The talk of the industry has been the fact that most major podcasts have experienced a dip in downloads because of how Apple iOS 17 changed the way automatic downloads work. Even shows considered safe, like This American Life, have seen a decline of around 20 percent. But as we discuss (frequently!!), downloads do not equate to listens, which is why it is always good to get some different data in. Edison Research published its annual Infinite Dial report yesterday and found a bit of good news: 47 percent of Americans aged 12 and up listen to podcasts on a monthly basis, which is five points higher than last year.
Podcast listening is on the rise — even if downloads are down
Nearly 100 million Americans listen to podcasts on a weekly basis.
Nearly 100 million Americans listen to podcasts on a weekly basis.
Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
It’s the biggest jump Edison has recorded since 2019, when it recorded a six-point increase. It indicates that even as the industry is still working out the kinks on the business side, podcast listening is becoming a more regular part of the American media diet. Edison found that the proportion of weekly listeners increased, as well, going from 31 percent for Americans 12 and over to 34 percent. They estimate that is about 98 million people.
Edison’s figures are based on survey data, not raw download numbers. Given the chaos with podcast data lately, that is a good thing. It doesn’t mean the data is gospel, but it does add more nuance to our understanding of how the public (not just podcast diehards) are interacting with the medium.
There’s a lot more to dig into, including social media usage, smart speaker ownership, and audiobook listening. You can read the full report here.
Lightning Round
- I will have more on this Tuesday, but Forbes and the Houston Chronicle report that Ted Cruz’s podcast deal with iHeartMedia is more lucrative than previously believed. Although he does not get a salary, iHeart-owned network Premiere Networks gives at least some of the advertising revenue from the show to a super PAC supporting Cruz’s campaign. So far, iHeart has given more than $630,000 to the Truth and Courage super PAC.
- Bloomberg reports that mobile games are still being used to inflate podcast metrics. A company called MowPod works with publishers of some of the top podcasts to incentivize mobile game players to follow their shows. Clients reportedly include Wondery, Lemonada, and Alex Cooper.
- In addition to appearing at a major fundraiser together last night, Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton recorded an episode of SmartLess together. The photo opp was… something.
- PRX is planning a pair of Podcast Creator Summits this year for podcasters who are early in their careers. The events, which will take place in Washington, DC, in May and Atlanta in June, will offer attendees seminars, training, and room to network. And if there is one thing I have learned from Hot Pod Summit, it’s that podcasters simply looooove to network.
- Wondery’s marketing chief, Bladimiar Norman, spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the network’s marketing revamp. Part of that includes strategically timing shows rather than just releasing them when they are ready, such as pushing business pods around Tax Day or true crime pods during Halloween.
- PBS NewsHour did a segment on the podcast industry, which includes footage and interviews from On Air Fest in February. Check it out!
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