Who Listens to Podcasts?
The number of monthly podcast listeners in the United States is projected to increase by 4.3% in 2024, to 136.8 million. But who exactly are they? In other words, who listens to podcasts? To gain deeper insights into the US podcast audience, we delve into their age demographics.
Podcast listener demographics by age: key takeaways
- Across the different age groups, young adults aged 18 to 29 are the most active podcast listeners.
- Two-thirds (67%) of adults aged 18 to 29 say they have listened to a podcast in the past year.
- Nearly half (48%) of adults aged 18 to 29 say they tune in to podcasts at least a few times a week.
Podcast audience: demographic breakdown by age
|
Age brackets |
Percentage of US adults in each age bracket who have listened to a podcast in the past year |
|---|---|
|
18–29 |
67% |
|
30–49 |
58% |
|
50–64 |
42% |
|
65+ |
28% |
According to a recent analysis by the Pew Research Center on the consumption of podcasts across different age groups, young adults appear to tune in to podcasts more often than their older counterparts.
Its research shows that 67% of young adults aged 18 to 29 say they have listened to a podcast in the past year. This is more than two out of every three. This figure falls to 58% for adults in the 30 to 49 age group.
The breakdown of podcast listener demographics shows that listening declines significantly within older age brackets, falling to 42% among individuals aged 50 to 64 and further to 28% among American adults aged 65 and above.
Podcast audience demographics: ages of weekly listeners
|
Age brackets |
Percentage of US adults in each age bracket who listened to podcasts multiple times a week |
|---|---|
|
18–29 |
48% |
|
30–49 |
45% |
|
50–64 |
35% |
|
65+ |
27% |
A parallel trend is observed when analyzing the age demographics of weekly podcast listeners. Listening is highest among young adults aged 18 to 29, with nearly half of them (48%) saying they listen to podcasts at least a few times a week. This dips slightly to 45% for adults in the next age group of 30 to 49.
Just over one in three adults (35%) between the ages of 50 and 64 listen to podcasts at least a few times a week; this number falls to 27% for adults aged 65 and above.
Podcast demographics: actionable data
If you’re thinking about increasing your brand’s reach via podcasts, understanding podcast listeners’ demographics isn’t sufficient. It’s equally important to grasp the motivations behind why people tune in to podcasts. This insight, especially regarding different age groups, can help you to devise a more targeted and effective strategy.
The same research on the demographics of podcast listeners and their preferences shows that the majority of young adults aged 18 to 29 tune in for entertainment and to have something to listen to while carrying out other tasks.
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Meanwhile, adults in the 65+ age category appear to be more inclined toward podcasts for learning purposes—61% cite listening to learn something new.