The Steady Climb of Podcasting's Reach in the U.S.

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, November 10, 2022 | 3:57pm CT

Edison Research

The first year of Edison Research's Share of Ear survey in 2014, podcasts reached 5% of those in the U.S. ages 13 and over. As of the most recent data, Q3 2022, podcasts now reach 18% of those ages 13+ in the U.S. -- a 20% increase in the past year (Q3 2021), and over three times the reach of 2014. The years in between show a steady growth in reach.

There have been some fluctuations in podcast reach from quarter to quarter as Edison saw in the beginning and end of quarantine restrictions, but the following graph shows the climb of podcast reach should be encouraging for the podcast community.

Podcasts account for 24% of all spoken word audio consumption among those ages 13+ and time spent with podcasts has grown. But the graph isn't about time spent with podcasts. It shows that more people are listening to podcasts, which means content creators have the opportunity to grow time spent listening with those people.