Australian podcast listenership surges

The Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) and Triton Digital this month unveiled their inaugural Bi-Annual Podcast Report, shedding light on the rapidly expanding podcast landscape in Australia. The comprehensive study, which complements the existing Triton Podcast Monthly Ranker, offers a wealth of insights into listener demographics, popular genres, and consumption patterns across the country.

According to the report, which analyzes data from January to June 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, podcast listenership in Australia has experienced a significant uptick. The average monthly listeners grew by 8.7% year-over-year, underscoring the medium's increasing popularity among diverse demographic groups.

One of the most striking findings is the substantial growth in podcast adoption over the past two years. The report indicates a remarkable 42% increase in listenership during this period, as measured by the Triton Australian podcast ranker. This surge in popularity spans across all demographic segments, including those who were previously slower to embrace the medium.

The study identifies Society & Culture as the leading podcast genre in Australia, followed closely by True Crime, News, Comedy, and Sports. These top five categories dominate the audio landscape, catering to a wide range of listener interests and preferences.

Delving deeper into demographic trends, the report reveals that individuals aged 18-34 are more likely to be new podcast listeners. This insight suggests that younger audiences are driving much of the recent growth in the medium's popularity.

Gender preferences in podcast consumption also emerged as a notable aspect of the study. According to the findings, male listeners tend to gravitate towards Comedy and Sports content, while female audiences show a stronger affinity for True Crime, Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Education, and Kids/Family genres.

The report provides valuable information on listening habits throughout the week. Thursday emerges as the most popular day for podcast consumption, with strong listenership maintained throughout the weekdays. The data indicates that podcast engagement remains relatively consistent from Monday to Friday, with a slight dip observed during weekends.

Time-of-day analysis reveals that the peak listening period occurs between 7 AM and 9 AM. This morning time slot accounts for the highest percentage share of podcast listening, suggesting that many Australians incorporate podcasts into their daily routines, possibly during commutes or morning activities.

The study also sheds light on the devices used for podcast consumption. An overwhelming 93.4% of podcast listening takes place on mobile devices, highlighting the medium's portability and convenience. Desktop/laptop computers and smart speakers account for smaller portions of the listening share, emphasizing the on-the-go nature of podcast consumption.

In terms of podcast popularity and reach, the report provides insights into download metrics. Notably, 60% of podcasts in the study boast more than 100,000 downloads, with 24.5% achieving over 1 million downloads. This data underscores the significant audience reach of many Australian podcasts and the potential for content creators to engage with large listener bases.

The Bi-Annual Podcast Report incorporates data from various sources to ensure comprehensive and accurate insights. These include:

Triton Podcast Monthly Ranker: A system that tracks and ranks podcasts based on performance metrics.
Triton Digital's IAB Tech Lab Certified Podcast Metrics: Measures server log data from Triton Digital and other industry hosting platforms, adhering to IAB Tech Lab standards.
Demos+ Solution: Offers detailed demographic and audience characteristics for podcasts of all sizes.
Demos+ Survey: Conducted in collaboration with Signal Hill Insights, this survey collected data from 6,000 monthly podcast listeners in Australia between April 2023 and June 2024.

The report also provides valuable insights into the characteristics of podcast listeners compared to the general population. Some key findings include:

Podcast listeners are 17% more likely to have made an online purchase in the past month.
They are 18% more likely to plan an international holiday in the next 12 months.
Listeners show a 16% higher likelihood of having shopped for fashion in the past month.
There is a 24% higher probability of podcast listeners having a household income of $200,000 or more.

Genre-specific listener profiles offer additional insights:

Sport podcast listeners are 93% more likely to be males aged 35-44.
Comedy podcast audiences are 47% more likely to be males aged 18-34.
News podcast listeners are 38% more likely to be females aged 25-54.
True Crime podcast enthusiasts are 59% more likely to listen to 5+ hours of podcasts per week.
Society & Culture podcast listeners are 32% more likely to have a pet.

These findings paint a detailed picture of the Australian podcast landscape, offering valuable information for content creators, advertisers, and industry analysts alike.