Podcast Listening Among Latinos Hits Record High

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, August 16, 2022 | 2:15pm CT

Edison Research

The Latino Podcast Listener Report 2022 from Edison Research finds that 59% of U.S. Latinos age 18+ have ever listened to a podcast, a high mark for the measure. Just over half (51%) of U.S. Latinos have ever listened to a podcast in English, and 33% have ever listened to a podcast in Spanish. The U.S. Latino Podcast Listener report was commissioned by Adonde Media, LWC Studios, Libsyn, PRX, SXM Media, was conducted by Edison Research.

Forty-seven percent of Latino podcast listeners are women, marking the highest portion of female listeners of any year of the study. This year's study goes beyond basic demos and now includes measures such as self-identification as part of the LGBTQ+ community and religion. Seventeen percent of Latino monthly podcast listeners identify as LGBTQ+.

Video podcasts are popular among the U.S. Latino population. Seventy-six percent of U.S. Latino monthly podcast listeners consume podcasts with video component where they actively watch the video while listening. Sixty-six percent consume podcasts with video where they play the video in the background or minimize the video on their device.

Latino listeners are engaged with advertisers. Seventy-six percent of U.S. Latino monthly podcast listeners have gathered more information about a company or product as a result of hearing a sponsorship or ad on a podcast with a Latino host -- 74% have recommended a product to a friend or family member as a result of hearing a sponsorship or ad on a podcast with a Latino host. Over half (53%) of U.S. Latino podcast listeners say they prefer to hear ads in both English and Spanish.

"Latinos in the U.S. control an impressive $1.9 trillion in purchasing power, and today's data demonstrate how advertisers who support Latino podcast content are benefitting, while those who don't are missing out," said Edison Research Senior Director of Research Gabriel Soto.

When asked which Latino music artist they would most want to hear host their own podcast, Shakira takes the top spot at 44% followed by Jennifer Lopez at 40%, Selena Gomez at 37%, and Bad Bunny at 32%.

"Podcasting is attracting a growing, younger and more diverse audience, and Latinos represent a significant swath of this uptick. As a Latina, I'm excited to see the availability of more quantifiable and nuanced research on our community and their listening behaviors and preferences, which is invaluable for driving the podcasting industry forward," said Liberated Syndication Inc. Community Manager Elsie Escobar.

Other key findings from the study include:

• 66% of U.S. Latino monthly podcast listeners have listened to a podcast with a Latino host in the last month, up from 62% last year

• 29% of U.S. Latinos born outside of the U.S. have listened to a podcast in the last month, compared with Latinos who were born in the U.S., of which 37% have listened to a podcast in the last month

• 52% of U.S. Latino monthly podcast listeners have used a promotional or discount code mentioned in the podcast they regularly listen to