Discover the latest spoken-word audio statistics in our roundup. This data will help you get to grips with listener habits and demographics, so you can build an effective audio content strategy for 2022.

(Want to know why listening is so popular all of a sudden? Check out our article: Why audio content is booming)

We keep this article up to date with the latest research, facts, and numbers, covering:

Digital audio statistics

74% of listeners consume audio during their daily ritualsā“ā°

40% of listeners plan their day and activities around audio contentā“ā°

Digital audio listening experiences have a stronger impact on the brain than radio listening experiences: +25% emotional intensity, +28% detail memory, +25% global memory, and +23% engagementĀ²Ā¹

47% of Americans pay for an audio subscriptionĀ³

The average US adult listens to digital audio for 1 hour 34 minutes a dayĀ²

Spoken-word audio accounts for 28% of digital listeningā“

73% of over-12s in the US (approximately 209 million people) listened to online audio in the past month (2022)Ā²ā¹:

  • 87% of 12 to 34-year-olds
  • 81% of 35 to 54-year-olds
  • 52% of 55 and overs

67% of over-12s (approximately 192 million people) in the US listened to online audio in the last weekĀ²ā¹

71% of over-12s in Australia listened to online audio in the last week, listening for an average 13 hours and 31 minutesĀ³āø

Listened to online audio in the past month (2021)Ā²āø:

  • UK (16+), 75%
  • Australia (15+), 73%
  • Canada (18+), 71%
  • South Africa (15+), 61%

Listened to online audio in the past week (2021)Ā²āø:

  • UK (16+), 66%
  • Australia (15+), 66%
  • Canada (18+), 61%
  • South Africa (15+), 52% ā€” listening for an average of 6 hours and 20 minutes

Audio hardware statistics

The number of smartphone subscriptions worldwide increased by 71% from 2017 to 2021, to 6.3 billionĀ³āµ

Global annual headphone sales increased by 51% from 2016 to 2021, to 1.3 billionĀ³ā¶

35% of over-12s in the US own a smart speaker (2022)Ā²ā¹

Who listens to spoken-word audio?

45% of the 13+ US population listens to spoken-word audio daily

75% of the 18+ US population listens to spoken-word audio each monthā“

The average over-13 in the US listens to 1 hour and 4 minutes of spoken-word audio every dayĀ³ā¹

46% of the 13+ US population listen to spoken-word audio daily:Ā³ā¹

  • They listen to an average of 2 hours 19 minutes every day
  • They spend more time with spoken-word audio than with music (51% vs 49%)

Share of US digital listening time spent listening to spoken-word audio (as opposed to music)

ā€ƒin 2022:Ā³ā¹

  • Total: 29%
  • On a mobile device: 34%
  • By age: 13 to 34 (26%), 35 to 54 (30%), 55 and over (32%)

ā€ƒin 2021:ā“

  • By gender: Men (32%), women (24%)
  • By ethnic group: White/other (29%), African-American (22%), Hispanic/Latino (27%)

51% of US spoken-word audio listeners reported listening more in 2021 than they did five years previouslyā“

Why do people listen to spoken-word audio?

Monthly listeners cite the following reasons for listening to spoken-word audioā“

  • the ability to multitask (71% ā€” the most popular reason)
  • it allows them to process information more efficiently (60%)
  • they like listening more than reading (56%)
  • they need to stay informed (52%)

Among this audience:

  • 58% say spoken-word audio is a productive use of their time
  • 54% say spoken-word audio engages their mind in a more positive way than other media
  • 45% say spoken-word audio is becoming a more important part of their life

How and where do people listen to spoken-word audio?

54% of spoken-word audio listeners in the US mainly listen at home, 30% in the car, 13% at work, and 3% elsewhere

48% in the US listen via AM/FM radio, 22% via podcasts, 10% via audiobooks, 20% via other platformsā“

47% in the US listen on an AM/FM radio receiver, 31% on a mobile device, 9% on a computer, 4% on a smart speaker, 9% on another deviceĀ²ā“

54% in the US listen at home, 30% in the car, 13% at work, and 3% elsewhereĀ²ā“

Searching the internet is the most common way for US listeners to discover new spoken-audio content, with 59% having done soā“

49% of US spoken-word audio listeners listen exclusively alone, while 51% sometimes listen with othersā“

News audio publishing statistics

80% of news leaders will put more resource into podcasts and digital audio in 2022

80% of news leaders will put more resource into podcasts and digital audio in 2022Ā²ā·

The most popular spoken-word audio topic in the US is news/information, with 56% of listeners having consumed this type of contentā“

40% of spoken-word audio time in the US is spent listening to news or informationĀ³ā¹

News podcasts make up 7% of all those produced but account for 30% of top podcast episodes in the US

News podcasts make up 7% of all those produced but account for 30% of top podcast episodes in the USāµ

Daily news podcasts make up 1% of all those produced but account for 10% of top podcast episodes in the USāµ

43% of daily news podcasts take the format of a deep dive, 24% a news roundup, 20% a micro bulletin, 14% an extended chat (US, UK, Australia, Sweden, France, and Denmark)āµ

The Daily, a podcast published by The New York Times, averages four million downloads a dayā¶

The Intelligence, a podcast published by The Economist, reaches around 2.5 million listeners per week.Ā³Ā³

29% of podcast listeners in the US would like to see more news/current events/politics podcasts

29% of podcast listeners in the US would like to see more news/current events/politics podcastsĀ³Ā²

Listened to a news podcast last week:Ā³ā¹

  • Age 18 to 24: 13%
  • Age 25+: 31%

News is the top genre for US podcast advertisers, accounting for 19% of revenueā·

There were 51,406 news podcasts launched worldwide in 2020āø

Podcast statistics

40% of millennials and Gen Zs rank their trust in podcasts higher than their average trust in traditional media sourcesā¹

25% of podcast listeners in the US and 14% in the UK said they are very or somewhat likely to pay money for a podcast in 2022Ā³ā·

As of June 2022, there are over 67.4 million episodes on Apple PodcastsĀ³ā“

Proportion who subscribe to audiobook or podcast services in the UKāø:

  • 18ā€“24s (21%)
  • 25ā€“34s (18%)
  • 35ā€“44s (13%)
  • 45ā€“54s (12%)
  • 55 and overs (5%)

Podcast awareness (2021)Ā²āø:

  • Australia (15+), 92%
  • Canada (18+), 78%
  • USA (15+), 78%
  • UK (16+), 71%
  • South Africa (15+), 48%

How many people listen to podcasts?

31% of people across 22 countries have listened to a podcast in the last month

34% listened to a podcast in the last month (2022): South Korea (52%), Ireland (46%), Sweden (44%), Norway (42%), Spain (41%), Chile (41%), USA (37%), Canada (36%), Switzerland (35%), Argentina (34%), Australia (33%), Singapore (33%), Denmark (32%), Austria (31%), Netherlands (30%), Finand (30%), France (29%), Italy (29%), Belgium (29%), Germany (29%), Japan (27%), UK (25%)āø

Listened to a podcast last week (2021)Ā²āø:

  • USA (15+), 29%
  • Australia (15+), 26%
  • UK (16+), 25%
  • Canada (18+), 23%
  • South Africa (15+), 20% ā€” listening to four episodes on average

29% of people across eight international markets listened to podcasts in the past weekĀ²Ā²

95 million monthly active users in India (20% of the online population aged 12+) has listened to a podcastĀ²āµ

280 million monthly active users in China (62% of the online population aged 12+) has listened to a podcastĀ²āµ

53% of US podcast listeners listen weeklyĀ¹Ā¹

62% of over-12s in the US have listened to a podcastĀ²ā¹

Who listens to podcasts?

US monthly podcast listenersĀ²ā¹:

  • By gender: 53% men, 46% women, 1% other
  • By age: 47% aged 12 to 34, 33% aged 35 to 54, 20% aged 55 and over
  • By ethnic group: 59% white, 16% African-American, 16% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 6% other

US monthly podcast listeners by generation: Gen Z (37%), Millennials (45%), Gen X (23%), Boomers (25%)Ā¹ā¹

UK weekly podcast listeners by generation: Gen Z (32%), Millennials (38%), Gen X (16%), Boomers (9%)Ā²ā°

South African monthly podcast listenersĀ²āø:

  • By age: 51% aged 15 to 34, 38% aged 35 to 54, 11% aged 55 and over

How and where do people listen to podcasts?

In the US, podcast listeners listen mainly through YouTube (26%), Apple Podcasts (22%), Spotify (17%), Google Podcasts (14%), Pandora (10%), NPR app or website (9%)Ā¹ā°

In the UK, podcast listeners listen mainly through Spotify (30%), BBC Sounds (27%), Apple Podcasts (20%), YouTube (14%), Audible (8%), Google Podcasts (8%), or a news website/app (5%)āø

In Germany, podcast listeners listen mainly through Spotify (25%), YouTube (19%), ARD Audiothek (12%), Apple Podcasts (11%), Audible (9%), Google Podcasts (8%), or a news website/app (8%)āø

In Spain, podcast listeners listen mainly through YouTube (30%), Spotify (26%), iVoox (19%), Google Podcasts (13%), a news website/app (12%), Audible (7%), or Apple Podcasts (7%)āø

In Australia, podcast listeners listen mainly through YouTube (26%), Spotify (25%), Apple Podcasts (23%), ABC app or website (22%), Google Podcasts (14%) Podcast Addict (8%)Ā¹ā°

Main ways in which people discover new podcasts (USA/Europe)Ā¹ā°:

  • Recommendations from friends/family/work colleagues (37%/32%)
  • Searching the internet (27%/39%)
  • Recommendations or advertisements via social media (25%/27%)
  • Recommendations via my usual podcast app (24%/20%)
  • Recommendations or advertisements on other podcasts (21%/17%)
  • Promotions for podcasts via radio or TV (17%/15%)
  • Recommendations in newspapers/magazines (12%/14%)

Among US adults who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month, 30% have listened to podcasts in the carĀ¹

Among weekly podcast listeners in the US (Q4 2021)Ā²ā¹:

  • 20% most often listen in the car, 59% at home
  • 13% most often listen on their desktop/laptop computer, 73% on a smartphone

Where monthly podcast listeners in South Africa (Major Metro Commercial Population, 15+) typically listenĀ²āø:

  • 76% at home
  • 13% at work
  • 4% in a vehicle
  • 7% other

Where monthly podcast listeners in Australia (12+) have listenedĀ³āø:

  • 83% at home
  • 60% in a car/truck
  • 50% while walking around/on foot
  • 29% while riding public transportation
  • 27% at work
  • 19% at a gym/while working out

Podcast advertising statistics

US podcast advertising revenues exceeded $1.4 billion in 2021 and are expected to exceed $4 billion by 2024ā·

  • Revenue has grown faster than the total internet ad revenue market (72% vs 35% year-on-year)
  • Most ads (55%) are 16 to 30 seconds long
  • Pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads account for 32%, 64%, and 4% of revenue respectively

In 2021, online audio generated $3.5ā€“4 billion of revenue in ChinaĀ²āµ

Audio article statistics

69% of millennials and 61% of Gen Zs think audio formats are one of the greatest ways to tell storiesā¹

62% of millennials and 52% of Gen Zs think audio amplifies more diverse perspectives than traditional mediaā¹

Zetlandā€™s paying members consume 80% of articles via audioĀ¹Ā²

66% of people surveyed said there's too much visual stimulation in today's media landscape, and that audio provides a nice escape from itĀ²Ā¹

BeyondWords AI audio article statistics

Audio article listeners are 32% more likely to engage in multiple sessions than non-listeners

Non-listeners spend an average of 30 seconds on-site, whereas listeners stay for 322 seconds (+973%)Ā¹Ā³

Non-listeners visit 1.17 pages on average, whereas listeners visit 1.39 (+19%)Ā¹Ā³

Listeners are 32% more likely to engage in multiple sessions than non-listenersĀ¹Ā³

Returning visitors are 38% more likely to press play than new visitorsĀ¹Ā³

The average new user who doesnā€™t engage with audio spends 2 seconds on-site, while the average new listener stays for 225 seconds (+11,150%)Ā¹Ā³

18 to 34s are 1.5x more likely to press play than 25 and oversĀ¹Ā³

35 to 54s who press play stay on-site for 9x longer than those who donā€™tĀ¹Ā³

55 and overs who press play visit 1.5x more pages than those who donā€™tĀ¹Ā³

Audiobook statistics

44% of UK adults listened to audiobooks in their spare time in 2021

44% of UK adults said they listened to audiobooks in their spare time in 2021, with 27% listening at least once per weekĀ³ā°

  • 72% said listening keeps their brain stimulated
  • 70% said listening makes them feel less stressed and anxious
  • 67% said listening cheers them up when they're feeling down

8% of adult British readers typically consume books into audiobook formatĀ¹ā“

  • 6% (16 to 24), 13% (25 to 39), 7% (30 to 55), 6% (55 and over)
  • 9% male, 7% female

In the UK, there were 24 million audiobook purchases in the 12 months to June 2021, accounting for a 6% share of the book marketĀ²ā¶

54% of the US population (aged 12+) has listened to an audiobookĀ²ā“, and 56% of listeners are under the age of 45Ā¹āµ

US publishers' audiobook revenue grew 12% in 2020 to $1.3 billionĀ¹āµ

55% of US listeners say they listen most of home, while 30% typically listen in the carĀ¹āµ

38% of US audiobook listeners are subscribed to at least one audiobook serviceĀ¹āµ

Business professionals cite listening to storytelling (26%) and accessibility/time-saving (26%) as the top benefits of audiobooksĀ¹ā¶

Most business professionals listen to audiobooks while driving (31%), doing housework/DIY (25%), exercising (18%) or walking (10%)Ā¹ā¶

Radio statistics

89% of the UK population listens into radio every week, with listeners tuning in for an average of 20.2 hoursĀ¹ā·

Speech radio stations reach 33% of UK adults every weekĀ²Ā³

80% of the adult population in Ireland tunes into radio every day, listening for a total of 13.1 million hoursĀ³Ā¹

88% of adults in the US listen to radio every week, with listeners tuning in for an average of 12.2 hoursĀ¹āø

77% of people across eight international markets listened to radio in the past weekĀ²Ā²

69% of South Africans (Major Metro Commercial Population, 15+), listened to radio in the last weekĀ²āø

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Sources

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