The benefits of podcast advertising

Listenership is on the rise globally and users engage more with podcast advertising than they do with ads on other platforms

Key points:

• The number of podcast listeners is expected to grow to more than half a billion in 2024.
• The levels of engagement and affinity with podcast advertising are much higher than those for other forms of advertising.
• Research in Germany found that 80% of podcast listeners trust that the hosts of their favourite podcasts recommend relevant and high-quality products.

Podcast advertising offers marketers a high return on investment, as research shows high levels of engagement and affinity with podcast advertisements.

Podcast listenership has been on the rise globally. Figures from Backlinko show that 464.7 million people globally listened to podcasts in 2023, a figure that is expected to grow to 504.9 million in 2024. At 40%, the US has the largest number of podcast listeners as a percentage of internet users. This is followed by Sweden (34.6%), Norway (34.2%), Australia (33.2%) and Canada (32.8%).

In the US, podcasts are most popular among adults below 44 years of age, with those in the 18-24 age group and 25-34 bracket respectively garnering a 25% and 50% higher share of the monthly adult podcast listening audience than its share of the US general adult population, data by Triton Digital found. Meanwhile, those in the 35-44 age bracket have a 43% higher share. The study also found that US podcast listeners are more likely to be male, diverse (with Hispanic and Black/African American adults over-indexing), affluent and highly educated.

In the UK, those aged between 35-54 make up the biggest share of podcast listeners, at 38%, the Ofcom MIDAS report shows. This is followed by the 25-34 bracket (23%), the 55+ age group (22%) and, lastly, the 18-24-year-olds (17%). Similar to the US, men listen to podcasts slightly more than women (58% versus 42%). Furthermore, 68% of UK podcast users listen to the whole episode.

Advertising opportunities

Not only are podcasts a growing medium across audiences globally, but research has revealed that the levels of engagement and affinity with podcast advertising are much higher than those for other forms of advertising.

A survey by Podstars among 1,300 podcast listeners in Germany found that 82% listens to podcasts at least once a month, with 21% listening daily. Its Podcast Survey 2024 also highlighted listeners’ views on advertising: 81% of those who had heard podcast advertising appreciated discovering new products through it, while 80% trust that the hosts of their favourite podcasts recommend relevant and high-quality products.

Similar levels of high engagement were found by a study by Acast and Differentology in the UK, which found that 64% of weekly podcast listeners agree that podcast adverts stand out and have more clarity than music and radio advertisements, with 54% describing podcasts as engaging. When asked nine questions about the ads they’d been played, 35% of respondents were able to recall and correctly answer at least three questions for host-read podcast advertising, and 36% paid attention to the generic podcast advertising.

With their increasing reach and high engagement levels, podcasts have become a vital part of the media mix. But marketers looking to maximise the benefits of podcast advertising should ensure that their product and messaging is in line with the topic and sentiment of the podcast that runs their advert.