This document discusses trends in audio and podcast consumption in the United States. It notes that while podcast awareness and listenership has grown significantly in recent years, there is still potential for further growth. Mobile devices and increased connectivity have driven more online and on-the-go listening. Popular podcasts have also seen growth in listener support and funding. However, podcast advertising and monetization still lag television and radio, representing an opportunity for growth. Overall listeners are highly engaged with the format, spending many hours each day engaged in audio activities that podcasts could be part of.

1. Audio
and
Podcasting
in
the
US
Damian
Radcliffe January
2016
@damianradcliffe
Some
key
stats
and
trends

2. This
is
where
we
were,
just
over
5
years
ago
Note:
• Less
than
half
have
heard
of
podcasts
• 71%
listen
on
their
computer
–
not
a
mobile
device
• Number
of
“watched”
podcasts

3. What’s
changed?

4. Notable
growth
in
podcast
consumption

5. Mobile/Portable
devices
playing
a
role

6. Where
we
are
now:
8
key
charts
from
Pew
And
some
thoughts
from
me

7. Big
growth
in
online
listening
Potential
drivers:
• Increase
in
connectivity
>
broadband,
Wi-­‐Fi
and
at
work
connections
• Mobile
devices
• 3G
and
4G
• Increased
/
cheaper
data
plans

8. But
still
only
just
over
half
of
US
adults

9. Beginning
to
change
in-­‐car
listening
But
still
less
than
4/10

10. Awareness
more
than
doubled
in
a
decade
But
still
less
than
half

11. With
17%
listening
in
the
last
month

12. This
“revolution”
(evolution?)
may
have
been
overstated However,
growth
is
discernible

14. Case
Study:
NPR

15. Sources
of
optimism

16. Americans
consume
4+
hours
audio
a
day
Edison’s
Share
of
Ear™
report
used
results
are
from
a
nationally
representative
sample
of
2,096
Americans
ages
13+
who
completed
a
24-­‐hour
audio
listening
diary
during
May
2014.
The
study
revealed:
1. Americans
spend
an
average
of
4
hours
and
5
minutes
each
day
consuming
audio.
2. More
than
52%
of
that
time
goes
to
broadcast
radio
on
all
its
various
platforms.
3. Other
sources
of
pre-­‐programmed
audio
now
control
26%
of
listening
time.
4. Listening
to
your
own
music
collection
accounts
for
more
than
20%
of
time
spent
listening.

18. 7
key
stats
collated
by
Search
Engine
Journal
1. 17
percent
of
US
adults
had
listened
to
a
podcast
during
the
month
leading
up
to
annual
survey
in
2014.
That
was
a
9
percent
increase
from
2008.
(Source)
2. In
2013,
Apple
surpassed
1
billion
podcast
subscriptions.
(Source)
3. 1
in
4
podcast
listeners
plug
their
smartphone
or
MP3
player
into
their
car
audio
system.
(Source)
4. By
2025,
50
percent
of
cars
will
have
Internet
connectivity.
(Source)
5. As
of
2014,
58
percent
of
Americans
own
a
smartphone.
(Source)
6. 67
percent
of
podcast
listeners
don’t
mind
sponsorship
messages
and
occasionally
find
them
useful,
compared
to
only
6
percent
positive
sentiment
expressed
for
the
advertising
approaches
of
television
or
commercial
radio.
(Source)
7. Only
3
percent
of
marketers
are
currently
using
podcasting
in
their
social
media
marketing
strategy.
However,
32
percent
have
a
desire
to
learn
how
to
use
podcasting
in
their
marketing
efforts
and
23
percent
have
plans
to
increase
their
podcasting
activities
in
2013.
(Source)

19. Podcaster
listeners
really
love podcasts

21. You
just
need
to
convert
them
From
the
Washington
Post:
• Podcasters
like
the
personal
connection
they
have
with
fans
who
listen
through
ear
buds
or
headphones,
which
can
make
shows
feel
more
intimate
than
other
forms
of
media.
• Roman
Mars
(99%
Invisible) said
he
keeps
that
in
mind
and
mikes
himself
more
closely
than
he
used
to.
This
allows
him
to
use
a
quieter
voice,
which
he
calls
a
“head
voice,”
in
the
hopes
of
more
closely
connecting
with
listeners.
• Fans
“have
helped
to
raise
nearly
$600,000
in
the
past
three
years
— money
that
has
allowed
Mars
to
hire
three
reporters
and
producers.”
(The
article
notes
5
years
ago
he
had
a
5k
budget)

22. There’s
a
potentially
captive
audience
“Americans
spend
more
than
three
hours
a
day
commuting,
working
out
and
doing
household
chores
that
can
be
accompanied
by
audio
entertainment,
according
to
census
data
studied
by
Matt
Lieber,
a
former
public
radio
producer
who
co-­‐founded
the
podcast
company
with
Blumberg.”

23. And
lots
of
great
content
out
there
With
more
coming
on-­‐stream
every
day