Unpacking Podcasting's Growth Seen In Edison's Infinite Dial 2021

In 2016, 35 million Americans listened to podcasts weekly. In 2021, they've grown to 80 million. Today, I'll dig into that and other good news podcasting observations from Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2021 report.

Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.

Last week, Infinite Dial 2021 was released. That's Edison Research, Triton Digital, they team-up. They've been doing this for like forever. Well, since 1998, Edison has been researching and surveying Americans about their digital media consumption. And that, by the way, includes podcasting, which is why I'm interested. It tracks a lot more than just podcasting. But today, because us, we're going to focus in just on the podcasting elements.

There will be a link in the episode details if you want to follow along. But it's a long ways into the report, like fifty pages into it. So you can wait till afterwards.

Well, let me give you the highlights here. Right now, in 2021, there are, roughly speaking, US Americans, 222 million people familiar with podcasting. 222 million. That's a big number. That's a streak that has continued since 2016. So definitely going up. This year, compared to last year, we saw a smaller percentage points gained than in prior years. Which might mean, and it probably  does mean, I think means, we are at the top of the asymptotic curve. 78% is the percentage points that we have right now.

And look, we'll never get to a hundred. We'll get in the eighties, probably. Nineties, I don't know. We'll see how it goes. But also, let's not -  remember this last year was weird. Yeah. I'll talk more about weirdness in just a moment. Also, 162 million people have listened to a podcast, not just aware that podcasting exists, but actually listened. 162 million.

Also, a streak that has continued this time since 2014. Again, slightly smaller percentage points gained this year versus last. We're at 57% now. And I don't know that we'll ever, I certainly know we'll never get to a hundred. I don't know what the top of the curve looks like, but also last year was weird. Remember that. 116 million people listened to podcasts monthly. That's a streak that started in 2016, but got much steeper in 2019.

Even with the weird year we had last year, we're now at 41%. 41% of Americans listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. 80 million listen weekly. That streak started in 2013, but also got much steeper starting in 2019, in 20, and 21. In fact, this year, compared to last, we had the second biggest gain in percentage points through that growth period. Second biggest gain, even with the weird last year.

Now, 28% of Americans say they listen to podcasts on a weekly basis. Great news. But remember that still means 73% don't have the weekly habit. So we have some work to continue to do.

Now to me, the most surprising thing I saw in the Infinite Dial 2021 report was the change in the demographics of monthly listening, the occasional podcast listener, if you will. Edison breaks the, when they present the survey to us, they break it up into three different buckets and the one in the middle, 35 to 54-year-olds, kind of an important demographic. They actually went down as far as looking at percentage points from 2019 to 2021. 39 % of people say they listened monthly in that age bracket in 2021 where only 40% said they'd listened monthly last year. So that's a slight drop, but not a huge drop.

But let's also remember that is the age bracket that is most likely to have had kids at home with them during the pandemic lockdown homeschooling stuff. So probably a little bit of a loss right there, just because of suddenly you're a full-time caregiver and a full-time teacher and you've got a job. So it's not surprising to me that number went down a bit.

But that's the one in the middle. The edges are what's cool. 55+, a demographic I am continuing to head towards, 55+ went from 22% last year to 26% this year. That's a really big number. That's a big gain in 55+ people continue to listen, are listening now on a monthly basis. They continue to grow.

Now, back in 2016, that 55+ bracket was basically 10 million people. 2016, 55+, 10 million people listened to podcasts on a monthly basis. Now, 2021, 24 million. That's over 2x growth. That's huge. That's one end.

The other end of the spectrum, 12 to 34, which is arguably too big of a bucket, but that's fine. They've been doing it for since '98 this way and it's  fine. 12-year-olds to 34-year-olds. You know, the kids, if you will, that bucket went from 49% last year to 56% this year. So now we can finally say the majority of people under the age of 35 listen to podcasts, at least on a monthly basis.

Looking at the raw numbers, 2016, 28 million 12 to 34-year-olds listened on a monthly basis. 28 million in 2016, now 65 million. Wow. That's nearly 3x growth amongst the kids, 2016 to 2021. Even though, let's go back to the people in the middle, the people who are 35 to 54, the responsible adults out there, if you will. Even with that small dip we saw, one percentage point dip, the total size of the audience almost doubled - 19 million in 2016 now at 34 million in 2021.

So what's all this mean? Well, clearly the podcasting audience is there and it is growing. The weekly numbers are huge right now. So that means we're making inroads. We're bringing people from occasional listening to weekly listening, and that's huge. So if there's a message here, it's this - don't stop. Keep focusing on those people who are brand new to podcasting. There are a lot of them out there. There's still, you know, almost half the population doesn't listen at all. And 73% don't listen on a regular basis. So assume that's who you're talking to.

Assume the person you're talking to right now has never listened or at least not enough, they have no habit and your show will be the one that makes the podcast habit for them. You're going to make them part of your routine. That's your job for the rest of the year. Think about those people and make them, make your show give them the podcast listening habits.

Now, as I said, there's a link to the report in the episode details. So please share this episode with that link along with your friends to give them my analysis. That might help them understand the opportunities in podcasting.

And if you loved what I had to say, please go to buymeacoffee.com/evoterra, and yeah, buy me a virtual coffee. That's always nice.

I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications.

Cheers!