Who listens to podcasts?

Podcasting’s big promise is the relatively intimate connection that exists between podcasters and their audience… an audience that is not just passively listening between traffic updates as they commute… an audience that has taken action to hear or watch a specific show… an audience that cares about the subject matter… an audience that has found exactly what they want!

Today it is possible to find literally tens of thousands of podcasts, on thousands of subjects. Listeners and viewers are able to choose content that speaks directly to their specific interests.

Podcasting’s interpersonal nature and people’s passion for a given niche topic just go hand in hand. This natural, conversational connection provides a unique opportunity for sponsors to participate in the community dialog. As a result, podcasting makes it easier than ever before for advertisers to affordably achieve an emotional connection between listeners and their brand.

The Profile of the Podcast Audience*

Twenty-six percent of Internet users consume audio and video podcasts on a monthly basis. Below we will contrast the profile of these 51 million Americans compared with the 144 million Internet users who do not access podcasts. The differences are striking.

Monthly podcast consumers are more likely to be male (60%) while those Internet users who do not regularly stream are more likely to be female (56%). Advertisers wishing to target men who are hard to reach with many traditional media should consider Internet broadcasts. One-third of all online American men regularly consume audio and video podcasts.
Monthly podcasts consumers are distributed nearly evenly from age 12 to 54, while those who do not stream tend to be older (25 to 64). While the overall podcast segment is 26% of those online, it delivers a high concentration of persons in the 12- to 34-year-old demographic. Advertisers seeking to target these consumers should give podcast advertising serious consideration.
Monthly podcast consumers are more educated and upscale compared to the rest of the Internet population. Fifty-four percent of monthly podcast consumers have at least a college degree versus 42% for those who do not regularly consume streaming media. Fifty percent of monthly podcast consumers have an annual household income of $50K+ compared to 38% for the rest of Internet users. Seventeen percent of podcast consumers have an annual household income of $100K+ versus 9% for the remaining Internet audience.
The podcast audience is more likely to have broadband Internet access at home and at work. Among podcast consumers, 52% have broadband at home compared to only 23% of Internet users who do not use podcasts. Eight in 10 podcast consumers have broadband at work compared to 58% of the rest of those online.
The podcast audience is far more likely to have multiple computers in their house. Nearly half of podcast consumers have two or more PCs in the house compared to only one-quarter (27%) of Internet users who do not listen or watch podcasts.
The podcast audience is more likely to buy and try new products and services. Advertisers promoting new products and services should consider podcast advertising. Twenty eight percent of podcast consumers say they are first to try new products and services compared to only 17% of the rest of Internet users. Nearly half of Internet users who do not use podcasts (49%) say they are the last to try new products and services.
*Audience profile courtesy of Arbitron/Edison Media Research Internet and Multimedia 12: The Value of Internet Broadcast Ad 2004.

Sales Contact

Lee Gibbons

email: lee(at)podango.com 801-318-6000