THE RISE OF THE
PODCAST
THE RISE OF THE
PODCAST
Podcasts has never been so popular. You only need to look at the stats to prove it. There are now over 10 million people listening to a podcast every week in the UK alone. Now go one step further and include the number of regular podcast listeners within the US, and this figure grows significantly to over 100 million.
Not only are more people now turning to podcasts, but the amount of time spent listening to them continues to grow. Edison Research found that in 2014 podcasts made up for 2% of people’s audio consumption… fast forward to 2020 and this figure has trebled to 6% (an average of 6 hours 37 minutes worth of listening every week). In fact, the medium has really started to steal some of the share from other forms of audio such as AM/FM Radio, Streaming Audio and Owned Music.
In response to the ever-growing demand from listeners, more and more podcasts are now being produced and launched every day. This very fact may put some people off from producing a podcast as they might feel it’s a channel that has become flooded with content. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Podcasting is in the very early stages of its lifecycle and by no means has anyone ‘missed the boat.’ To demonstrates this, let’s compare the number of blogs vs number of podcasts. Google claims to have indexed over 500 million blogs yet states that only around 2 million podcasts have been registered. This is a monumental difference and just goes to show the potential that podcasting can live up to – after all, the two are similar in many ways.
Audience Insight
So, the picture is clear… plenty of people are listening to podcasts. But what about the more important questions, such as…
- Who are the people listening?
- Where are they listening?
- How are they consuming?
- And even what kind of podcasts are they listening to?
Here are a few answers.
Who’s listening to podcasts?
Podcasts are a hit amongst younger audiences. In an Ofcom survey, 20% of 16-34 year olds said they regularly listen to podcasts. This gradually declines once you get into the older brackets, with 12% of 35-54 year old’s and 7% of 55+ saying they regularly listen.
Where do people listen to podcasts?
Recent listening figures were obviously significantly impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ‘stay at home’ message that came with it. Before the pandemic, the large majority of time spent listening to podcasts was when travelling / commuting or at home. RAJAR still reported that in 2020, 44% of podcast listening was done when travelling or driving, so although this is down on previous years, it’s still significant enough to suggest that this trend will somewhat return once the levels of travel and commuting increase.
How do people consume podcasts?
Within the UK, the most popular services for consuming podcasts are predominantly Spotify, Apple and BBC Sounds. The latter attracts a large proportion of individuals from an older age group (35 and over), whereas Spotify is the preferred choice for a younger audience of under 35’s.
According to RAJAR, the number one choice of device when listening to podcasts is the smart phone, making up for 79% of listening hours. Other devices which make up the remaining 21% consist of laptop, tablet and smart speaker. Trends show that the latter device is continuing to increase in popularity too.
What kind of podcasts are people listening to?
The most popular podcast genre among weekly UK listeners is ‘entertainment’, followed by ‘discussion and talk shows’, as well as ‘comedy.’ In fact, when comparing these genres with the podcast services outlined above, listeners typically use BBC sounds to consume discussion / talk shows or news and current affairs.
Hertfordshire’s newest podcast studio
Thinking of making a podcast of your own? Whatever it’s about, the best place to record is at the Herts Podcast Studio. Located in Harpenden (near the M1 and Luton Airport), the Herts Podcast Studio features the latest, high-tech audio equipment in a smart, professional working space. Whatever you need, consider it covered, with state-of-the-art facilities and an experienced team unparalleled outside of London.
The Herts Podcast Studio is ready and waiting to go right now in an environment that’s safe, secure and Covid-free. (Plus, at the Herts Podcast Studio it’s not just about podcasts either. From voiceovers and sound design to audio books and more, they can help with all aspects of recorded sound.)
Three packages, one place to choose
Our selection of packages are tailored to suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a standard recording session or a full podcast series with bespoke cover artwork and intro sound track, we’ve got it covered. Our dedicated team of producers and audio engineers will manage everything for you. From pre-record set-up to final edit, we’re here to help you every step of the way.
Why create a podcast?
Even after reading all of the insights and statistics outlined above, you may still be asking yourself, ‘why should I create a podcast?’ There are many good reasons – but here are the top three:
You can build a bond like never before
Podcasts enable you to build a genuine connection with your audience by providing an authenticity which relates to listeners. Also, not only is it great for building relationships, but the format lends itself to being easily digested. The content simply relies on someone listening. They don’t have to heavily concentrate like they would if they were reading a book.
The audience is there
As demonstrated in the figures above, the number of listeners and levels of consumption are continually increasing, meaning more people are now actively looking for more regular content to satisfy their growing podcast needs. More importantly, the ways in which people now consume content is less linear due to the acceleration of on-demand services. No longer are you expected to settle for what is simply available or in front of you at the time.
There is huge opportunity for growth in audio
The recent innovations in audio have been significant and the potential for growth amongst this creative medium is huge. Audio is following similar footsteps to video in that it is quickly evolving. For example, video traditionally took the form of a broadcast screen; however, this has developed into more sophisticated and smaller screens as smart phones have become more popular. As a result, video content has adapted to become much more varied to suit different channels and environments such as social media, ecommerce etc.
This very same shift is inevitable for audio. For example, traditionally audio took the form of broadcast radio, but this has gradually shifted to downloads and now streaming. Now that we are in a position to stream audio it opens up further avenues such as 3D audio, voice activated ads, dynamic audio, self-service audio and much more. With this boom in audio being so eminent, there has never been a better time to start producing content such as podcasts.
Book the Herts Podcast Studio now!
Don’t get left behind. If you’re interested in making your very own podcast, then look no further. The Herts Podcast Studio have the expertise to help you every step of the way, from initial strategy and idea generation, through to recording and editing, and even promotion. Our state-of-the-art facilities and team of podcasting pros will make your podcast sound better than ever and help you build a loyal base of listeners too.
Want to find out more? Check out our website or contact us on contact@hertspodcaststudio.co.uk
The Herts Podcast Studio: where sounds works.
Sources:
Wistia,
Edison research,
The Spring 2020 MIDAS Survey (Measuring Internet Delivered Audio Services),
Edison Research Share of ear study,
RAJAR