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5 Things You Didn’t Know About Podcast Listening

In case you don’t know, I co-host a podcast called Geeks&Beats wherein Michael Hainsworth and I gab about the intersection of music and technology. New episodes are posted Wednesdays on iTunes and through Stitcher.  Because I have skin in the game, I’m always interested in learning how to maximize our podcast audience.  Lori forwarded me this article on podcasting listening habits that will help me and anyone else in the podcast fight.

1. Podcast listeners are huge fans of audio. In fact, they are voracious consumers of audio, spending 45% more time with audio than the U.S. average. Edison defines audio broadly, including AM/FM radio, satellite, streaming, music videos on YouTube and a consumer’s personal music.

2. The shorter the podcast, the greater the likelihood a podcast is fully completed. People have short attention spans, and podcasts have to grab and engage quickly.

3. Mobile is the primary way to listen to podcasts. Wherever and however people are listening to podcasts, the mobile device is the primary origination source.

4. Podcast users listen to podcasts the most, followed by AM/FM radio. Podcast listeners are not just all in on audio, they are all in on podcasts. For many, podcast listening moves ahead of other forms of audio.

5. Podcast “primetime” listening happens in the middle of the day and late at night. One of the most interesting findings of this report is at-home listening at night is primetime for podcasts, which more than illustrates that podcasting is not just an in-car or mobile activity.

That’s only the briefest outline from the article. The full thing can be accessed here–and pay close attention to the graphs and charts.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39348 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

2 thoughts on “5 Things You Didn’t Know About Podcast Listening

  • Total crap. Basically:
    Radio consultants discover podcasting, understand nothing about podcasting but understand they can make a cut from it, plan to wreck it for everyone.

    There goes podcasting.

    Reply
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