January’s Australian Podcast Ranker reveals that the country’s love affair with podcast listening continues to deepen and that listeners flocked back to radio podcasts.
Australians downloaded 90.3 million podcasts in January, up 33% from January 2023’s 67.8 million and up 11% from 81.2 million downloads in December 2023. The Australian Podcast Ranker — launched in 2019 by Commercial Radio & Audio and Triton Digital — continues to expand its catalog of podcasts and producers, with eight new publishers, including ABC, added in 2023.
The Shameless podcast produced by Shameless Media was ranked highest for listeners for January, with 516,000 listeners, up three places from December 2023.
In January, people returned to listening to podcasts produced by breakfast radio shows back from the summer break, including the Kyle & Jackie O Show, up 12 places to number six, Ben Fordham Live, up 33 places to 42 and The Marty Sheargold Show, up 89 places to 53.
“Today is Valentine’s Day, and one relationship that we know will last the distance is our collective affection for podcasts,” said Ford Ennals, CEO of CRA. “Australians remain loyal to the podcasts they love, and we are quick to embrace great content and new shows.”
The Australian Podcast Ranker Top Publishers category expanded from 15 to 20 publishers in January, with Clubby Sport at 19 and Equity Mates Media at 20, joining the highest-ranked producer line-up for the first time.
In January, the top three publishers by listeners were ARN/iHeart, LiSTNR and ABC.
“Australian listeners are dedicated to homegrown as well as the best of international content. Four of the five most listened-to podcasts in January were produced locally,” Ennals said.
“The Australian Podcast Ranker continues to showcase a vibrant picture of the podcast industry in Australia,” said Richard Palmer, VP of market development and strategy, APAC, for Triton Digital. “Fueled by the launch of new titles and the return of popular radio shows, listeners show a strong appetite for fresh and familiar voices. We’re excited to see that the detailed audience insights Triton Digital provides are helping producers and broadcasters tailor their content to an increasingly engaged and discerning audience in a dynamic podcast landscape.”
The January 2024 Australian Podcast Ranker is available here.
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