Podcast Consumption Is Growing Fast

Podcast consumption in the U.S. has hit all-time highs across multiple metrics, according to Edison Research’s newly released The Podcast Consumer 2025 report. The study highlights both the continued expansion of audio podcast listening and the surging popularity of video podcasts, which are attracting a younger and more diverse audience.

Among Americans ages 12 and older, 73% have ever listened to a podcast, 55% have listened in the past month, and 40% have listened in the past week – all record highs. Time spent listening to podcasts has grown dramatically, with those ages 13 and older now spending a combined 773 million hours per week with podcasts – a 355% increase since 2015.

Video podcasts are playing a major role in reshaping the medium. The study found that 51% of Americans age 12 have watched a video podcast, while 37% have watched one in the past month and 26% in the past week. Video podcast viewers skew younger and more diverse than audio-only listeners.

“It feels as if some people are just now waking up to the opportunities in video podcasting,” said Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick, who presented the findings. “But I can assure you that the audience has been awake, eyes wide open and watching for some time now.”

Key insights from The Podcast Consumer 2025 include:

• High Engagement with Ads: 88% of weekly podcast listeners agree that hearing ads is a fair trade-off for free content, and 68% say they don’t mind hearing ads on podcasts.
• Attractive Consumer Profile: Monthly podcast listeners tend to be more college-educated and have higher incomes than the general population. They also show higher rates of business and home ownership.
• Diverse Audience: Podcast listening continues to rise across demographics, with 51% of Black Americans and 58% of Latino Americans age 12 reporting monthly podcast consumption.
• In-Car Listening on the Rise: 31% of U.S. adults who have been in a car in the past month say they’ve listened to podcasts in their primary vehicle. That number jumps to 44% among those using in-car infotainment systems like Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

The report draws on a combination of Edison Research datasets, including Edison Podcast Metrics, Share of Ear, The Infinite Dial, The Women’s Audio Report, The Gen Z Audio Report, and The Fandom Phenomenon, with support from sponsors such as Audacy, Cumulus Media, SiriusXM Media, and Wondery.