Triton Digital's report reveals that podcast listeners are younger, more educated, more affluent and increasingly diverse. — AFP Relaxnews
Podcasts are still all the rage, and their popularity shows no signs of stopping. In 2024, Americans flocked to platforms to listen to the latest audio broadcasts. And according to Triton Digital's report, YouTube is far ahead of the competition.
YouTube, which made its reputation on hosting videos, has managed to retain its prime place in the hearts of US podcast listeners. In 2024, the platform captured 33% of all listening, a significant increase on 2021's 26.9%. Back then, YouTube was already the most popular platform for listening to podcasts, according to Triton Digital's "US Podcast Report”.
This steady progression shows that YouTube still dominates the podcasting world. In July 2024, Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights' Podcast Download Spring 2024 Report placed the streaming platform at the top of the most used in the US.
Triton Digital's report reveals that podcast listeners are younger, more educated, more affluent and increasingly diverse. In 2024, 44% of the US population listened to a podcast every month, marking 23% growth over three years and almost 10% over the past year.
When it comes to younger listeners, while YouTube is a choice platform for 18-34 year-old podcast listeners (39%), a greater proportion of this age group turns to Spotify (51%).
True Crime appeals to women
The most popular podcast genres in 2024 are unsurprisingly News (25% of downloads), True Crime (19%) and Comedy (13%). Women account for 67% of True Crime listeners, while men are more likely to turn to Comedy (61%) and News (56%) podcasts. Women are more interested in Society and Culture themes (54%).
"2024 marked another year of remarkable growth for the podcast industry, with listenership broadening across demographics and becoming more mainstream than ever,” said Daryl Battaglia, SVP Measurement Products & Strategy, Triton Digital in a press release.
“As new audiences dive into podcasts and spend more time listening, fueling deeper engagement, genres such as True Crime, Kids & Family, and History are driving the highest back catalog consumption, creating untapped opportunities for programmatic advertising. At Triton Digital, we remain committed to providing deep insights into listener behavior and platform preferences as this dynamic medium continues to evolve.”
The NPR News Now podcast remains the most listened to, while Crime Junkie’s Serial Killer: The Alphabet Murders Part 1 episode was the most downloaded. The podcast Murdered: JonBenét Ramsey was also a resounding success, with the highest number of downloads in the first 30 days.
YouTube, with its ability to combine video and audio, has won over an increasingly large and diverse audience. This trend shows that podcasting is far from having reached its peak and that some of its success is due to video. Not surprisingly, since 42% of Americans prefer video podcasts. – AFP Relaxnews
