |
*-Estimated Values
Source: Statista
Podcast Market Size
11. The global podcasting market is estimated to have reached $39.63 billion in 2025.
In comparison, the market valuation stood at $30.72 billion in 2024. Forecasts indicate significant growth, with projections estimating it will reach $131.13 billion by 2030. This reflects an impressive average annual growth rate of 27% from 2025 to 2030.
This rise in the podcast market is due to the surge in global media consumption and smart personal audio devices. With features like uninterrupted access to full audio content and advancements such as spatial audio technology, the listening experience is getting better than ever.
Source: Grand View Research
Podcast Listener Behaviour
12. On average, podcast listeners spend around 7 hours per week listening to podcasts on their favorite podcast app.
80% of podcast listeners usually spend over 7 hours in a week listening to podcasts, which accounts for around an hour per day.
Meanwhile, 22.4% of the listeners spend 22 hours or more per week listening to the podcasts.
Source: CoxNext
13. 38% of the people listen to podcasts while driving.
That is a 6% points increase compared to 32% of the people who listened to podcasts while driving.
Podcasts are the third most popular audio choice in cars, and people prefer them just after AM/FM radio and personal digital media.
Many prefer to listen to a podcast while commuting or packing for their next trip.
Source: Podcastle.
14. 86.1% of people worldwide prefer to listen to podcasts on mobile.
Meanwhile, 8.6% of the people prefer to listen to podcasts on a computer, and 0.7% prefer to listen to podcasts on a smart speaker.
The following table displays the devices that people prefer to listen to podcasts:
| Device Types | Percentage of people |
|---|---|
| Mobile | 86.1% |
| Computer | 8.6% |
| Unknown | 4.1% |
| Smart Speaker | 0.7% |
| Smart TV | 0.4% |
| Watch | 0.0% |
Source: Buzzsprout.
15. 64% of people consider podcast hosts more trustworthy than other influencers.
Comparatively, 48% of the people in the United Kingdom trust podcast hosts to be more trustworthy than traditional media hosts.
Source: Media Bodies.
16. 51% of marketers have already adopted podcasts in their marketing strategy.
Additionally, 53% of the marketers stated that podcasts are the most effective format for marketing.
Source: Hubspot.
17. 62.1% of adults listen to podcasts from Apple iPhones.
Conversely, 22.8% of people listen to podcasts on an Android phone, and 6.8% prefer to listen to podcasts on a Windows computer.
Additionally, just 1% of the people listen to podcasts on the Apple iPad.
The following table displays the top devices that are used to listen to podcasts:
| Devices used to listen to podcasts | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Apple iPhone | 62.1% |
| Android Phone | 22.8% |
| Windows Computer | 6.8% |
| Apple Computer | 1.6% |
| Apple iPad | 1.0% |
| Amazon Smart Speaker | 0.6% |
| Android Tablet | 0.2% |
| Google Chromebook | 0.1% |
Source: Buzzsprout.
Podcast Download Statistics
18. Every month, 103.3 million podcasts are downloaded worldwide.
According to the latest data by Buzz Sprout, 103.31 million monthly podcast downloads were recorded as of July 2024.
Besides, the top 1% of podcasts are downloaded 4,824 times on average in the first seven days, while the top 5% of the podcasts are downloaded 1,101 times in the first seven days.
The following table displays the number of podcast downloads recorded in the first seven days by the podcast performance.
| Podcast Performance | Average number of downloads in first 7 days |
|---|---|
| Top 1% of podcasts | 4,824 |
| Top 5% | 1,101 |
| Top 10% | 471 |
| Top 25% | 114 |
| Top 50% (Median podcast) | 30 |
Source: Buzzsprout.
19. 70.8% of the podcast download requests are recorded on Apple Podcasts.
Apple Podcasts has recorded the majority of podcast downloads.
Spotify follows Apple podcasts in terms of downloads. Still, there’s a huge difference recorded in the download rates of Spotify and Apple, with just 8.9% of the podcasts being downloaded on Spotify.
Meanwhile, 3% of the podcasts are downloaded on iHeartRadio.
The following table details the percentage of podcast downloads recorded on different platforms worldwide.
| Platform | Percentage of Podcast Downloads |
|---|---|
| Apple | 70.8% |
| Spotify | 8.9% |
| iHeartRadio | 3.0% |
| Alexa | 2.3% |
| Overcast | 1.6% |
| Stitcher | 1.3% |
| Amazon Music | 1.2% |
| Google Podcasts | 1.2% |
| Podcast Addict | 1.1% |
| Castbox | 1.0% |
| Chrome | 1.0% |
| Pocket Casts | 0.9% |
| Other | 5.9% |
Source: Backlinko.
Podcast Duration Statistics
20. Nearly one-third of the podcasts have a length of 20 to 40 minutes.
Conversely, just 15% of the podcasts have an episode that lasts 10 to 20 minutes.
Besides, just 16% of the podcasts are over 60 minutes long, and another 16% are less than 10 minutes long.
The following table displays the share of podcasts with different durations.
| Duration of podcasts | Percentage of podcasts |
|---|---|
| Less than 10 minutes | 16% |
| 10 to 20 minutes | 15% |
| 20 to 40 minutes | 32% |
| 40 to 60 minutes | 22% |
| Over 60 minutes | 16% |
Source: Buzzsprout.
Podcast Episode Publishing Frequency
21. Nearly 1 in 4 podcast episodes are published every 8 to 14 days.
On the other hand, just 1% of the podcast episodes are published every 30 days or more.
Besides, around one-third of the podcast episodes are published every 3 to 7 days, and 1 in 2 podcast episodes are published every 15 to 29 days.
The following table displays the frequency at which the podcasts are published.
| Publishing frequency | Percentage of episodes published |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 days | 6% |
| 3 to 7 days | 34% |
| 8 to 14 days | 39% |
| 15 to 29 days | 19% |
| Over 30 days | 1% |
Source: Buzzsprout.
Video Podcast Statistics
22. 46% of podcast listeners in the United States stated that they prefer to watch podcasts.
Comparatively, 42% of podcast listeners preferred to listen to podcasts.
Hence, around 17% of podcast hosts prefer recording podcast episodes in audio and video formats.
Source: WARC, Morning Consult, Backlinko.
23. Approximately 32% of all podcast listeners on all the platforms prefer listening to video podcasts compared to 26% of people who prefer listening to audio podcasts.
51% of the listeners enjoy physical expressions and the reactions of the hosts as well as the guests. Meanwhile, 50% of video podcast listeners stated that video podcasts help them focus.
As a result, video podcasts have gained more popularity compared to audio podcasts.
Source: WARC, Morning Consult
Podcast Advertising Statistics
24. 69% of the podcast listeners stated that they were introduced to new products through podcast advertisements.
Besides, 81% of podcast listeners stated that they pay more attention to podcast ads compared to radio, TV commercials, billboards, and other digital ads on social media.
As a result, Two-thirds of the podcast listeners stated that they had researched a product or a service or even made a purchase after coming across it on a podcast episode.
Source: Magellan AI, Buzzsprout.
25. On average, digital marketers in the United States allocate 3.8% of their budget to podcasts.
That is the third lowest share allotted by digital marketers. The highest share of the budget is allocated to digital video, accounting for 22.6% of the total budget.
The following table displays the share of the budget allotted by digital markets in the United States for different digital marketing channels.
| Digital Marketing Channel | Share of Budget |
|---|---|
| Digital video | 22.6% |
| Paid search (SEM) | 15.5% |
| Social media | 15.3% |
| Digital display | 12.6% |
| Digital out-of-home (DOOH) | 3.8% |
| Podcasts | 3.8% |
| Digital audio*** | 3.6% |
| Gaming | 1.3% |
Source: Statista
26 Podcast advertising spending in the United States is estimated to reach $2.16 billion in 2025.
Comparatively, podcast advertising spending in the United States in 2023 was $1.93 billion. That shows podcast advertising spending in the United States is expected to grow by 11.92% in 2025.
Further, by the end of 2026, podcast advertising spending in the country is projected to reach $2.56 billion.
The following table displays the podcast advertising spending in the United States over the years.
| Year | Podcast advertising spending in the United States |
|---|---|
| 2026* | $2.56 billion |
| 2025* | $2.38 billion |
| 2024* | $2.16 billion |
| 2023 | $1.93 billion |
| 2022 | $1.83 billion |
| 2021 | $1.45 billion |
| 2020 | $0.84 billion |
27. The podcast advertising market revenue worldwide is estimated to grow by 16.0% in 2025, reaching $4.02 billion.
Further, the podcast advertising market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.76% between 2024 and 2027 and is expected to reach $5.03 billion by 2027.
This increase in the podcast advertising market is estimated to be due to the rapid increase in podcast listeners worldwide. The average revenue per user in the podcast advertising market is estimated to be $8.69 in 2024.
The following table displays the podcast advertising market revenue over the years:
| Year | Podcast advertising market revenue | Revenue growth rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2027* | 5.03 billion | 5.0% |
| 2026* | 4.79 billion | 7.4% |
| 2025* | 4.46 billion | 11.0% |
| 2024* | 4.02 billion | 16.0% |
| 2023 | 3.46 billion | 23.2% |
| 2022 | 2.81 billion | 30.6 |
| 2021 | 2.15 billion | 45.0 |
| 2020 | 1.49 billion | 39.0 |
| 2019 | 1.07 billion | 45.8 |
| 2018 | 0.73 billion | 35.9 |
| 2017 | 0.54 billion | – |
Source: Statista
Integration of AI In Podcasting
28. Approximately 40% of podcasters utilize AI tools to enhance their podcasts.
AI adoption can be seen majorly in areas such as episode transcription and personalized content generation. AI helps streamline the podcast production process and provides listeners with a tailored experience.
Source: LinkedIn.
29. The global AI in podcasting market is expected to reach $2.82 billion in 2024.
Comparatively, in 2023, the global AI in podcasting market was valued at $2.2 billion.
Further, the market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 28.3% between the forecast period of 2024 and 2033, reaching $26.6 billion.
The following table displays the AI in podcast market value worldwide over the years.
| Year | Global AI in Podcasting Market |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $2.2 billion |
| 2024 | $2.82 billion |
| 2025 | $3.62 billion |
| 2026 | $4.64 billion |
| 2027 | $5.96 billion |
| 2028 | $7.65 billion |
| 2029 | $9.81 billion |
| 2030 | $12.59 billion |
| 2031 | $16.16 billion |
| 2032 | $20.73 billion |
| 2033 | $26.6 billion |
Source: LinkedIn.
Additional Stats on Adoption of AI in Podcasts:
- Podcast listenership has grown by 45% due to personalized AI-driven recommendations.
- 50% increase is observed in podcast ad targeting accuracy due to AI.
- The AI in Podcast industry is anticipated to grow at an annual rate of 25%
- 15% of the podcast producers use AI-generated content.
- 20% of the reduction is recorded in the podcast production costs due to the adoption of AI.
- AI is used to create 10% of the new podcast episodes.
Source: Gitnux
Popular Podcast Genres
Comedy is the most popular podcast genre with 30% of the hours spent listening to it.
Meanwhile, society and culture is the second most popular genre with 18% of the listening time.
The third genre most popular among the podcast listeners is Lifestyle and Health with 15% of the listening time.
Here is a table displaying the most popular podcast genre worldwide:
| Podcast Genre | Share of Listening Hours |
|---|---|
| Comedy | 30% |
| Society and Culture | 18% |
| Lifestyle and Health | 15% |
| True crime | 10% |
| Educational | 7% |
Source: Statista
Comedy is the most preferred podcast genre in the United States.
The second most preferred podcast in the country is news podcasts, and the third most preferred podcast is society and culture podcasts.
Meanwhile, True Crime and Fiction podcasts have the highest completion rate.
Here are further details about the most popular podcast genres in the United States:
- Comedy
- News
- Society and Culture
- True Crime
- Sports
- Business
- Education
- Health and Fitness
- TV and Film
- Religion and Spirituality
- Arts
- History
- Music
- Science
- Leisure
Source: Edison Research.
30. Comedy is the most popular podcast in the United Kingdom, with 30% of the country’s podcast listeners preferring it.
Meanwhile, 25% of the podcast listeners preferred entertainment podcasts, and 23% preferred sports podcasts.
Other most preferred podcast genres in the country are True Crime, News, and Health and Fitness.
Here is a table displaying further details about the most preferred podcast genres in the United Kingdom.
| Podcast Genre | Percentage of Podcast Listeners |
|---|---|
| Comedy | 30% |
| Entertainment | 25% |
| Sport | 23% |
| True Crime | 19% |
| News | 18% |
| Health and Fitness | 16% |
| Politics | 15% |
| Personal development | 14% |
| Pop culture | 14% |
| Drama | 12% |
Source: Vodafone
Popular Podcasting Channels
31. The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast worldwide.
The Joe Rogan Experience is hosted by UFC commentator and comedian Joe Rogan. New episodes are added every week, and the podcast features conversations with guests from different industries.
On average, the podcast has 11 million listeners per episode. It is also the longest-running podcast worldwide, with over 2100 episodes.
Source: JRE Library
32. Spotify has over 7 million podcast titles and 300,000 video podcasts.
In addition, users have access to around 350,000 audiobooks, making it a go-to platform for audio content of all kinds.
33. Apple Podcast hosts 2.7 million podcasts as of 2025.
That is up by 13.5% compared to 2.33 million podcasts hosted on Apple Podcasts as of September 2021.
Besides, there are 95.39 million episodes on Apple Podcasts as of January 2025.
Source: The podcast host
Conclusion: 584.1 Million People Worldwide Listen To Podcasts
With 584.1 million global listeners and over 4.52 million podcasts available as of 2025, the podcast industry shows no signs of slowing down.
In the United States alone, around 158 million people, or 55% of the population, listen to podcasts, with YouTube being the most preferred platform to tune in.
On average, podcast fans spend about 7 hours per week listening to episodes, with each episode typically lasting 20 to 40 minutes.