The podcast industry has exploded in recent years, with 584 million podcast listeners globally. This number is projected to reach around 650 million by the end of 2027.
These numbers suggest there are going to be lucrative opportunities for both podcasters and marketers.
To put that into perspective, the podcast market industry is expected to surpass $30.03 billion by 2025. Interesting, right?
Let’s take a look at the latest podcast statistics and trends as of 2025.
Table of Contents
- Latest Podcast Statistics For 2025 At a Glance
- Number of Podcasts In 2025
- Podcast Listener Demographics
- US Podcast Listener Demographics
- Popular Podcast Platforms Statistics
- Podcast Financial Statistics
- 12. The Podcasting Market Is Forecasted To Reach $44.63 Billion Globally By 2025
- 13. According to forecasts, podcast advertising revenue worldwide is expected to reach around $4.46 billion by the year 2025.
- 14. Podcast Industry Revenue In The United States Is Expected To Hit $3 Billion By 2025
- 15. Podcast Advertising Revenue Statistics 2025
- Video Podcast Statistics 2025
- Other Podcast Statistics 2025
- Fascinating Facts about Podcasts
- FAQs on Latest Podcast Stats 2025
- Final Thoughts! There Are 6.5 Millions of Podcast Listeners In the world
Latest Podcast Statistics For 2025 At a Glance
- As of 2025, there are 4.49 million active podcasts, with more than 19.6 million episodes between them.
- There are an estimated 6.5 million podcast listeners worldwide on Shopify alone.
- 33% of US monthly podcast listeners prefer using YouTube for podcasts.
- The average listener spends 7 hours per week listening to their favourite podcast app, and 22% of listeners spend over 22 hours per week.
- Half of US 12 to 34-year-olds listen to podcasts.
- Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the most popular podcast platforms among users. They have over 60 million combined US-based podcast listeners.
- Women listen to podcasts slightly more than men, with 48% of women and 43% of men tuning in.
- 12% of monthly US podcast listeners earn between $75k and $100k.
- The global podcast industry is projected to hit $30.72 billion in 2025 and grow at a 27% CAGR from 2025 to 2030.
- The US podcast market, valued at $8.34 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $11.39 billion by 2030, reflecting a 21.45% CAGR.
Number of Podcasts In 2025
The podcasting landscape has experienced exponential growth in recent years. This led to a diverse array of podcasts spanning various topics and genres.
Let’s take a deeper look at the current number of podcasts available.
1. Currently, There Are 4,492,495 Podcasts In The World
As of 2025, 4,492,495 podcasts are currently available worldwide. This number includes both active and inactive podcasts on the Internet.
So, if we exclude all the inactive podcasts, the currently active podcasts are around 4 million.
Moreover, according to the Podcast Index, around 3570,000 new podcasts are published every 30 days.
Source: Podcastindex
2. There Are 174,281,871 Podcast Episodes Available
According to ListenNotes, there are 174,281,871 episodes in the world. As of 2025, over 10,224,333 new episodes have been released till now.
Let’s take a look at the significant growth in the number of podcast episodes released each year.
| Year | New Episodes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18,483,819 | 9.611% |
| 2020 | 30,646,600 | 15.935% |
| 2021 | 30,245,142 | 15.726% |
| 2022 | 27,332,651 | 14.212% |
| 2023 | 29,248,999 | 15.208% |
| 2024 | 10,224,333 | 5.316% |
Most podcasts are in English, as there are over 2.14 million podcasts available in English.
Source: ListenNotes
Podcast Listener Demographics
Take a look at the following Podcast listener demographics.
3. Global Podcast Listeners Reach 464.7 Million
In 2025, the number of podcast listeners worldwide amounted to 584.1 million internet users.
This number is projected to reach 651 million by 2027.
Here’s the growth of podcast listeners in the last couple of years.
| Year | Number of Podcast Listeners | % Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 2024 | 584.1 million 504.9 million | 6.83% 8.70% |
| 2023 | 464.7 million | 9.60% |
| 2022 | 424.2 million | 10.60% |
| 2021 | 383.7 million | 18.70% |
| 2020 | 333.2 million | 20.90% |
| 2019 | 274.8 million |
Source: Statista and Backlinko
4. Podcast Listeners By Region
The US leads with an estimated 129.9 million podcast listeners, followed by China at 117.1 million and Brazil at 51.8 million. Source: eMarketer
As per the data from Statista, Sweden (47%) has the most podcast listeners around the globe.
Next, Brazil and the Republic of Ireland stand out as the only other countries where more than 40% of the population tune in to podcasts.
In the US alone, there are an estimated 129.9 million podcast listeners, followed by China (117.1 million) and Brazil (51.8 million).
Source: Statista
5. Where Do Most People Listen To Podcasts?
73% listen to podcasts on smartphone devices, while 13% use laptops and desktops to listen to their favourite podcasts.
Other devices people use to listen to podcasts are:
- Tablets
- Digital music players
- Voice-activated speakers
Most people (71%) prefer listening to podcasts using headphones, while the remaining 29% opt for speakers.
6. When Do People Listen to Podcasts?
Around 59% of people enjoy listening to podcasts while multitasking. Plus, 32% of people tune into the podcast while driving or travelling.
The most popular podcast listening hours are usually between 10:00 and 15:00, with weekday evenings also being a peak time.
Additionally, the study indicates that more people listen to podcasts during the week compared to weekends.
7. Weekly Podcast Listening Trends
40% of global podcast listeners polled listened to podcasts for more than an hour a week, with 10% listening for more than 10 hours per week.
Indonesia leads with 57%, followed by Thailand (52%) and India (47%). In Europe, Romania tops at 47%. Japan ranks lowest at 10%. Podcast engagement is notably higher in Asia-Pacific compared to Europe.
Source: YouGov
Weekdays dominate podcast listening at 78%, with peak times during commutes at 8 AM and 5 PM.
According to a recent Spotify survey, listeners tune in while travelling (71%), doing chores (71%), relaxing (43%), and working out (34%).
Weekends contribute 22% of consumption, peaking around 11 AM. to noon.
US Podcast Listener Demographics
The United States combines a huge proportion of podcast listeners worldwide. This number is steadily increasing over the years, reaching around 140 million.
8. US Podcast Listeners By Age
Over 66% of podcast listeners in the United States are aged between 12 to 34 years.
The study from Edison Research found that podcast listening is growing fastest among people aged 35-54, with 43% of them listening to a podcast episode in the last 30 days.
Over a quarter of Americans aged 55 and older listen to podcasts monthly, and 28% of those aged 65 and above are podcast listeners.
| Age Group | % of Active listener |
|---|---|
| 12 -34 years | 66% |
| 35 – 54 years | 43% |
| Aged over 55 | 25% |
| 65 years and older | 28% |
9. US Podcast Listeners By Gender
In the United States, the majority of podcast listeners (56%) are male, while 44% are female.
Canada has a more even split, with 54% of listeners being male and 46% being female.
The gender breakdown is similar in other countries as well. In the UK, 53% of podcast listeners are male and 47% are female. In Australia, the percentages are reversed, with 56% of listeners being male and 44% being female.
10. Interesting US Podcast Listeners Stats
- 70% of U.S. adults (18+) who’ve been in a car in the past month listen to radio in their primary car.
- 55% listen to online audio in the car.
- 32% listen to podcasts in the car.
- 60% of those age 12+ have a traditional AM/FM radio at home.
- 32% of adults (18+) with recent car use have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
- 72% of those age 12+ own a smart TV.
Also, monthly podcast listening among U.S. women (12+) increased 15% year over year, rising to 45% from 39% in 2023.
Source: The Infinite Dial from Edison Research
Popular Podcast Platforms Statistics
Since podcasts have become very popular recently, many companies want to host and publish them.
Did you know? Over 571.9 million websites use web hosting services. Check out the latest Web Hosting Statistics to learn more.
Music streaming services, in particular, have taken advantage of this opportunity. These companies have bought other podcast-related businesses to help them get into the podcast market.
Let’s take a look at the most preferred platforms for listening to podcasts around the globe.
11. Spotify Is The Most Popular Podcast Platform
More people in the U.S. use YouTube for podcasts than any other platform. 31% say it’s their main choice, followed by Spotify (21%) and Apple (12%). (Source: West Wood One)
The following data suggests the percentage of popular platforms used by active listeners.
Have you ever wondered how many people listen to podcasts on Spotify? Check out these intriguing Spotify stats.
Podcast Financial Statistics
In today’s trend of short videos, creating long-form content like podcasts can be a big challenge.
Because podcasts are often over an hour long, there are more opportunities to play ads throughout the episode.
Let’s take a look at podcast financial statistics.
12. The Podcasting Market Is Forecasted To Reach $44.63 Billion Globally By 2025
The global podcasting market was worth $34 billion in 2024. It’s growing very fast, with a rate of 27.8% per year.
Because of this growth, the market is expected to be worth $44.63 billion by 2025 and a huge $133.9 billion by 2032.
Let’s take a look at the global podcasting market growth in the upcoming years.
| Year | Podcasting Market Value |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $27.31 billion |
| 2024 | $34.89 billion |
| 2025 | $44.63 billion |
| 2026 | $57.23 billion |
| 2032 | $133.9 billion |
Source: Market. US
13. According to forecasts, podcast advertising revenue worldwide is expected to reach around $4.46 billion by the year 2025.
Podcasts, being longer content, are great for running ads and making money.
With their rising popularity, global podcast advertising revenue is predicted to hit about $4.46 billion by 2025.
This revenue is forecasted to grow at a rate of 6.95% from 2025 to 2028, reaching an estimated market size of $5.26 billion by 2028.
Source: Statista
14. Podcast Industry Revenue In The United States Is Expected To Hit $3 Billion By 2025
The American podcasting industry is set for big growth.
It’s expected to grow about 21.3% per year between 2024 and 2030, hitting a projected value of over $32 billion by 2030.
The U.S. podcasting market, generating approximately $8.4 billion in 2024, is expected to reach nearly $25.8 billion by 2030, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 19.8% from 2025 to 2030.
Source: Grand View Research
15. Podcast Advertising Revenue Statistics 2025
The number of podcast listeners is skyrocketing, but what does this mean for the money being made?
Let’s dive into some fascinating stats that show the economic boom in podcasting!
Podcasting became a billion-dollar industry in 2025, and by 2025, it’s expected to reach $2.3 billion in the US, a 24.8% increase from the previous year.
Ad revenue is predicted to hit $4 billion by 2025. Interestingly, while the overall digital ad market grew by 12% last year, podcasting ad revenue grew by 26%.
According to the IAB’s US Podcast Advertising Report, 70% of ad revenue comes from podcasts that release new episodes bi-weekly or weekly.
Here’s a breakdown of ad revenue by podcast genre in the US:
- Sports: 15%
- Society & Culture: 14%
- Comedy: 14%
- News & Politics: 12%
Video Podcast Statistics 2025
Video podcasts, i.e., vodcasts, are also gaining popularity in recent years.
Video podcasts offer a unique mix of audio and visual content that appeals to a wide range of viewers. The rise in video podcast consumption aligns with the overall growth of the podcasting industry.
Major platforms like Spotify and Apple have embraced video podcasting, recognizing its significant market potential.
16. Video Podcasts Key Stats
- The preference for watching video podcasts among US weekly listeners grew from 28% in October 2022 to 40% more recently.
- As of 2025, Spotify has a HUGE collection of over 300,000 video podcasts, which is up from 100,000 in 2023.
- Nearly 7 in 10 listeners have learned about new brands and products from podcast ads.
- Video podcasts have become popular on Spotify. More than 250 million users have watched them on the platform so far.
In terms of podcast availability:
- Spotify boasts over 100 million and over 6.5 million podcast titles available on the platform.
- Apple Podcasts offers 2,763,533 valid podcasts for listeners to enjoy.
Sources: Cumulus Media, Spotify
Other Podcast Statistics 2025
Let’s now take a look at some interesting statistics on Podcasts.
17. Most Popular Podcast Genres
In the US, comedy is the most popular podcast genre among weekly listeners, capturing 30% of the audience.
Society & Culture podcasts attract 18% of US adults who have engaged with podcasts in the past year.
Interestingly, female listeners are nearly twice as likely as male listeners to enjoy true crime podcasts. Among US listeners aged 30-44, 10% tune in to sports podcasts daily.
True crime and fiction podcasts have the highest completion rates among podcast genres.
Let’s take a look at popular genres among the listeners.
| Genre | % of listeners |
|---|---|
| Comedy | 30% |
| Society & Culture | 18% |
| Lifestyle & Health | 15% |
| True Crime | 10% |
| Educational | 7% |
| Religion and Faith | 6% |
| Politics | 6% |
| Self-help | 5% |
| Investigate journalism | 3% |
| Finance | 3% |
Source: Statista
18. Popular Podcast Channels In The World
Let’s now take a look at some of the top podcast channels. These are the top channels on Spotify in the United States.
| Top Podcast | Creator |
|---|---|
| The Mel Robbins Podcast The Joe Rogan Experience | Mel Robbins Joe Rogan |
| Good Hang With Amy | Amy Poehler |
| The Zach Lowe | The Ringer |
| The Diary of A CEO | Steven Bartlett |
| This Past Weekend | Theo Von |
Source: Spotify podcasts charts
19. Podcast Downloads
When it comes to downloads, Apple Podcasts leaves Spotify behind with a significant number of podcast downloads.
Over 70% of the downloads happen through Apple Podcasts while only 8.9% happen on Spotify.
Here is complete data on popular podcasting platforms and downloads on these apps.
| Platform | Percentage of downloads |
|---|---|
| Apple | 70.8% |
| Spotify | 8.9% |
| Other | 5.9% |
| iHeartRadio | 3% |
| Alexa | 2.3% |
| Overcast | 1.6% |
| Stitcher | 1.3% |
| Amazon Music | 1.2% |
| Google Podcasts | 1.2% |
| Podcast Addict | 1.1% |
| Castbox | 1% |
| Chrome | 1% |
| Pocket Casts | 0.9% |
When a new podcast episode is released, it typically gets around 141 downloads within the first month.
While this number may seem small, it’s important to remember that there are millions of podcasts out there, so the competition for downloads is intense.
The average download numbers can vary a lot depending on the podcast’s niche. Podcasts that cover more specific topics might have fewer downloads compared to those that discuss broader subjects.
Did you know? 60,500+ people search for podcasts on Google, Check out the top Google searches here.
Fascinating Facts about Podcasts
Looking for podcast facts? This section is for you.
1. Who named it “podcast”?
BBC journalist Ben Hammersley is the one who coined the term “Podcast” in February 2004, combining the words “iPod” and “broadcast.” It was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2005.
2. What is the average length of a podcast episode?
If you look at how long podcasts usually are, the most popular length is between 30 and 40 minutes. About 32 out of every 100 podcasts fit into this time slot.
The next most common length is slightly shorter, between 20 and 30 minutes, making up 29 out of 100 podcasts.
Longer podcasts are less common; about 17 out of 100 run for 40 to 50 minutes, and 10 last between 50 minutes and an hour.
Very few podcasts are super short (less than 20 minutes, only 8 out of 100) or super long (over an hour, just 4 out of 100).
Source: Startup Bonsai
3. When do most people listen to podcasts?
According to a MIDAS survey, most podcast listeners listen to podcasts more in the morning than at any other time.
Here’s the breakdown of the timings;
- The peak listening time for podcasts is between 08:15 and 08:30 a.m. (EST)
- Other popular podcast times are between 11:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m.
4. Why do people start podcasts?
38.4% of people start podcasting as a hobby. (Source: The Podcast Host)
Here are some other common reasons for starting a podcast;
- Build a personal brand (21%)
- Grow a business (19.7%)
- For a cause (13.8%
- For employers (7.1%)
5. What software most podcasts use to create podcasts?
The Podcast Host reveals that 48% of respondents use Audacity to edit their podcasts, with Adobe Audition in 2nd place (31%).
6. What is the percentage of in-car podcast listening?
As of 2025, approximately 32% of 18+ year-olds listen to a podcast in a car each month.
Smartphones are by far the most popular device for listening to podcasts, used by 73% of people. Using a computer (desktop or laptop) is much less common, at only 13%.
Source: Exploding Topics
FAQs on Latest Podcast Stats 2025
Here are some frequently asked questions about podcast stats and user growth.
“Society & Culture” is the most popular podcast genre, followed by “Education”.
Statista reveals that people aged between 12 to 34 years listen to podcasts the most.
As of 2025, there are 6.5 million worldwide podcast listeners.
According to Edison Research, 64% of U.S. consumers listen to podcasts, and 83% are familiar with podcasts.
Podcasts are available in over 100 languages. English is the #1 language most podcasts are made in. Over 2.144 million podcasts are available in English.
If your podcast gets over 50 downloads for a new episode in the first week of its launch, you’re in the top 70% of all podcasters.
Final Thoughts! There Are 6.5 Millions of Podcast Listeners In the world
Undoubtedly, the podcast industry is growing year after year. It is a multi-billion-dollar industry and the global podcasting market size is estimated to reach $31.13 billion by 2030.
If you’re looking for the BEST way to reach your audience, podcasts are an excellent choice.
What are your thoughts on the podcast’s popularity and stats mentioned here? Do you listen to podcasts? Do you have any questions? Let us know in the comments.
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