Acast’s Podcast Pulse 2024 report, conducted in partnership with Edison Research, indicates that niche podcasts with smaller audiences generate higher engagement rates and stronger advertising performance than mainstream shows.
The study finds that shows with fewer than 50,000 weekly listeners demonstrate a 35% increase in median visit rates and a 14% increase in median purchase rates compared to larger podcasts.
These niche shows typically maintain lower ad loads while achieving higher listen-through rates.
According to the research, 4 in 5 podcast listeners regularly tune into shows with narrow focus areas, such as hobby-specific content or specialized topics. These programs consistently outperform mainstream podcasts across several key metrics.
The data reveals that niche podcast listeners demonstrate stronger engagement patterns:
63% are less likely to skip advertisements
57% report paying more attention to ads
57% find advertising more relevant to their interests
59% indicate they are more likely to trust recommendations
The research identifies that niche podcast listeners are particularly active in community engagement, with one in three maintaining paid subscriptions or memberships. This group also demonstrates higher participation rates in online communities and merchandise purchases than mainstream podcast audiences.
The report documents that 88% of podcast listeners have taken action because of podcast advertising, rising to 94% among niche podcast listeners. These actions include:
69% discovering new brands
57% visiting brand websites
51% discussing brands with others
41% making purchases
40% using promotional codes
The study finds that 79% of media buyers agree that podcast advertising provides effective targeting methods. The research suggests that advertisers can achieve larger aggregate audiences and more efficient campaign performance by investing in smaller shows through audience targeting strategies.
Edison Research conducted the U.S. online study between August 14 and August 20, 2024, sampling 1,031 respondents aged 13 and older. Campaign performance analysis utilized Podscribe attribution data for Acast-hosted shows, examining 3,372 campaigns.
Media buyer insights were gathered through a survey distributed to Dentsu US media buyers in Q4 2024, providing additional perspective on industry adoption and strategy.
David Adler is an entrepreneur and freelance blog post writer who enjoys writing about business, entrepreneurship, travel and the influencer marketing space.
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Acast’s Podcast Pulse 2024 report, conducted in partnership with Edison Research, indicates that niche podcasts with smaller audiences generate higher engagement rates and stronger advertising performance than mainstream shows.
The study finds that shows with fewer than 50,000 weekly listeners demonstrate a 35% increase in median visit rates and a 14% increase in median purchase rates compared to larger podcasts.
These niche shows typically maintain lower ad loads while achieving higher listen-through rates.
According to the research, 4 in 5 podcast listeners regularly tune into shows with narrow focus areas, such as hobby-specific content or specialized topics. These programs consistently outperform mainstream podcasts across several key metrics.
Source: Podcast Pulse 2024, Edison Research. Monthly podcast listeners
Audience Engagement and Ad Reception
The data reveals that niche podcast listeners demonstrate stronger engagement patterns:
The research identifies that niche podcast listeners are particularly active in community engagement, with one in three maintaining paid subscriptions or memberships. This group also demonstrates higher participation rates in online communities and merchandise purchases than mainstream podcast audiences.
Source: Podcast Pulse 2024, Edison Research. Monthly podcast listeners
Advertising Impact
The report documents that 88% of podcast listeners have taken action because of podcast advertising, rising to 94% among niche podcast listeners. These actions include:
The study finds that 79% of media buyers agree that podcast advertising provides effective targeting methods. The research suggests that advertisers can achieve larger aggregate audiences and more efficient campaign performance by investing in smaller shows through audience targeting strategies.
Source: Podcast Pulse 2024, Edison Research. Monthly podcast listeners
Edison Research conducted the U.S. online study between August 14 and August 20, 2024, sampling 1,031 respondents aged 13 and older. Campaign performance analysis utilized Podscribe attribution data for Acast-hosted shows, examining 3,372 campaigns.
Media buyer insights were gathered through a survey distributed to Dentsu US media buyers in Q4 2024, providing additional perspective on industry adoption and strategy.
The full report is available at Acast.