THE PODCAST CONSUMER 2017
#PodCon17

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Study Methodology

In January/February 2017, Edison Research conducted anational telephone survey of 2000 people aged 12 andolder, using random digit dialing techniques
Interviews were 51% landline and 49% cell phone
Survey offered in both English and Spanish languages
Data weighted to national 12+ population figures
This series has been covering a wide range of digital media
topics since 1998.

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton DigitalTHE INFINITE DIAL2017

Awareness of the Term “Podcasting”Total Population 12+

Estimated
168 Million

37%

37%

2007

2008

43%

45%

45%

46%

46%

48%

49%

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

55%

60%

22%

2006

% familiar with the term podcasting
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

2016

2017

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Ever Listened to Podcasts

Total Population 12+

Estimated
112 Million

11%

13%

2006

2007

18%

2008

22%

23%

25%

2009

2010

2011

29%

27%

30%

33%

2012

2013

2014

2015

% ever listened to a podcast
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital36%

2016

40%

2017

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Monthly Podcast Listening

Total Population 12+

Estimated67 Million

9%

11%

12%

2008

2009

2010

12%

14%

12%

15%

17%

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

% listening to a podcast in last month
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

21%

24%

2016

2017

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Podcast Consumers - GenderMonthly Podcast Consumers 12+

Men
56%

Women
44%

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2017

15%

Monthly Podcast Listening

17%

17%

2013

2014

24%

27%

2015

2016

9%

2017

13%

Men

16%

Women
% listening to a podcast in last month
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

18%

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2017

Podcast Consumers - Age
Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

U.S. Population 12+
Age 35-54
31%

Age 18-34
44%
Age 18-3428%

Age 12-179%

Age 35-54
33%

Age 55 andolder
32%

Age 12-177%

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton DigitalAge 55 andolder
16%

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2017

Monthly Podcast Listening
2013

11%

20% 23%

27% 27%

Age 12-24

2014

2015

16% 17% 19%

2016

24%

2017

31%

Age 25-54% listening to a podcast in last month
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital7%

11% 12%
7% 10%Age 55+

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Podcast Consumers - Household Income

Annual Household Income:

45%
35%

16%

10%
12%

15%

13%

14%

U.S. Population 18+

Monthly Podcast Consumers 18+

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital$150K or more

$100K-$150K$75K-$100K

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Podcast Consumers - Education
U.S. Population 18+

32%

27%

Monthly Podcast Consumers 18+

27%

15%

High Schoolor less

One to threeyears of college

19%

27%

Four-year
college degree

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

22%

30%

Some grad schoolor advanced degreeTHE INFINITE DIAL
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Podcast Consumers - Employment
U.S. Population 18+

Monthly Podcast Consumers 18+

63%
49%

21%
11%
Employed fulltime

12%

Employed parttime

5%3%

Temporarily
unemployed

6%5%Homemaker

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

8%
Retired6%

6%StudentWeekly Podcast Listening

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Total Population 12+

Estimated
42 Million

7%

8%

10%

2013

2014

2015

% listening to a podcast in last week
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

13%

15%

2016

2017

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Average Time “Weekly Podcast Listeners”
Spend Listening to Podcasts

Weekly Podcast Consumers 12+

Mean: 5 hours 7 minutes
1 hour to lessthan 3 hours
36%

3 hours to lessthan 5 hours
22%

5 hours to lessthan 10 hours
13%
Less than
one hourDon't Know
13%1%

10 hours ormore
15%

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2017

Number of Podcasts
Listened to in Last Week

Weekly Podcast Consumers 12+

Three
19%

Average of five
podcasts listened
per week

Two24%
Four or Five
20%

One
16%
11 or more
8%

Six to Ten13%

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How Do Podcast Consumers
Listen to Podcasts?

Ever Listened to a Podcast 12+Click on podcast
and listen immediately

77%

Download podcast
manually and listen later

Subscribe to podcast and download
automatically to listen later

41%

27%

% ever using method to listen to a podcast
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Number of Podcasts Subscribed toMonthly Podcast Consumers 12+ who subscribe to podcasts

Average ofsix podcasts
subscribed toFour to five20%
Three9%Six to ten
24%
Two16%

One17%

Don't Know
3%

Eleven ormore
11%

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2017

Method Monthly Podcast Consumers
Use Most Often to Listen to Podcasts

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

Downloadmanually tolisten later
16%

Click andlisten
immediately
62%

Don't Know
3%

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

Subscribe toand download
automaticallyto listen later19%

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Device Monthly Podcast Consumers UseMost Often to Listen to Podcasts

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

Computer

58%

2013

42%

43%

2014
2015

Smartphone/tablet/portable device

57%

36%

64%

2016

29%

71%

2017

31%

69%

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2017

Device Used Most Often
to Listen to Podcasts
Computer

31%

Monthly Podcast Consumers

Podcast Subscribers

Smartphone/tablet/portable device

19%

69%

81%

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Years Listening to Podcasts“For how long have you been listening to podcasts?”

Ever listened to a podcast

5 years ormore

3 years to< than 5 years

1 year to< than 3 years

6 months to< than 1 year

16%

15%

31%

19%

Monthly Podcast Consumers

20%

Weekly Podcast Consumers

21%

Podcast Subscribers

25%

15%

32%

17%

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

19%

15%

35%

21%

Less than
6 months

31%

18%

15%

12%

10%

13%

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Podcast Listening Locations“Have you ever listened to a podcast…?”

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+84%

At home65%

In a car/truck

42%

Walking around/On foot39%

At work
At a gym/Working out

29%

Riding public transportation29%% ever listen to podcasts in location
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Where are Podcasts Most Often Listened to?

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

At work
14%

In a car/truck
22%

At home
51%

Other
10%

While riding
publictransportation
3%

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Amount of Podcast Episode Listened toMonthly Podcast Consumers 12+

Most of the
podcast44%

The entirepodcast
episode42%

Less than half
the podcast
Just the 11%
beginning ofthe podcast
3%
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Time Between Downloading
Last Podcast and Listening to It

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+ who download
podcasts to listen at a later time

Within 48
hours ofdownloading it
19%
Within a
week ofdownloading it
16%

Within 24
hours ofdownloading it
47%

Don't Know
2%

Longer than aweek after
downloading it
8%

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Percent of all podcasts downloadedthat are listened toMonthly Podcast Consumers 12+ who download
podcasts to listen at a later time

1%-25%
11%

76%-100%
55%

26%-50%19%

51%-75%15%The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton DigitalTHE INFINITE DIAL
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Public Radio Podcast Listening

Ever listened to a podcast

38%

Monthly Podcast Consumers

44%

Weekly Podcast Consumers

43%

Podcast Subscribers

55%% currently ever listen to podcasts from Public Radio producers
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Social Media Brand Usage81%

Any Social Media Brand
67%

Facebook
34%

Instagram

Pinterest30%

Snapchat

29%

Twitter23%

LinkedIn

22%

8%

TumblrMusic.ly

73%

48%
41%
39%
41%
39%

13%
16%

WhatsApp

94%

12%

3%
5%

% currently ever use social media brand
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

U.S. Population 12+
Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

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Frequency of Social Media Usage“How often do you use any social networking site or service?”

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

U.S. Population 12+
At least"severaltimes aday"
52%

At least"severaltimes aday"
64%
Less oftenthan"severaltimes aday"
48%

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

Less often
than"severaltimes aday"
36%

Follow Companies/Brands on Social MediaTHE INFINITE DIAL
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“Do you follow any companies or brands on any social
networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter?”Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

U.S. Population 12+

No
69%

Yes
48%

Yes
31%

No
52%

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2017

On-Demand Video Service Subscription

50%

Netflix

67%

29%

Amazon Prime
Hulu

46%
U.S. Population 12+

14%Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

24%

Subscription to
any of the above

58%
76%% having a subscription
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2017

Used On-Demand Video
Service in Last Week
45%Netflix
Amazon Prime Instant VideoHulu

60%

13%
24%
U.S. Population 12+

10%
17%

Used any of the above inthe last week

Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

48%
66%

% using service in last week
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2017

Smart Speaker Awareness57%

Amazon Alexa*

75%
45%

Google Home

62%
U.S. Population 12+
Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

63%

Aware of either
Amazon Alexa or Google Home80%

*Asked as “Amazon Echo or Amazon Dot, which uses the Alexa voice service”% aware of smart speaker
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Smart Speaker Ownership

Amazon Alexa*

Google Home

5%9%2%2%
U.S. Population 12+
Monthly Podcast Consumers 12+

Own either
Amazon Alexa or Google Home

7%
11%

*Asked as “Amazon Echo or Amazon Dot, which uses the Alexa voice service”% owning smart speaker
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton DigitalShare of Ear®

®

Share ofSurvey
Ear Methodology
Survey Methodology
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 8,631 respondents
 Completed 24-hour audio listening diary National sample 13+
 Online and offline Offered in English and Spanish
 Quarterly data collection and updates

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital®

Share ofShare
Ear of Ear
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2017

AM/FM Radio
Owned Music
Streaming Audio
SiriusXM
Music Channels on TV
Podcasts

HomeWork
Car/TruckSomewhere else

MusicNews
Talk/Personalities
SportsThe Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

AM/FM Radio
Computer
Mobile Device
TV Audio Channels
SiriusXM ReceiverInternet-connected TVdevice
Wireless streamingspeakers®

Over 8,000 one-day audio diaries
completed through 2016
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

®

Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

Share of Ear®

Americans’ Share of Time Spent
Listening to Audio Sources

Owned Music(CDs, Digital music files, etc.)

15%

Streaming Audio
15%

AM/FM Radio
54%

SiriusXM
7%

TV Music Channels
5%
Podcasts 2%
Other 2%
Source: Edison Research. Americans spend an average of 3 hours and 50 minutes each day consuming audio. This graph represents the share oftime spent with each. Based on a nationally representative sample of 8,593 Americans ages 13+ who completed a 24-hour audio listening diary. For
more information contact info@edisonresearch.com

Share of Ear
Podcast Listeners
Share of Time Spent Listening
to Audio Sources AM/FM Radio®

Owned Music(CDs, Digital music files, etc.)

14%

Streaming Audio
19%

25%

Other 4%

Podcasts
30%

SiriusXM
4%

TV Music Channels
4%

Source: Edison Research. Podcast Listeners (defined as those who reported listening to a podcast in the last 24 hours) spend an average of 5 hours
and 57 minutes each day consuming audio. This graph represents the share of time Podcast Listeners spent with each audio source. Based on anationally representative sample of 8,593 Americans ages 13+ who completed a 24-hour audio listening diary. For more information contact®
Computer
11%
Mobile Device
19%

AM/FM Radio Receiver50%

SiriusXM Receiver
6%

TV Audio Channels
5%

CD Player
4%Internet Connected TV/ Device 2%
Other 3%
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

®

Mobile Device
19%

Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

39%
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

®

Streaming Audio
41%

Owned Music(CDs, DigitalMusic files, etc.)

SiriusXM 2%

39%

AM/FM Radio
7%
Other4%
Podcasts7%Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

®

Streaming Audio
45%Owned Music(CDs, DigitalMusic files, etc.)

SiriusXM 1%
AM/FM Radio
5%38%

Other 3%
Podcasts
8%

Source: Edison Research Share of Ear 2016®

The Podcast
Survey Consumer
Methodology- Summary
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2017

 Podcasting continues to rise, with Monthly listeners growing
from 21% to 24% year over year.
 The audience for podcasts continues to be predominately 1854, and leans slightly male.
 The Podcast listener remains an affluent, educated consumer—
and one that is becoming increasingly more likely to gravitate
to ad-free or ad-light subscription experiences.
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

The Podcast
Survey Consumer
Methodology- Summary
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 Clicking on a podcast to listen to it immediately (either
streamed or via progressive download) is the dominantparadigm for listening, though 27% do subscribe topodcasts.
 Subscribers tend to have been podcast consumers for longer
than non-subscribers, consume more podcasts, and are more
likely to use their smartphone as their primary podcast
player.
.
The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

The Podcast
Survey Consumer
Methodology- Summary
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 While Home continues to be the most often named location forpodcast listening, the vehicle is a strong second.
 Most podcast consumers listen to most of the podcast episodes
they download, and the vast majority listen to at least most ofeach episode.

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

The Podcast
Survey Consumer
Methodology- Summary
THE INFINITE DIAL2017• Podcasts are the number one audio source by time ofconsumption among podcast listeners.
 On the smartphone, podcasting’s Share of Ear® is tied with
AM/FM content, and leads AM/FM among 13-34 year olds.

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital

A Few Survey
Final Thoughts
Methodology
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2017

 Fix discovery, yes—but let’s not forget “push” in a “pull” world.
 The podcast audience is a distinct segment – and the available
inventory to reach them is getting smaller.
 Content isn’t “king.” The audience is king. There are huge
underserved potential audiences for new forms of spoken word
media—so lets not rely on “received wisdom” too much.

The Infinite Dial © 2017 Edison Research and Triton Digital