A recent study has revealed that there are around 3.5 million Australians who listen to podcasts, in what is becoming the fastest-growing on-demand audio medium in Australia.
The Podcasting Intelligence Report, conducted by Nova Entertainment, Acast and international research company Ipsos revealed that one in four people between the ages of 16-64 listen to podcasts, with 21 per cent of those people listening to more podcasts than they did 12 months prior to the study.
The ABC also conducts an annual Podcast Survey. Now in its third year, its survey of 2583 podcast listeners, conducted by ABC Audience Data & Insights, also revealed a rise in Australians listening to podcasts, driven largely by women listening to true crime tales.
Women also led an overall increase in podcast engagement, with around two-thirds (65 per cent) saying they listened to more podcasts in 2018 than in 2017. More than half of all male listeners (51 per cent) said the same.
Women were more likely to tune in to true crime stories, while men were more likely to listen in for laughs.
“Our appetite for podcasts continues to grow across multiple genres, led by compelling true crime stories with real impacts on injustice in our society,” said ABC Director of Specialist content Judith Whelan.
“At the heart of such podcasts are strong stories that engage listeners, no matter their gender. As Australia’s leading podcast producer, the ABC is proud to share such remarkable stories with listeners.”
Other findings from the survey included:
- nine out of 10 Australian adults (91 per cent) are aware of podcasts
- 59 per cent listened to more podcasts in 2018 than in the previous year
- The average listening time for those who listened to a podcast in the previous week is 6.1 hours, across an average of six podcast episodes and five series.
YourLifeChoices noticed that older Australians were largely ignored in these surveys, so we’re asking you about your attitude towards podcasts. Why not tell us what you think about this rapidly evolving medium in our Friday Flash Poll?
If you enjoy our content, don’t keep it to yourself. Share our free eNews with your friends and encourage them to sign up.
And of course, we welcome your opinions in the comments section below.
