By Sogi Chukwuanu
Three podcasters walk into a bar. The bartender says, “Didn’t I hear this joke already on Spotify?”
As of 2023, research from Demand Sage shows that there are over 464.7 million podcast listeners. That’s about 22 per cent of all internet users.
With the industry rapidly expanding, it’s important to watch out for new podcasting trends and adapt to the changing landscape. That’s why we’ve collated the latest statistics and trends for podcasting to help you enhance your content strategy this year.
Here they are:
- Comedy, news, and true crime are the most popular podcast genres.
- 43.1 per cent of podcast listeners use Apple podcasts.
- 43 per cent of new podcasters plan to release solo episodes.
- Podcast advertising is on the rise.
- Live podcasting is now a thing.
- You can now optimise your podcast for voice search.
1. Comedy, news, and true crime are the most popular podcast genres
What podcasts are trending?
A survey of 2000 adults commissioned by Vodafone in the UK found that comedy (30 per cent), entertainment (25 per cent), sports (23 per cent) and true crime (19 per cent) were voted the most popular podcast genres overall.
Edison Research also examined the “batting averages” of podcast genres in the U.S. by “looking at the number of times a genre appears in the top 200 divided by the number of times a genre appeared in the top 20,000.” Similar to the UK study, they found that true crime, news, and comedy dominated the charts.
A 2020 study by Statista also ranked these three categories as the most popular podcast genres.
So what does this tell us about listeners’ behaviour? It’s clear to see that many listeners are turning to podcasts for escapism and entertainment. They want something authentic, relatable, and of course, engaging. How can your podcast meet these expectations?
2. 43.1 per cent of podcast listeners use Apple podcasts
Moving on to podcast technology trends, what apps are your target audience most likely going to be on?
According to Buzzsprout’s global stats (updated July 2023), Apple Podcasts is the most popular listening app (43.1 per cent), while Spotify comes second at 29.1 per cent.
3. 43 per cent of new podcasters plan to release solo episodes
When starting a new podcast, there’s a wide range of formats you could use. For instance, you could collaborate with other experts in your niche and bring them on as guests. For a long time, this was the default choice among podcasters.
But could the future be slightly different?
The Podcast Host created a personalised podcast planner, and data from this tool showed that out of over 1500 respondents, 43 per cent said they’d rather host a solo show, while 29 per cent chose the interview format.
With solo podcasts on the rise, it might be worth hopping on this trend and being the star of your own show. Not only does it offer you complete creative control, but it also allows you to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
P.S: If you’d prefer to bring guests onto your show, check out our blog: Top 10 Tips For Becoming The Best Podcast Host And Getting The Most Out Of Your Guests.
4. Podcast advertising is on the rise
Ads can be quite frustrating, but surprisingly, 72 per cent of listeners who have listened to a podcast for four or more years have purchased a sponsored ad (via Buzzsprout, updated March 2023).
81 per cent of podcast listeners also say they pay attention to podcast ads. This seems pretty impressive on its own. However, these respondents also said that they pay more attention to podcast ads than they do to radio, TV commercials, and even digital ads on social media.
This raises an interesting question. Could podcast ads be more engaging than other common forms of advertising?
A 2022 study commissioned by The Guardian shows similar findings. 65 per cent of listeners paid attention to podcast adverts – more than adverts on TV (39 per cent) and radio adverts (38 per cent).
5. Live podcasting is now a thing
Live podcasting is slowly inching its way into the podcast trend table. It involves streaming a podcast to a virtual live audience through Q&As, guest interviews, or even a solo show. Our Founder, Georgia Kirke, was recently a guest on one (click here to catch the recording if you missed it).
Broadcasting live can be incredibly beneficial because you get to interact with your listeners in real time and build a loyal audience who turn up to hear what you have to say. More importantly, this shows people are turning to authentic, spontaneous content rather than edited, filtered scripts.
And what better way to meet this expectation than a live podcast that shows the real YOU? No filters, no heavy editing, and no overly scripted content.
6. You can now optimise your podcast for voice search
According to Google, 27 per cent of the global population is using voice search on mobile devices. This means that as a podcaster, you need to ensure that your show will pop up in voice search results. But how do you do this?
To begin with, use target keywords in your show’s title, description, and episode title. You could also create a dedicated page for the podcast with detailed show notes and transcriptions for each episode. This offers two main benefits: One, you make your content more accessible to your audience. Two, you’ll also be providing more indexable content for search engines.
What are the future trends for podcasting?
So there you have it. A run-down of some of the top podcast statistics for 2023. Studies project that podcasting will be a $4 billion industry by 2024. The number of podcast listeners around the globe will also grow to up to 504 million.
With the podcast industry geared for continuous growth, there’s no better time than now to begin your journey. If you’d like some further insights into how to launch your own podcast, check out our top blogs for creating a winning podcast.
And if you’d welcome our professional guidance and support along this journey, click here to book a free Clarity Call.