Chapter 1: The Evolution of Podcasting

In March 2021, Edison Research and Triton Digital unveiled the latest edition of The Infinite Dial, a long-standing examination of consumer media behaviors. This annual report garners significant attention from the podcasting sector, and I take great pride in having contributed to this journey since the inception of podcasting. These statistics play a crucial role in countless business strategies, presentations, and media kits, and we invest considerable resources to ensure their precision and dependability.

The past year has presented unique challenges for media consumption. It began like any typical year until the sudden illness of public figures like Tom Hanks and Rudy Gobert led to an abrupt global shutdown. Our continuous tracking, through initiatives like the Podcast Consumer Tracker and Share of Ear®, revealed a marked decline in audio consumption as many individuals ceased commuting and turned their attention to shows like Tiger King. Particularly, podcast listening experienced a dip in the early stages of the pandemic. Despite having more time at home, which is usually ideal for podcast consumption, many found themselves juggling home offices, childcare, and schooling, effectively erasing their personal listening time.

Fortunately, this phase was short-lived. Although normalcy has yet to fully return, opportunities for podcast listening gradually reemerged. We began taking longer walks, utilizing smart speakers more frequently, and even enjoying podcasts with others. By the fall of 2020, not only had the initial drops in podcast listening been reversed, but the average weekly consumption had increased by half an hour compared to pre-pandemic times.

We conduct the Infinite Dial research every January, avoiding the distractions of the holiday season but early enough to establish a valid annual benchmark. The meticulous process of gathering, verifying, and contextualizing the data we collect helps us generate reliable estimates of the podcast audience. I am pleased to note that these estimates have contributed to the growth of a robust podcast industry and the ecosystem supporting creators whose works have entertained me for over 15 years.

As we reflect on the impressive data from the Infinite Dial 2021, consider that 57% of Americans aged 12 and older have listened to a podcast at some point, equating to around 162 million people.

This figure is substantial enough to rank as the ninth-largest country globally, or, amusingly, equivalent to the number of dollars Dak Prescott received from the Dallas Cowboys. Kudos to both the podcasting community and Dak Prescott for reaching such heights. This year's data also indicates that 78% of Americans are at least aware of the term "podcasting," a significant evolution since our initial findings 15 years ago.

More importantly, podcasting has seen notable growth in both monthly and weekly engagement. For monthly listeners:

Currently, 41% of the U.S. population aged 12 and older have listened to at least one podcast in the past month. Consequently, the likelihood of discussing podcasts with others at future gatherings has increased significantly. At the close of last year, The Daily, a podcast from The New York Times, boasted approximately 4 million daily listeners, surpassing viewership of the leading TV news network, FOX News. Furthermore, NPR's unique weekly audience for their news podcasts exceeds 7 million, with only a few TV shows matching that figure.

This brings us to the percentage of Americans who are weekly podcast listeners, a group for whom podcasting has become an ingrained habit. In 2021, we observed a significant rise in this demographic:

While I regularly review public and client data at Edison, I was genuinely surprised by the increase from 24% to 28% year-over-year, even if it was just a marginal rise. In a year marked by unpredictability, podcasting saw remarkable growth compared to the previous year (17% growth against 9% in 2020). The weekly podcast audience has nearly doubled since 2017, outpacing the percentage of individuals using Twitter, TikTok, or Snapchat.

Perhaps most importantly, the podcast audience now reflects greater diversity than it did in 2006. Currently, 43% of the monthly podcast audience identifies as non-white, compared to 40% of the general U.S. population. This shift is largely attributed to a surge in younger listeners, with 50% of Americans aged 16 and under identifying as non-white. Initially, podcasting's audience was predominantly male and white, but over the past 15 years, content creators have successfully crafted material that resonates with a broader range of underserved communities. Today, there truly is a podcast for everyone.

We have compiled some of the most significant statistics in the accompanying infographic, and we will continue to provide fresh data and analysis on the podcasting landscape throughout 2021. However, I want to return to last year's context and the early pandemic's impact on podcast listening. The Infinite Dial reports considerable increases in podcast consumption for 2021, a remarkable achievement given that merely maintaining previous levels would have been a success. We have all adapted our routines in ways we could not have anticipated, and despite various challenges to traditional podcast consumption, it is worth echoing a sentiment from mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm: Podcasting finds a way.

As you examine these figures, I encourage podcasters to consider their audience and the shifts in their lives during this unprecedented year. While I cannot dictate how you should feel about these changes, I will suggest one thing: express gratitude.

Chapter 2: Video Insights on Podcasting Trends

The first video, titled "Podcast Movement: 2024 State of Podcasting," provides an in-depth discussion of current trends and future predictions in the podcasting industry.

The second video, "Privacy of Podcast Listeners in Podcasting," explores the important topic of listener privacy and its implications for the podcasting landscape.