Whether you are concocting a new recipe, baking your go-to chocolate cookies, or taking a 30-minute metro ride to another city, listening to a podcast is a way to kill time productively.
These days, people love to listen to shows more than watch. It makes sense–it’s easier this way.
Just put those headphones on and you’re in for the ride. With its growing popularity, exactly how many podcasts are in 2024?
How Many Podcasts Are There in 2024?
Curious to know how many podcasts are there today?
The latest statistics claim there are over 5 million podcast channels all across the globe.
This growth in channel population led to a sudden growth in the number of episodes which hit 70 million at the beginning of 2023.
Why Do People Listen to Podcasts?
Aside from the obvious reason that it’s an ongoing trend, there are a good number of compelling reasons why people listen to these episodes.
First, they are highly accessible. Most of the time, podcast platforms are preinstalled on mobile devices as Android’s parent company, Alphabet Inc, automatically installs the app on their devices.
The same goes for Apple Inc’s Apple Podcast. Moreover, Spotify is here, and it’s easy to pop in an interesting episode anytime and anywhere.
Second, they turn you into a multi-tasker. Podcasts are ubiquitous and require a bare minimum.
You can listen while driving to work or working on a garage project. No biggie. You get things done while learning something new at the same time.
Third, there are so many interesting topics. Podcast episodes range from simple book reviews to science-backed health advice.
Simply type the topic you want to know about and you will surely find many discussions related to it.
Number of Podcast Listeners Over the Years
The growing number of podcast listeners directly impacts how many podcasts are there today.
Here is a piece of information detailing the number of podcast listeners worldwide from 2019 to 2022.
- 2019 – there were 274.8 million podcasts listeners globally during the year
- 2020 – the number of podcast listeners significantly grew to 332.2 million during the pandemic year as people engaged in new entertainment avenues during the lockdowns
- 2021 – there were 383.7 million podcasts listeners globally during the year
- 2022 – there were 424.2 million podcast listeners globally last year. This number is almost twice the number of listeners recorded in 2019
Forecast from 2023 to 2024
Now that podcasting has sealed the deal as one of the most-preferred activities internet users love engaging in, the number of podcast listeners is forecasted to climb to 464.7 million by the end of 2023. This will further improve and hit a record high of 504.9 million in 2024.
Podcasting Revenue in the United States
Due to its undeniable popularity, podcasting is making a good lot of money!
The main revenue driver is advertising, with brands willing to spend on channels that can deliver impressive results.
Here is the data on podcast revenue in the United States from 2019 to 2024.
- 2019 – the annual revenue from the industry was $708.1 million during the year
- 2020 – the annual revenue from the industry was $842.3 million during the year
- 2021 – the annual revenue from the industry was $1.44 billion during the year
- 2022 – the annual revenue from the industry was $2.12 billion during the year
- 2023 – the annual revenue from the industry is projected to come to $3.08 billion for the year
- 2024 – the annual revenue from the industry is projected to come to $4.22 billion during the year
Podcast Per Country
The state of podcasting varies per country. Some have active listeners while others have fewer.
Below is data from Statista showing the percentage of respondents admitting to listening to a podcast episode in the past month.
- South Korea – 58% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Spain – 40% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Sweden – 36% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Australia – 33% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- United States – 33% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Italy – 30% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Canada – 28% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- France – 28% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Japan – 26% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- Germany – 22% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
- United Kingdom – 18% of survey participants say they have listened to a podcast episode in the past month
Aside from knowing how many podcasts are there in 2023, it is worth noting the market changed significantly in the past three years.
Apple Inc was the biggest market player in 2019 but lost much of its share to Spotify after the latter invested $1 billion in podcasting.
Here Is What the Podcast Market Looked Like in 2019:
- Apple Inc – the platform captured 26% of the entire industry during the year
- Spotify – the platform captured 15% of the entire industry during the year
- YouTube – the platform captured 14% of the entire industry during the year
Here is what the podcast market looked like in 2022:
- Apple Inc – the platform captured 24% of the entire industry during the year
- Spotify – the platform captured 24% of the entire industry during the year
- YouTube – the platform captured 16% of the entire industry during the year
Top Podcast Episodes Globally
Take a look at the top-performing podcast episodes in 2022:
- The Joe Rogan Experience – the channel averages 11 million listeners per episode on average
- The Daily – the channel averages 2 million listeners per episode
- This American Life – the channel was awarded as the best audio journalism by Pulitzer Prize in 2020
- Stuff You Should Know – the channel boasts 1,400 episodes discussing how every interesting topic works
- Pod Save America – the channel is the most-popular political channel globally
Conclusion
How many podcasts are there in 2023?
There are more than 5 million podcast channels and over 70 million episodes available for global listeners.
Podcasting has captured the hearts of many users for all good reasons: it is accessible, free, and insightful.
Check it out for yourself to know why people love it!
Sources
| The Podcast Host | Statista | HubSpot |
| Podcast Insights | Route Note | Chartable |
| Riverside | Edison Research | Podnews |
| Statista | Spotify | Forbes |
| Podnews | Neil Patel | Medium |
Jonathon Spire
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