A new survey from The Podcast Host reveals that show descriptions, episode titles, and publishing frequency are the top factors influencing listeners’ engagement with podcast content in 2024.
The research surveyed 166 respondents through the company’s content channels and newsletter and found that podcast descriptions rank highest in importance with a 3.7 out of 5 rating, followed by episode titles at 3.0 and release frequency at 2.8.
These findings remain consistent with the organization’s 2020 report, suggesting stable listener preferences over time despite industry changes.
Despite the industry’s emphasis on visual content, video presence, and host appearance ranked lowest among factors influencing listener decisions, scoring 0.6 and 0.7 out of 5, respectively. Social media presence also scored low at 1.4, while host recognition received 1.9 out of 5.
The survey reveals that 67% of respondents find it easy to discover new podcasts, while 27% report difficulties. For initial discovery, 50% of listeners turn to podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, 13% rely on other podcasts, and 12% seek personal recommendations.
Actual discovery patterns differ from stated preferences. When asked about their most recent podcast discovery, 19% found it through app browsing, 16% via creator social media posts, and 14.5% through mentions on other podcasts.
Once in their preferred apps, 70% of listeners use topic search functions to find new content, while 21.5% browse categories. Only 6% rely on algorithmic recommendations, and 2.5% use charts or featured sections.
The research indicates strong listener engagement: 40% give new shows up to 15 minutes to capture their interest, 29% complete a full episode before deciding to continue, and only 17% decide within the first five minutes.
Pertinently, a recent Acast 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.
Regarding content length, 53% prefer episodes between 15 and 60 minutes, while 32% have no length preference. Notably, 15% favored episodes over an hour, and zero respondents preferred episodes under 15 minutes.
On technical considerations, 63% of respondents accept “good enough” audio quality if the content meets their standards, while 37% prefer professional broadcast-level audio.
The research also addresses advertising tolerance, with 92% of listeners accepting ads within reasonable limits, 5% refusing to listen to shows with advertisements, and 3% actively enjoying relevant promotional content.
On that note, new Podscribe research reveals that mid-roll ad placements demonstrate superior performance, achieving a 0.35% visitor rate compared to 0.29% for pre-roll and 0.23% for post-roll positions.
Regarding back catalogs, 55% report that episode archives don’t affect their listening decisions, while 29% prefer shows with extensive back catalogs. Only 3% say they typically don’t engage with previous episodes.
The survey included three distinct audience segments: 56% identify as listeners, 25% are experienced podcasters who also listen, and 19% are listeners who are aspiring or early-stage podcasters.
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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A new survey from The Podcast Host reveals that show descriptions, episode titles, and publishing frequency are the top factors influencing listeners’ engagement with podcast content in 2024.
The research surveyed 166 respondents through the company’s content channels and newsletter and found that podcast descriptions rank highest in importance with a 3.7 out of 5 rating, followed by episode titles at 3.0 and release frequency at 2.8.
These findings remain consistent with the organization’s 2020 report, suggesting stable listener preferences over time despite industry changes.
Despite the industry’s emphasis on visual content, video presence, and host appearance ranked lowest among factors influencing listener decisions, scoring 0.6 and 0.7 out of 5, respectively. Social media presence also scored low at 1.4, while host recognition received 1.9 out of 5.
The survey reveals that 67% of respondents find it easy to discover new podcasts, while 27% report difficulties. For initial discovery, 50% of listeners turn to podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, 13% rely on other podcasts, and 12% seek personal recommendations.
Actual discovery patterns differ from stated preferences. When asked about their most recent podcast discovery, 19% found it through app browsing, 16% via creator social media posts, and 14.5% through mentions on other podcasts.
Once in their preferred apps, 70% of listeners use topic search functions to find new content, while 21.5% browse categories. Only 6% rely on algorithmic recommendations, and 2.5% use charts or featured sections.
The research indicates strong listener engagement: 40% give new shows up to 15 minutes to capture their interest, 29% complete a full episode before deciding to continue, and only 17% decide within the first five minutes.
Pertinently, a recent Acast 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.
Regarding content length, 53% prefer episodes between 15 and 60 minutes, while 32% have no length preference. Notably, 15% favored episodes over an hour, and zero respondents preferred episodes under 15 minutes.
On technical considerations, 63% of respondents accept “good enough” audio quality if the content meets their standards, while 37% prefer professional broadcast-level audio.
The research also addresses advertising tolerance, with 92% of listeners accepting ads within reasonable limits, 5% refusing to listen to shows with advertisements, and 3% actively enjoying relevant promotional content.
On that note, new Podscribe research reveals that mid-roll ad placements demonstrate superior performance, achieving a 0.35% visitor rate compared to 0.29% for pre-roll and 0.23% for post-roll positions.
Regarding back catalogs, 55% report that episode archives don’t affect their listening decisions, while 29% prefer shows with extensive back catalogs. Only 3% say they typically don’t engage with previous episodes.
The survey included three distinct audience segments: 56% identify as listeners, 25% are experienced podcasters who also listen, and 19% are listeners who are aspiring or early-stage podcasters.
Read the full report here.