Podcast FAQ

podcast trends 2021

by Giles Effertz Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Here are the recent stats, which show a decreasing trend:

  • December 2020: 59% active podcasts
  • March 2021: 37% active podcasts
  • June 2021: 34% active podcasts
  • December 2021: 23% active podcasts

Comedy is the most popular genre of podcasts as of May 2021, with 43% of all podcast listeners tuning into comedy podcasts, according to Hereau. News podcasts are next, at 38%, followed by society & culture, true crime, education, music and business.Jun 22, 2021

Full Answer

What are the top 25 podcasts?

Podcasts Top 100. - August 22nd, 2021. Wks On Chart Peak. Crime Junkie audiochuck | Ashley Flowers. 113 1. Dateline NBC NBC News. 21 2. The Bobby Bones Show iHeartRadio. 104 3.

Who has the best podcast?

Podcasts are a unique form of entertainment that allows you to listen to other people talk about your favorite topic while being able to take care of other duties like homework. Here are 10 of the best podcasts that have been making ratings rise. 1. Wine and Weed. You can tell by its name what this podcast pretty much involves.

What are the best podcasts?

Podcasts that review episodes of "The Joe Rogan Experience" have piggybacked off the No. 1 podcaster's success, with one review-focused show ranking among the top 10 podcasts in the US earlier this month. The show, aptly titled the "Joe Rogan Experience ...

What's the most popular podcast?

16 Most Popular Podcasts - Lit and Worth It

  1. Serial. Every Thursday morning, Serial consistently produces high-quality episodes. ...
  2. This American Life. This American Life (TAL) is a weekly radio show hosted by Ira Glass. ...
  3. Dirty John. Hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. ...
  4. Dr. Death. ...
  5. Radiolab. My all-time favorite! ...
  6. The Daily. ...
  7. Stuff You Should Know. ...
  8. S-Town. ...
  9. The Joe Rogan Experience. ...
  10. Planet Money. ...

More items...

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What is the most popular podcast in 2021?

Global top five most popular podcasts of 2021The Joe Rogan Experience (Spotify exclusive)Call Her Daddy (Spotify exclusive)Crime Junkie.TED Talks Daily.The Daily.

What are future trends for podcasting?

Podcast chat shows will remain a leading trend for podcasts in 2022 and investing in a chat show format for your business podcast will help you educate and entertain your audience while building trust for your brand.

What topics are trending for podcasts?

Popular podcast topics for 2021 According to Statista's 2021 reports, the top 5 podcast topics include comedy, news, true crime, sport, and health/fitness.

Are podcasts still popular 2022?

Yes, podcasts are still popular in 2022. The number of active podcasts and podcast listeners is increasing daily. As of April 2021, there are a total number of 850,000 active podcasts with more than 48 million episodes in total.

Is it worth starting a podcast in 2022?

Let's face it, success at most things requires planning and consistency. Right now, podcasting is an area where having the discipline to do those things can pay off in a big way. So, is it still worth starting a podcast in 2022? Definitely.

Are podcasts declining?

The boom of new podcasts during the beginning of the pandemic has also passed with 1,017,349 new podcasts released in 2020, down to 712,414 last year, and declining even further now as things get back to normal.

What are the most popular podcast topics 2022?

10 Popular Podcast Trends for 2022True Crime. From books and movies to documentaries and TV shows, true crime has cemented itself as the top binge-worthy genre – and podcasts aren't exempt. ... Chat Shows. ... Global News. ... Sports. ... Food. ... Paranormal Activity. ... Mythbusting. ... Arts and Culture.More items...•

What is the most popular podcast genre?

comedyIn October 2020, it was found that the most popular podcast genre in the United States was comedy, with 22 percent of respondents to a survey stating that they were very interested in podcasts designed to make them laugh. News podcasts and those based on true crime were also popular choices, as well as sport and health ...

How do I find my podcast niche?

Steps to Finding a Podcast NichePick a Subject You Love. Before you consider anything else, think about what you truly enjoy. ... Concentrate on Your Strengths. ... Select a Topic That People Will Enjoy. ... Avoid Niches With Too Much Competition. ... Consider How You Can Broaden the Topic in the Future.

Is podcasting too saturated?

While it might seem as if everyone is starting a show at the moment, data shows podcasting is growing every year, and it's far from peaking. So no, data doesn't support the claim that podcasting is oversaturated, but I get it. New shows seem to be popping out almost on a daily basis.

Are podcasts oversaturated?

Whereas in contrast, 80% of listeners will listen to an entire podcast episode, or at least the majority of it. This is another reason why you shouldn't dismiss podcasts as being oversaturated. If you're a brand or a business, a podcast could provide you with quality attention from your audience.

Is it too late to start a podcast?

In terms of podcasting, it's absolutely true. Ensure that your podcast is successful by knowing the benefits you want to see and understanding how you're going to get there. If you can identify your 'why,' it's easier to keep focused in the long term.

How is podcasting changing?

There, around 70% of the people are aware of the term 'podcast', more than 50% listen to a podcast on a regular basis and the numbers are only going up. The selection also continues to grow: Compared to 500 000 shows in 2018, the number increased to 800 000 podcast shows in 2019, according to Apple.

Are podcasts growing in popularity?

Podcast listener numbers will see significant growth this year as demand for on-demand audio has increased. In 2022, the number of monthly US podcast listeners will increase by 6.1% year-over-year (YoY) to 125 million.

What are three different trends you see among successful podcasts in recent years?

5 key podcasting trends from the Digital News Report 20191: Young people are very engaged with podcasts.2: Most people listen to podcasts at home.3: Just 8% of podcasts are listened to on a smart speaker.4: Most people listen to podcasts for personal interest, or to learn something new.More items...

Are podcast still a thing?

According to the latest count, there are now 48 million podcast episodes. And over 2 million active shows. And roughly 78% of the U.S. population is now familiar with podcasting. But the podcast industry is still growing...and changing.

Podcast Trends in 2021

Since the pandemic started, we have seen massive growth in podcasting. This growth has led to several new trends that are creating exciting opportunities for podcasters.

1 – The number of people listening to podcasts continues to grow

A new study expects 125 million people to listen to podcasts in 2022. Last year, it was close to 100 million. An expected 25% growth in one year is a huge number that creates a lot of potential.

2 – Tougher competition between podcast apps

Apple Podcasts dominated the podcast player world for many years. Things have changed, though, as apps like Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon, and Pandora have come into the market.

3 – Quality and consistency are becoming more important

When the number of podcasts went from 1 million to almost 2 million in just over a year, I believe that quality and consistency become that much more important. That doesn’t mean that your new podcast has to be absolutely perfect.

4 – The rise of live broadcasting

A fun new trend in podcasting is the rise of live broadcasting episodes through IG lives, Facebook live, YouTube, etc. I haven’t tried this out for my own podcast yet, but I have been a guest on other podcasts where the episode was live broadcasted and it was so much fun to engage with the audience in real time.

6 – Luminary is coming on the scene

Luminary is a subscription podcast network where subscribers pay a monthly fee and can access their database of shows. Think of it as the Netflix of podcasting. This is very interesting for podcast creators because it means new opportunities are coming for us to get paid for the content that we’re creating.

7 – The rise of cross-promotion to increase audience reach

Cross-promotion is a strategy to reach new audiences by partnering with an aligned brand. This could look like doing a podcast swap where you interview someone for your show and then they interview you in return for their show, giving you both exposure to new listeners.

How many podcasts are there in 2021?

There are 3,990,000 total podcasts registered, around the world. podcastindex.com – June 2021. Interestingly, there's a trend towards podcasts not being listed on Apple Podcasts, even though they were long the primary podcast directory.

How many people listen to podcasts in the UK?

25% of adults in the UK are regular podcast listeners. Weekly listening was only at 14% in 2019, and 18% in 2020, according to Rajar's Spring 2020 data, so this shows really good growth in UK listening numbers.

How much has Spotify dropped in 2021?

Overcast 1.2%. Interesting that Apple Podcasts dropped nearly 3% over only 6 months (from 32.3% in Dec 2020 to 30.5% in March 2021 to 29.8% in June 2021), while Spotify climbed nearly 4% in the same time, from 25.5% in Dec to 28.1% in March to 29.4% in June 2021.

Is podcast listenership growing?

The biggest takeaway for advertisers is certainly that podcast listenership is growing steadily, and is not showing signs of plateauing; in fact, within some demographics, it is clearly accelerating. And those that aren't, might be readily explained through effects of the Pandemic in 2020.

Is Spotify a podcast?

Spotify is Creating New Podcast Listeners. The next biggest takeaway is that Spotify is still a serious boon for listenership. Spotify's market share continues to grow, and current stats via Buzzsprout suggest that it will probably overtake Apple during 2021.

Why do podcasts need to be good?

Listeners are savvy, and they’re used to great shows. That’s why podcasts will have to put out high-quality, engaging content in order to compete. That means your episodes will need to be both valuable and well-produced if you’re serious about growing your audience.

Is Spotify the world's leading music streaming service?

In their own words, Spotify is trying to become the world’s leading audio platform. They may have started out in music streaming, but they’re clearly dreaming of a much bigger future.

Introduction

Podcasting is now a mature marketplace. Both in terms of the size and sophistication of the audience. And the range of different types of providers. This ensures a great user experience and a commercially viable marketplace. A key theme of the 2021 trends is that the podcast medium is now being treated and behaving like a mature marketplace.

Significant audience volumes globally

The total audience is projected to be at the 1 billion mark. With over 885 million people already listening to podcasts in 2018! Going forward, global monthly podcast listeners are expected to grow at 20% per year between 2020 and 2023. And to reach ~1.8 billion by 2023 [1].

Apple no longer uniformly dominates the podcast market

Podcasts have traditionally been associated with Apple devices. But, that is changing as new players enter the market, especially in Europe. Apple still dominates the US, but Spotify has become the primary podcast platform in Europe. In Germany and the UK, podcast listeners use Spotify (39% and 29%) as their primary podcasting source.

Business brands now entering the podcast space

Major businesses have become aware of the core role podcasts play in their customer’s media diet. And the unique capabilities the format offers both in terms of the audio format and the long-form nature of the content. A high proportion of the major corporations now have their own dedicated podcast.

Significant M&A activity indicates the market is maturing

M&A activity among the major players has spiked over the last year. With companies looking to secure original and exclusive content. As well as acquire production and hosting/monetisation capabilities. Big tech companies are looking to bolster their audio presence. And access new technology to support and monetise their podcasting endeavours.

Conclusion

Podcasting is now a major platform with a mature ecosystem. The key shifts are the major players bolstering their services. Business brands looking to establish their presence in this medium. As well as the continued audience growth and monetisation of the medium.

Will all those acquisitions pay off for Big Podcasting?

As you might recall, 2020 closed out with yet another flashy podcast acquisition. Right before the New Year, Amazon announced that it was buying Wondery for its Amazon Music service, where it will presumably be made to pump out original content rendered exclusively at some point to lure new users to the platform.

How will the relationship between creative workers and organizations change?

One of the more interesting stories last year revolved around the organizing efforts mounted by creative workers from the three acquired content shops at Spotify.

How will the audio community open back up post-COVID?

I hesitated to write this one up because, listen, who knows if the COVID-19 vaccination rollout will work out according to current estimated timelines.

Misinformation, content moderation, and platform responsibility?

As is my tendency, and given the general events of the past week, let’s end on a downer.

How many people listen to podcasts in the US?

37% (104 million) listened to a podcast in the last month – up from 32% in 2019 (Infinite Dial 20) 24% (68 million) listen to podcasts weekly – up from 22% in 2019 (Infinite Dial 20) 16 million people in the US are “avid podcast fans” (Nielsen Q1 2018)

How many podcasts were there at WWDC 2018?

To highlight the growth, Apple confirmed there were over 550,000 podcasts at WWDC 2018 in early June. An article published April 25, 2018, by FastCompany states there are: Over 525,000 active shows and over 18.5 million episodes.

When will the Edison Research Infinite Dial 2020 be released?

Updated stats: Edison Research Infinite Dial 2020 released March 19th, 2020. Q1 2018 report from Nielsen came out March 20, 2018. Total number of podcasts & episodes on Apple Podcasts updated April 2021. As new stats and reports come out, this post will be updated with the latest info on the podcast listener landscape.

How much will podcasts make in 2021?

Podcast ad revenue is expected to grow to $1.13 billion in 2021. A survey by Nielsen found that of 7000 US consumers, 78% don't mind ads or sponsorship messages in podcasts.

What is educational podcast?

Educational podcasts are a fast-growing genre that includes shows like TED Radio Hour, Freakonomics, and Radiolab. Shows in this genre tend to be framed by academic research, which 40% of listeners crave. 8. Listeners Use Podcast Content In New Ways.

Why do people listen to podcasts?

Research by Reuters found that people generally listen to podcasts for entertainment and learning. However, we're seeing audio content being used in completely new ways. Which is creating entirely new podcast categories. For example, listeners are increasingly turning to podcast to help boost their mood.

How much does Luminary charge for podcasts?

For example, Luminary (which we mentioned earlier), has a Netflix model. Instead of a free platform, Luminary charges users $4.99/month to access content. And they pay podcast hosts directly to create content for their platform.

How much money does Spotify invest in podcasts?

One way Spotify is attracting users is through exclusive content. So far, the company has invested $500 million in original podcasts. That includes Gimlet Media, the podcast publisher that Spotify bought for a reported $230 million —the largest deal ever in the podcasting industry.

What is a podcast swap?

Podcast swaps are when two hosts take turns interviewing each other. Then, each host simultaneously delivers the episode to their audiences. Podcast swaps help new listeners discover shows in their niche they may not have discovered on their own.

What is Podcorn sponsorship?

Podcorn is a marketplace for branded content podcast sponsorships. Instead of a CPM approach, sponsor fees are based on podcast niche, topic expertise, and length of brand integration. Podcorn also supports interview segments, roundtables, reviews, and giveaways.

1. True Crime

From books and movies to documentaries and TV shows, true crime has cemented itself as the top binge-worthy genre – and podcasts aren’t exempt.

2. Chat Shows

A perennially popular medium for radio and TV, chat shows have also become one of the most popular podcast genres. Many chatty podcasts balance light-hearted forays into the little things in life while also tackling big issues to give their shows depth and color.

3. Global News

In the past, global news was reserved for television, radio and newspapers, but global news podcasts are an increasingly popular podcast genre.

4. Sports

Sports podcasts are becoming a typical way to provide fans with the latest sports news, updates, inspirational content or tips. They allow listeners to tune in any time for game recaps and hot takes.

5. Food

While foodie culture was already thriving prior to the pandemic, we’ve recently seen an absolute boom in all things food-related, which leads us to our fifth trend – food podcasts.

6. Paranormal Activity

The allure of the supernatural is age-old. We love stepping into the unknown, hearing stories of things we can’t explain or that are beyond our understanding – which is why paranormal podcasts are having a moment.

7. Mythbusting

Another enticing topic perfect for podcasting is the intriguing concept of mythbusting. Made famous by the super successful TV show Mythbusters, this genre takes the most popular myths and urban legends and tries to debunk them. Mixing education with pop-culture and comedy, mythbusting content can be enjoyed by everyone.

US podcast audience statistics

Podcast listener numbers will see significant growth this year as demand for on-demand audio has increased. In 2021, the number of monthly US podcast listeners will increase by 10.1% year-over-year (YoY) to 117.8 million.

Growth of the podcasting industry

The podcast industry is in a particular moment of creative and innovative renaissance, from content creation by publishers and hosts, to listener discovery. And while podcasts have been around for nearly two decades, the format has only just entered the mainstream.

Podcast market projection statistics

Podcasts have been around for nearly two decades, but the format has come into its own over the last five years. As more and more podcasts have popped up, listenership has climbed.

Podcast advertising

The podcast audience is not only large and growing, but attractive: Listeners tend to be young, affluent, and educated, and generally open to advertising in podcasting.

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Links from This Episode

How Did Podcasting Grow in 2020?

Podcasting Trends For Apple, Spotify, and Amazon 📱

Podcasting Trends in Content Creation 🎧

Podcasting Trends in Marketing 📈

Podcasting Trends in Monetization 💰

  • 9. Annual podcasting ad revenue will top $1B dollars this year.
    No matter where you look, studies continue to show that listeners are receptive to podcast ads. Whether or not you personally find them annoying, they’re far less intrusive and frequent than TV and traditional radio ads. And when you add in the inherent trust listeners feel toward their favori…
  • 10. Many indie podcasters will experience a mindset shift around podcast monetization.
    When students ask me about podcast monetization, most are asking me about booking traditional sponsors. And there are now networks like Podcornthat make it easier than ever for new podcasts to find sponsors. However, I don’t personally believe it’s worth it unless you have enough ears o…
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