Quick Answer
How many podcasts are there in 2025?
There are over 5 million podcasts worldwide.
Podcasting is quickly becoming more popular. It’s an industry that is rapidly growing as more people rely on podcasts for their engagement, entertainment, education, and news.
How many podcasts are there in the world in 2025?
We will answer that question in this detailed list of podcast statistics for 2025.
We will be covering the data according to preferences by audience, podcast market share, advertising statistics, podcast marketing, and other aspects of this industry by the number and forecasts.
Key Podcast Statistics 2025
- Over 70% of the American population knows about at least one podcast.
- There are over 5 million podcasts worldwide.
- 7% of respondents in a survey reported that they listen to a podcast every day.
- Men tend to listen to podcasts more than women do.
- At least 33% of people who don’t listen to podcasts aren’t sure how to get started.
- iTunes is home to over 700,000 podcasts.
- Taking out an ad for a podcast can cost you $50 per slot.
- Business-centric podcasts drive sales.
- The average person spends seven+ hours per week on listening to podcasts.
- By 2028, podcasting is expected to become a $94.88 billion industry.
- It’s been projected by Insider Intelligence that by 2022, podcast listeners will account for 20.3% of all internet users, which translates into 424.2 million listeners across the world.
Detailed Podcast Statistics for 2025
Due to the increased demand for podcasts, more small businesses and individuals are jumping on the podcast wagon. Also, larger companies are working on developing their own shows.
Even podcast hosting websites are gaining popularity among companies and individuals that want to be heard, or to make a difference in the world.
Because of this, we don’t lack data for this detailed list of statistics.
Learning about what it takes to podcast and to be involved in podcasting is interesting enough, but the following statistics are nothing short of captivating.
It’s important to read through these stats with some understanding so you can utilize them for your purposes.
Podcast Listeners Statistics in 2025
How many podcasts are there in 2025?
How many people listen to podcasts?
This section will answer those questions and go over some basic statistics related to podcast listeners for 2025.
1. Over 70% of The American Population Knows About at Least One Podcast.
We can gather from this statistic that 70% of Americans passively or actively listen to at least one podcast, leaving the other 30% actively not listening to them.
Are you familiar with podcasts? Do you have a favorite podcast?
2. There Are Over 5 Million Podcasts Worldwide.
There are over 5 million podcasts worldwide.
This number represents the number of existing podcasts worldwide, but not the number that have ever existed.
It may seem like an overwhelming number of podcasts, but don’t let that deter you from starting your own.
Due to the growing popularity, there is still room for a podcast that can impact the world.
3. It’s Been Projected by Insider Intelligence that By 2022, Podcast Listeners Will Account for 20.3% of All Internet Users, Which Translates Into 424.2 Million Listeners Across the World.
This number represents all internet users at the global level.
The overarching forecast comes from data involving internet users from any age group who engage with podcasts whether via download or streaming.
The countries from which this data is retrieved includes the U.S., U.K., Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, China, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, France, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Norway respectively.
4. the Average Person Spends Seven+ Hours per Week on Listening to Podcasts.
Stats show that the average number of hours an individual spends listening to a podcast is seven or more hours.
This is another metric you can use when you’re developing your plan and strategy for your own podcast. It’s also a good metric to analyze for your existing podcast.
5. by 2028, Podcasting Is Expected to Become a $94.88 Billion Industry.
Insider Intelligence reports that by 2028, podcasting is expected to be a $94.8 billion industry based on existing stats, historical data, and growth over the years.
Podcast Audience Statistics in 2025
In this segment of the article, we will provide statistics related to the podcast industry’s audience.
6. 7% of Respondents in A Survey Reported that They Listen to A Podcast Every Day.
According to one eMarketer survey, around 7% of respondents claimed they listen to a podcast daily.
If you’re looking to produce an engaged and loyal podcast following, you will need to create content of value that keeps people coming back for more.
As a matter of fact, it’s well known that engaged listeners are what make a podcast successful.
7. Men Tend to Listen to Podcasts More than Women Do.
This is a general statistic related to podcast audience demographics. Males tend to find podcasts more appealing than women. In 2019, 54% of men listened to podcasts compared to 46% of women.
So, if you are planning to create your own podcast, take this into consideration.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some targeted content for the female market, but the fact that men listen to them more than women isn’t likely to change in the near future.
8. At Least 33% of People Who Don’t Listen to Podcasts Aren’t Sure how To Get Started.
We know that 70% of people are familiar with podcasts and actively or passively listen to them. We also know that 30% of people actively do not listen to them.
So, now we have 33% of people who have never listened to a podcast don’t even know how to get started.
They may not understand technology enough to seek out podcasts, or they just don’t know where to find them.
This makes a good opportunity for anyone who wants to create a short course about podcasts, how to find them, and how to get started listening to them.
9. Nearly 64% of Podcast Listeners Do so During Their Work Commute via Laptop or Smartphone.
This statistic makes sense, especially for people on the go. It’s likely that they not only listen to them on their work commutes back and forth, but also while traveling alone.
Commuting is an excellent opportunity for listeners who can focus on the content being provided.
This data should give you a good idea about the best times to launch podcasts. During morning work commutes, or maybe even after work commutes going home?
10. 3 in 4 American Podcast Listeners Do so To Learn Something New.
The popularity of podcasts relies on the diversity of valuable information provided to their consumers.
Educational content tends to be a huge market with three of four people listening to learn new things.
11. Around 40% of Those Interviewed About Podcasts Said that They Are Too Long Based on Each Episode.
What this is stating is that 40% of interviewed podcast listeners said that the per-episode length is too long. This is one of the biggest issues facing producers and podcast listeners today.
Listeners tend to desire podcasts that have plenty of value, but that doesn’t take long to consume.
Producers are concerned that their listeners aren’t willing to commit to a show due to being too long.
How do venues hold up in the podcast market share?
Apple has a podcasting app, in case you didn’t know that already, that is the first contact for most podcast users.
Currently, statistics show that Apple is the go-to podcast space with around 26.9% of all monthly listeners, second only to Spotify.
What should this tell you? Perhaps your podcast should be hosted on Apple Podcasts to get exposure to new listeners.
13. iTunes Is Home to Over 700,000 Podcasts.
Did you know that iTunes has been hosting podcasts since the start of this industry. It’s still considered one of the primary podcast hosting platforms.
This platform has managed to consistently evolve and adapt to keep its standing in the podcast realm.
Spotify boasts a 31.7% market share in the podcast space, beating Apple’s market share in 2021.
Podcast producers should be considering Spotify’s space due to its large audience and potential. eMarketer predicted that Spotify would overtake Apple’s market share, and it did.
Currently, Google Podcast only has 2.9% of the podcast market share. That could grow in the coming years due to Google’s influence.
Producers should keep their eyes on this platform and adjust their strategy as needed.
Podcast Advertising and Marketing Statistics 2025
How much does it cost to advertise on podcasts and podcast websites? Let’s see the numbers on that.
16. Taking out An Ad for A Podcast Can Cost You $50 per Slot.
If you want to grab some good advertising that actually gets attention, you can advertise on a podcast.
Doing so may cost you a minimum of $50 per slot, but it will get you a lot of traction. It’s a very good way to use highly targeted advertising.
Keep an eye on the various industries and niches in podcasts when you are considering buying ads on them.
17. Social Media Represents Around 64% of How People Find out About Podcasts.
Social media is a main driver for podcast marketing. Social platforms open doors to target audiences that also help you generate feedback while building good relationships with followers and fans.
This can result in more loyal listeners. The best social media platforms right now are Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for building a following.
It’s wise to keep your eyes open as social media platforms grow and watch where people flock.
18. About 32% of Marketers Say Advertising on Podcasts Is Effective and Drives Expected Outcomes.
Podcasts statistics show that they are no longer just for geeks and techies. Podcasting is now crossing industry barriers, expanding into finance, entertainment, and other niches.
Finance and entertainment podcasts tend to get great returns for advertisers. More than a third of marketers find value in podcast ads.
You should consider adding podcast advertising to your budget, taking great care in creating your strategy to reach out to your target audience and placing multiple repeated ads to ensure success.
It’s obviously worth it, and that trend is not expected to wane.
Podcast Subject Matter
This is where we find out how the topics of podcasts rank for sales and listeners this year.
19. Business Podcasts Boost Sales.
Statistics show that business-centric podcasts see a 14% increase in purchase intent for brands. This means that it’s worth it to advertise on business-related podcasts.
Business podcasts may not offer a lot of entertainment value, but they do attract an audience that is ready to buy products or services that fix business problems.
Thus the higher success rate among brands and businesses that advertise on these podcasts.
20. 36% of People Claim They Cannot Find Podcasts on The Topics They Are Interested In.
Oddly, podcasts don’t cover every topic you can imagine. You would think that there would be podcasts on just about every subject, but there isn’t.
Also, it could be due to the inability to find their topics. Perhaps some podcast topics are not easy to find.
Perhaps you can keep your eye on this area of opportunity to create podcast topics that have yet to be produced.
How Can You Create a Successful Podcast?
You should know these key elements of creating a successful podcast before you start planning or strategizing. Take these aspects under advisement.
Determine Your Target Audience
Your first order of business is to determine your target audience. You need this information to determine how to reach out to them and to create a strategy.
It’s well worth your time to do the research about your podcast to find out your target audience and how and where to reach out to them.
You need to know where your target audience hangs out. Consider looking at statistical data for social media and age, gender, location, and other pertinent demographics.
Brainstorm for an Idea for Your Podcast
There will soon be a lot of competition out there, so you need to start brainstorming for ideas for your podcast. Avoid regurgitating content that has been done hundreds of times.
You need unique and interesting podcast ideas that will grab the attention of your target audience and keep them coming back for more.
You Need Good Recording Equipment
You shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to get started with your podcast. Finding quality equipment is crucial.
You need a high quality microphone and a quiet environment. Other factors for recording include volume, tone, and clarity.
This initial investment doesn’t have to break the bank, but you should buy the best you can afford and upgrade as you can.
This is vital to the sound quality, which can make or break your podcast. People want to be able to hear it well and understand it.
You may also want to invest in good audio editing software to hone your audio, fix errors in the recording, and stabilize the sound when needed.
Find a Good Podcast Hosting Platform
You will need to invest in a proper podcast hosting platform if you want to enjoy the perks of professionalism.
You also need a way to make sure people know how to find your podcast and where they can subscribe.
Spend some time on researching various podcast hosting platforms and their features. Learn the pros and cons of each platform to find the one suited to you.
Alternatively, you can host your podcast on your website. This will rely on your website traffic.
Learn Social Media
You will need to know how to harness the power of social media to get exposure to your podcast. If you aren’t sure where to start, find an influencer that can help you get started.
You will have to pitch your podcast to them and pay them if they choose to promote your podcast to their audience.
That said, you should not only use social media to boost your presence.
Your website should have SEO content to drive first-page rankings on search engines, and you can also advertise or market on free and paid websites.
Turning Your Passion into Profits
Your passion for a topic plays a role in attracting and keeping your audience. People listen to podcasts based on their own interests in a topic.
Therefore, you should show passion in your topic. Be sure to speak with passion on the topic and show you actually care about it.
There are far too many podcasts out there with hosts that are mediocre at best with little to no passion for the subject matter. People aren’t interested in that.
Listeners can tell when you’re just hosting podcasts for the money over your own passion for the topic. They will not stay or come back if they can read that in your voice.
Number of Episodes
Since the statistics show that people prefer shorter podcasts with more value, it’s important to decide how many episodes per podcast.
This requires planning. If your show can be divided up into episodes, or even seasons, you can keep people coming back for more in the series.
Your number of podcasts will be determined by your niche, the interest in the topic, and how much content you can manage to keep interesting.
Consider Podcast Profitability
People listen to podcasts according to their interest in a topic. So, you need to know the difference between getting brand awareness and making money with your podcast.
Both brand awareness and earning revenue are important, but you should be able to discern between the two before you invest your time and effort into developing a podcast.
A successful podcast will get the attention of brands that will sponsor your show, which will help them promote their services and products to your target audience.
Naturally, your target audience will also be the brand’s target audience.
These brands are willing and able to pay podcasters to promote their offerings. So, consider this when creating your podcast.
Choose the Format for Your Podcast
Until recent years, most podcasts were audio-only formats. Now, with visual content being so popular, podcasts can be in video format as well.
You have some listeners who just want the audio format and others who want the video format. So, some listeners only and some watchers and listeners.
This is where knowing your target audience is important. You will need to format your podcasts according to how your target audience prefers. You can find out this information by looking at your competition.
Besides audio and video formats, there are other formats to consider according to your niche and audience.
Learn these formats and create your podcasts accordingly. It will also make a difference in the equipment you need.
Also, if your audience crosses formats, you may want to think about creating them and editing them to fit various formats if possible.
Marketing Your Podcast
Tackling podcast ads is challenging and relies on your target audience. As a result, you need to be confident of your objective and goals before investing in podcast advertising.
Make a budget and stick to it, making adjustments once you have a handle on it.
Your primary goal should be to attract traffic to your podcast and then converting that traffic into buyers that help you generate income.
You can create loyal customers by creating a great podcast.
Remember that people listen to podcasts for the quality of the content, not the quantity of the content. So, create high-quality content.
Insights Into Podcasts
One way to better understand your target audience is within the analytics and your own statistics.
The above statistics can help you understand what drives podcasts, but your own data will help you understand what drives your success.
A solid understanding comes from insights that help you create loyal podcast fans who are more apt to listen to your whole episode without fast forwarding or skipping portions of it because they are getting a lot of value from your content.
Only a few businesses can claim they have a masterful handle on understanding their listener’s insights better than other businesses.
If you can get a handle on these insights, you will gain the edge.
Podcast Genres for Consideration
If you’re interested in creating a podcast, you should consider the popularity of entertainment and music podcasts. However, there are other genres in the podcast realm to consider.
Here are some for your consideration.
- True Crime: This is not about television crime shows, but podcasts based on real crimes.
- Cooking: Cooking podcasts have a lot of potential for providing recipes for listeners.
- Education: If you’re a person who loves to teach, this is a great niche for a podcast with a great audience of learners.
- Technology: Let’s face it, technology is a very popular topic, so this would be perfect for providing tricks, hacks, tips, and more to techies.
- Relationships: This is another popular niche where you can help people with relationship issues if you are good at that.
- Sports: Sports fans are a unique audience with a lot of passion, so if you’re passionate about sports, this is a great genre.
- Money: Money can fall into the business category of podcasts, which statistics show a lot of promise. There are a lot of interesting and unique content ideas in the money, debt, finance, etc. arenas.
- Political: Another passion genre for podcasts is in politics. You can build a solid political fan base by being consistent with your content.
- Comedy: People love to laugh, so there is a huge audience for a comedy podcast. If you’re funny, they will listen.
Keep in mind that some of these podcast genres rely on age demographics, which requires knowing how often to add new content.
Uploading consistent weekly, monthly, or more frequent podcasts will be determined by your audience.
How Technology Helps Podcasters
Smart speakers and Google Home are two technologies that have changed lives.
With these new technologies, like Google Home, Amazon Echo, and other smart devices, it’s easier and more convenient than ever to listen to podcasts all around the home.
Conclusion
The aforementioned podcast statistics in 2025 are indicative of the huge market available for podcast producers. If you are on the fence about starting your own podcast, this is a great time to do it.
By using the above stats, you can harness the power of data to create and empower your own podcast and build a loyal following.
Do your research first, then develop a plan and strategy, and get out there and show your passion through a podcast.
You can start by considering your own favorite podcast and go from there. If you already have a podcast, these statistics for 2025 can help you improve your content and hone it for your audience.
There is so much potential right now in making money by creating podcasts.
Just remember that it’s more about passion and interesting content than it is about making money. That attitude will take you further than one of greed.
