Cumulus Media has published the autumn 2022 edition of Podcast Download — an in-depth report of weekly podcast listeners in the United States. The report, published in conjunction with Signal Hill Insights, highlights trends from prior studies and examines new topics such as co-listening among parents with children and listener perceptions of brand safety and content appropriateness. The report also includes insights into how national brands and media agencies perceive podcasts.
Key insights include:
- For the first time, more than half the ad industry — 51% — say they will consider advertising in podcasts, and 48% say they actively intend to advertise.
- While the podcast consumption experience was once considered an audio-only experience, nearly a third of U.S. podcast listeners now prefer to “actively watch” a podcast with a video component.
- Those podcast listeners who prefer having a video option lean male and are likelier to be heavy podcast consumers. Audio and video podcast preferences drive their choice of primary platform. Apple is the most used platform among listeners who prefer an audio-only platform, while YouTube is the most used platform among those who prefer some form of a video podcast experience.
- Podcast genre usage varies by podcast audio/video preference and platform. Listeners who prefer watchable podcasts or YouTube as a podcast platform are more likely to favor music genre podcasts, while audio-only listeners or those who use Apple Podcasts more commonly listen to true crime podcasts.
- Among podcast listeners who watch podcasts, “eyes on” advertising attentiveness rivals that of linear television.
You can find more information here and register to download the full report here.