Where Are Listeners Accessing Podcasts?

July 23, 2019

This article is included in these additional categories:

Digital | Industries | Media & Entertainment | Mobile Phone

Podcasts continue to grow in both familiarity and listenership among Americans, with a survey finding that about half of the respondents (ages 12 and older) reporting that they have listened to a podcast. Not only are people listening to podcasts, but they are also listening frequently, with a new study [download page] from Westwood One reporting that, on average, listeners are spending a little more than 7 hours per week enjoying podcasts, with “Power Listeners” spending an average of nearly 12 hours listening in a typical week.

A separate study by Westwood One from late last year found that about half (46%) of weekly podcast listeners immediately listen to a podcast after it’s been downloaded. But what platforms are listeners using to access their favorite podcasts?

About two-fifths (41%) of the more than 1,400 US adults (18 years old and older) who listen to podcasts at least once a month say they are currently accessing podcasts through Apple Podcasts (iTunes/Apple Podcasts). One-third (33%) of respondents are currently using Spotify for podcasts, closely followed by those respondents who access podcasts through Google Podcasts (Google Play/Google Podcasts) (32%).

The percentage figures above indicate that many podcast listeners do not limit themselves to just one podcast platform or app. So where do they turn more frequently? The answer is – largely the same places.

Just as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts are the top three platforms for those respondents currently accessing podcasts, they are also the top three platforms in regards to those that are used frequently. Some 29% of respondents say they “frequently” access podcasts through Apple Podcasts followed by Spotify (22%) and Google Podcasts (20%).

Long-time podcast listeners (those who have listened for 4 or more years) tend to prefer Apple Podcasts over other platforms, with 44% of these “Podcast Pioneers” accessing podcasts through Apple platforms compared to that of Google Podcasts (28%), Spotify (24%) and Soundcloud (19%).

By comparison, “Podcast Newcomers” (those respondents who started listening to podcasts in the past 6 months) are more varied in the platforms they use. While Apple Podcasts is still the most used (40%), Google and Spotify are very close behind (39% and 35%, respectively).

For more details about podcasts, you can access the report here.

About the Data: Analysis is based on a survey of 1,407 US adults (ages 18 and older) who listen to podcasts at least once a month. The survey was conducted between March 5-14, 2019.

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