Infinite Dial Finds Monthly Podcast Listening Now at 37%

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, March 19, 2020 | 2:01pm CT

Edison Research and Triton Digital

Podcasting awareness and consumption in the U.S. continue to rise, according to the Infinite Dial 2020 from Edison Research and Triton Digital. Seventy-five percent of Americans age 12+ (approximately 212 million people) are now familiar with podcasting, up from 70% in 2019, and 37% (104 million) listen monthly, up from 32% in 2019. This continues the growth trend that The Infinite Dial has measured since 2009.

"Podcasts now reach over 100 million Americans every month," said Edison Research SVP Tom Webster, "and are attracting an increasingly diverse audience. Also, with 62% of Americans now saying they have used some kind of voice assistance technology, audio is becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives."

In addition, the Infinite Dial also found that 62% of those in the U.S. age 12+ use voice-operated assistants, and 45% of those in the U.S. age 12+ have listened to audio in a car through a cell phone. This year's study also continues the legacy of measuring developing technologies, with the finding that 18% of Americans age 18+ own a car with an in-dash information and entertainment system.

"We are proud to once again unveil the latest insights and trends around media usage and consumption in the U.S.," said Triton Digital President of Market Development John Rosso. "The study findings provide Advertisers and the industry at large with valuable insight into the ongoing evolution of devices, content, and formats that Americans use to consume news and entertainment."

Other findings include:

• Growth in smart speaker ownership as a result of multiple devices in households. In 2020, smart speaker households owned an average of 2.2 of the devices, up from an average of 1.7 just two years ago.

• Thirty-nine percent of men and 36% of women age 12+ in the U.S. are monthly podcast listeners, which is more balanced than the 36% of men and 29% of women who were monthly listeners in the 2019 study.

• Thirty-two percent of those in the U.S. age 12-34 use Facebook most often, down from 58% five years ago. Twenty-seven percent of those in the U.S. age 12-34 use Instagram most often, up from 15% five years ago.