A new global study by podcast company Acast, released for International Podcast Day on September 30, 2024, highlights the growing influence of podcast advertising worldwide.

The research, conducted in August 2024 using Attest, surveyed 2,600 weekly podcast listeners aged 18-64 across 13 countries. The study divided markets into two categories: established markets (USA, UK, Sweden, Canada, and Australia) and emerging markets (India, Brazil, Singapore, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Netherlands, and Spain).

Key findings reveal that more than half of daily podcast listeners worldwide have made a purchase after hearing an advertisement in a podcast.

Source: Acast

In emerging markets, daily podcast listeners are already more likely than those in established markets to have purchased because of a podcast ad. This suggests potential for significant growth in ad spending as podcast consumption rises in these regions.

Podcast listeners in established and emerging markets spend significant time with the medium. The trend is expected to continue, with over half of listeners in emerging markets anticipating an increase in their podcast consumption in the coming months.

Podcasts vs. Other Formats

The study finds that podcast ads outperform other audio formats in terms of listener engagement. Consumers are 10% more likely to listen to podcast ads than radio ads and 12% more likely to listen to streaming music ads.

Source: Acast

The report indicates that podcasting is attracting listeners from other media formats. In established markets, 44% of radio listeners who expect to decrease their time spent with radio anticipate increasing their time with podcasts. This figure is 16% higher than the average across all respondents in the study.

Additionally, 53% of daily podcast listeners in established markets report paying for fewer TV streaming services than they did a year ago, up from 42% of weekly podcast listeners.

Podcast Listening Habits and Discovery Tools

The study also analyzes listening habits across different markets. In emerging markets, podcasts are more commonly used while commuting and performing daily tasks than in established markets where relaxation is a primary use case.

Social media platforms and YouTube have emerged as key discovery tools for podcasts globally.

Source: Acast

In emerging markets, YouTube is the most commonly used platform for listening to podcasts. The report finds that 71% of listeners in emerging markets have watched a video podcast before, comparable to 72% in established markets.

The Host-Audience Connection

The research highlights the strong connection between podcast hosts and their audiences. 

In established markets, more than half of listeners feel that their favorite podcast hosts are like friends. This sentiment is expected to grow in emerging markets as podcasting becomes more prevalent.

Live events are becoming increasingly popular in the podcast ecosystem, particularly in the United States. The study reports that 24% of podcast listeners in established markets have attended a live podcast event.

Source: Acast

Co-listening, or listening to podcasts with others, is more common in emerging markets than established ones. The 25-44 age group is most likely to co-listen, with many parents listening to podcasts with their children.

The report also notes a trend of listeners seeking content from other countries. Canadian listeners are the most likely to listen to podcasts from another country.

In emerging markets, there is a strong desire for additional content from favorite podcast hosts. The study finds that 49% of listeners would consider paying for extra content from their preferred hosts.

“While podcasting is still comparatively new in emerging markets, our research shows just how quickly it’s evolving in these regions and catching up to more established regions,” Acast CEO Ross Adams said in a press release. 

Adams added that engagement with podcast creators beyond audio creates infinite opportunities for brands to reach highly engaged audiences worldwide.

Acast reports hosting 125,000 shows worldwide with approximately 400 million monthly listens. The company has sales teams in 15 countries and offers various targeting and performance solutions for podcast advertising.

The full report is available here.