Podcast audience listens to average of five weekly

•  New podcast research offers deeper insight into Australian podcast audiences

New research released to coincide with the OzPod 2016 podcasting conference last Friday offers new insight into the listening habits of Australian podcasters.

The research indicates a high level of engagement with podcasting, with an average of 5.5 podcasts per week per respondent.

More than 1,100 people completed the ABC Audience Insight Survey on the ABC Yourspace platform in August 2016. They were surveyed about the scope and variety of their listening habits, including ABC and non-ABC podcasts.

Research highlights include that:
•  On average, podcast audiences listen to an average of 5.5 podcasts per week. Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) listen up to 11 podcasts per week.
•  News, Current Affairs & Politics is the genre of podcasts most widely listened to (59%).
•  An average of 80% of podcast audiences listen the whole way through their chosen podcasts.
•  Evening is the most common time to listen to podcasts with 47% of podcasters, who listened in the last week, listening in the evening (M-F). 44% listened in the afternoons (weekends).
•  Smartphone is the preferred device to listen to podcasts for 1 in 2 respondents; rising to 70% among 14-34s.
•  The majority of respondents have been listening to podcasts for more than 3 years.
•  Home is the place where podcasting happens most, with 76% of respondents listening there within the past month.
•  Trialling new podcasts occurs regularly with 1 in 3 listening to a new podcast in the past week.
•  1 in 2 respondents indicated they discovered new podcasts via word of mouth recommendations.
“Podcast audiences are telling us they’re listening more and they’re listening longer,” said Linda Bracken, ABC Radio’s head of content & digital. “It’s great to see the level of discovery that is happening, with 1 in 3 respondents trying new podcasts each week. We know that better content, more awareness and easier access are the factors driving the growth in listening. This kind of podcast insight is very difficult to access in Australia so we’re pleased to have it. One of the issues for discussion at OzPod 2016 will be accurate and timely metrics for the benefit of the entire podcast industry.”