Podcast consumption has exploded in recent years in many countries. In our previous articles, we focused on the key axes to create a successful podcast and how to monetize it, let’s now look at the typologies of podcast consumers: age, gender, socio-professional category, etc.
According to recent studies, approximately 57% of Americans listened to at least one podcast this year. In the U.S., between 2020 and 2021, podcast consumption is estimated to have grown by about 116 million listeners, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the various containment phases. Each month, the French listen to 100 million native or replay podcasts, with an average of 16.9 podcasts per listener (source: Harris Media).
When creating a podcast, it’s important to know how to best reach your audience, and to do that, it’s necessary to look at the demographics of your audience.
A longer listening time for women
For a long time, men dominated podcast consumption. In 2021, women’s listening rates hit an all-time high. The proportion of women listening to at least one podcast per month reached 46% of total listeners. Men still lead with 51% and the remaining 3% identify as non-binary or not belonging to the female or male gender. In terms of listening time, the study by the Edison Research Institute found that while men listen to more podcasts overall, women listen to more shows and for longer periods of time with an average listening time of approximately 7.3 hours VS 5.9 hours for men.
The age of podcast listeners
Half of all podcast listeners are between the ages of 12 and 34, as they are among the most connected generations. While this age group makes up the majority of the podcast listening audience, it’s important not to overlook the older demographic (55+) whose numbers have grown from 14% to 21% over the past decade. The 35-54 age group represent 29% of listeners in 2021.
Environment and socio-professional category
In general, podcast consumers come from comfortable backgrounds and they are educated. On average, the annual income of the majority of listeners is over $75,000. In terms of education, 83% of podcast consumers have at least reached college education, with 34% having graduated. These figures clearly prove that most podcast listeners belong to an educated and highly skilled socio-professional category.
Where do podcast listeners come from?
In the U.S., podcast consumers are fairly reflective of society, with a majority of 57% Caucasians, Hispanic listeners growing steadily up to 16%, African Americans at 13%, and Asians at 4% of listeners. The remainder is split between Native Americans and those originating from multiple cultures.
We can deduce that podcast listeners are relatively young, educated and, of course, highly connected. So take the time to analyze your target audience and their expectations in terms of audio content. Some podcasts may only appeal to young people and others may attract older demographics. However, it all depends on the type of podcast you create.
