Podcasts Capture One-in-Five Hours of Ad-Supported Audio in the U.S.
The podcast industry continues to make significant strides in the ad-supported audio landscape, with nearly one-in-five hours of ad-supported audio consumption in the U.S. now dedicated to podcasts, according to Nielsen’s 2024 Quarterly Audio Report. With Americans spending nearly four hours per day consuming audio, this marks a substantial shift in listening habits.
The Growing Influence of Podcasts
The report, which includes data from Edison Research, highlights a growing preference for podcasts, particularly among younger audiences. While traditional commercial radio still dominates the ad-supported audio space with a 67% share, the numbers among 18-34-year-olds tell a different story. This demographic dedicates nearly one-third of their ad-supported audio listening time to podcasts, signaling a generational shift toward on-demand, personalized content.
Despite these promising statistics, the data also reveals that there is room for further growth. As the podcast industry continues to mature, expanding its reach and advertising capabilities, its share of the audio market is likely to climb even higher.
Podcast Trends in Australia
Meanwhile, in Australia, podcasting continues to gain traction, with 48% of 18-34-year-olds listening to podcasts monthly, according to the 2024 Australian Podcast Report. Released by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), the report also found that podcast audiences are consuming more shows, a trend that aligns with broader global listening habits.
However, some of the report’s claims should be interpreted with caution. It heavily relies on data from Triton Digital’s Podcast Ranker, which only includes participating publishers. One statement from CRA CEO Lizzie Young suggests that "63% of podcasts are achieving more than 100,000 average monthly downloads in 2024," but further analysis indicates that this figure only applies to the top 200 ranked shows. For instance, in December 2023, 139 out of the top 200 shows surpassed the 100,000-download threshold—approximately 70%—but this does not reflect the podcast industry as a whole.
Additionally, the report cites an 8.5% year-over-year increase in average monthly podcast listeners in 2024. However, this metric only represents participating publishers, and the report notes that numbers may continue to rise as new publishers join—a factor that complicates direct comparisons. For instance, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) only joined the ranker in December 2023, which would naturally contribute to a sudden increase in reported numbers.
A Promising Future for Podcasting
Despite these discrepancies, the overall trend remains clear: podcasts are growing in influence, particularly among younger demographics. With an increasing share of the ad-supported audio market and rising engagement levels, advertisers and content creators have significant opportunities to capitalize on this expanding medium.
As the industry continues to refine its measurement standards and attract more advertisers, podcasting is well on its way to becoming a dominant force in digital audio. The challenge now is ensuring that reporting metrics provide an accurate and comprehensive view of the industry’s progress.
