Podcast Statistics 2026
This page collects 49 figures on podcasts: how many people listen or watch, how much time they spend, the shift to video, which apps and platforms people use, advertising revenue, and the size of the catalogs and hosting businesses behind the shows. Most figures describe the United States in 2025 and 2026, with data for the UK, Australia and Norway. Sources include Edison Research at SSRS, IAB and PwC, Pew Research Center, Sounds Profitable, Spotify, YouTube, Apple, Deloitte, Triton Digital, iHeartMedia, Acast and the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 13, 2026 · 49 numbers drawn from 22 publishers and reports
53 of 53 quotes matched to the publisher's page by our checker on November 13, 2026
Short answer
58% of Americans age 12+ (167 million) consumed a podcast in the last month and 45% (130 million) in the last week in January 2026, both record highs in Edison Research's Infinite Dial. U.S. podcast ad revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2025, up 17.6% (IAB/PwC), and YouTube is the most used podcast platform, named by 40% of U.S. podcast consumers in 2026 (Sounds Profitable).
Headline numbers
- 58%58% of Americans age 12+, about 167 million people, consumed a podcast in the last month in January 2026, a record high.Edison Research at SSRS
- 45%45% of Americans age 12+, about 130 million people, consumed a podcast in the last week in January 2026.Edison Research at SSRS
- 812 million hoursAmericans age 13+ spent a total of 812 million hours a week with podcasts in 2026, according to Edison's Share of Ear study.Edison Research at SSRS
- 82%In Q3 2025, 82% of U.S. weekly podcast consumers watched video podcasts, overtaking the 78% who listened to audio only for the first time.Edison Research at SSRS
- 40%YouTube was the most used podcast platform for 40% of U.S. podcast consumers in 2026.Sounds Profitable
- $2.9 billionU.S. podcast advertising revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2025, up 17.6% from 2024 and about 1% of all digital ad revenue.IAB and PwC
- $173.7 millioniHeartMedia's podcast revenue rose 24.4% year over year to $173.7 million in the third quarter of 2026.iHeartMedia
- 32%32% of U.S. adults got news from podcasts at least sometimes in 2025, including 10% who did so often.Pew Research Center
Reading the numbers
Podcast reach in the U.S. keeps setting records on Edison Research's measure. In January 2026, 80% of Americans age 12+ had ever listened to or watched a podcast, 58% had done so in the last month and 45% in the last week. Other surveys land lower because they ask different questions: Sounds Profitable found 74% ever and 39% weekly among adults, and Pew Research Center found 54% of adults had listened in the past 12 months. The direction is the same in all three, and young adults lead.
Time spent is growing faster than reach. Edison's Share of Ear puts total U.S. podcast time at 812 million hours a week in 2026, up from 167 million in 2016, and daily podcast consumers spend 36% of their audio day with podcasts. Pew found podcasts now take a larger share of spoken-word audio time than talk radio, 40% against 39%.
Video changed the medium. Edison measured more weekly podcast consumers watching (82%) than listening to audio only (78%) for the first time in Q3 2025, and Triton Digital found 80% of monthly consumers do both. That shift moved platform share: YouTube is the most used podcast service, with 40% of consumers in Sounds Profitable's 2026 study and 32% of daily podcast time in Edison's data, while Apple Podcasts fell to 8% as the most used app. Netflix was named by 21% of podcast consumers in its first year carrying shows.
Money follows the audience but stays small next to other media. IAB and PwC put U.S. podcast ad revenue at $2.9 billion in 2025, about 1% of digital ad revenue, and Deloitte expects global podcast and video podcast ad revenue of roughly $5 billion in 2026. Company results show the growth is still double digit: iHeartMedia's podcast revenue rose 24.4% in Q3 2026 and Acast's net sales rose 25%, driven by North America.
How many people listen to or watch podcasts
- 1.
80% of Americans age 12+, about 230 million people, had ever listened to or watched a podcast as of January 2026, the highest share Edison has recorded.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026 (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
80% of Americans age 12+ (230 million) have ever listened to or watched a podcast, an all-time high
- 2.
58% of Americans age 12+, about 167 million people, consumed a podcast in the last month in January 2026, a record high.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026 (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
58% of Americans age 12+ (167 million) have consumed a podcast in the last month, also an all-time high
- 3.
45% of Americans age 12+, about 130 million people, consumed a podcast in the last week in January 2026.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026 (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
45% of Americans age 12+ (130 million) have consumed a podcast in the last week
- 4.
54% of U.S. adults said they had listened to a podcast in the past 12 months in August 2025, up from 49% in 2022.
Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Just over half of U.S. adults (54%) say they’ve listened to a podcast in the past 12 months, a slight increase since we first asked this in 2022 (49%).
- 5.
67% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 had listened to a podcast in the past 12 months in 2025, about twice the share of adults 65 and older (33%).
Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Younger people are far more likely to listen to podcasts, with 67% of those ages 18 to 29 saying they listened to a podcast in the past 12 months, about twice the share of those ages 65 and older (33%).
- 6.
In a 2026 survey of U.S. adults, 74% had ever consumed a podcast, 55% had done so in the past month and 39% in the past week.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
adults, the study found that 74% of Americans have consumed a podcast, 55% have done so in the past month, and 39% in the past week.
- 7.
34% of U.S. podcast consumers said in 2026 that they started consuming podcasts within the past year, up from 28% in 2025.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
More than one-third (34%) of podcast consumers say they began consuming podcasts within the past year, up from 28% in 2025.
Chart
Americans 12+ who consumed a podcast in the last week
Share of the U.S. population age 12+. Through 2024 the question covered listening only; from 2025 it covers listening or watching.
Source: Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026 (presentation)
Listening time and habits
- 8.
Americans age 13+ spent a total of 812 million hours a week with podcasts in 2026, according to Edison's Share of Ear study.
Edison Research at SSRS, Total Podcast Consumption Time Up 386% Since 2016 (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
With the explosion of new podcasts and the development of video podcasts, weekly total podcast consumption time has ballooned to 812 million hours in 2026.
- 9.
Daily podcast consumers in the U.S. spent 5 hours and 11 minutes a day with all audio sources in Q1 2026, more than an hour above the 13+ average.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Podcast Consumer 2026 (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Daily podcast consumers spend 5 hours and 11 minutes per day with all audio sources, according to Edison’s Share of Ear study (Q1 2026).
- 10.
Daily podcast consumers spent 36% of their daily audio time and 51% of their ad-supported audio time with podcasts in 2026.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Podcast Consumer 2026 (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Daily podcast consumers spend 36% of their daily audio time with podcasts and 51% of their daily ad-supported audio time with podcasts.
- 11.
Among Americans 13 and older, podcasts took 40% of time spent with spoken-word audio, slightly ahead of talk radio at 39%.
Pew Research Center, Study shows Americans now listen to podcasts more than talk radio (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among Americans ages 13 and older, 40% of time spent listening to “spoken-word audio” was dedicated to podcasts, compared with 39% dedicated to talk radio.
- 12.
Viewers watched more than 400 million hours of podcasts a month on YouTube using TVs and other living room devices in 2024.
YouTube, Drop the mic: Celebrating 1 billion monthly podcast users on YouTube (Feb 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Last year, viewers watched over 400M hours of podcasts monthly on living room devices.
- 13.
44% of U.S. video podcast watchers said they never multitask while watching, against 29% of podcast listeners who never multitask while listening.
Deloitte, Video podcasts reach new audiences: TMT Predictions 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Forty-four percent of US vodcast watchers say they never multitask while watching compared with 29% of podcast listeners who say they never multitask while listening.
- 14.
Spotify says loyal U.S. fans of a show stream nearly 20 times more of it than casual listeners and are 2.5 times more likely to still be listening after six months.
Spotify, Get Engagement, Get Paid: Making It Easier for Video Podcasters to Earn on Spotify (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In the U.S., compared to casual listeners, loyal fans on Spotify stream nearly 20 times more of a show and are 2.5 times more likely to stick around after six months.
Chart
Share of U.S. daily podcast time by service, Q4 2025
Share of daily podcast consumption time among Americans 13+, Edison Share of Ear, Q4 2025.
- YouTube32%
- Spotify25%
- Apple20%
- Other23%
Source: Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026 (presentation)
Video podcasts
- 15.
In Q3 2025, 82% of U.S. weekly podcast consumers watched video podcasts, overtaking the 78% who listened to audio only for the first time.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Podcast Consumer 2026 (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Video podcast consumption overtook audio-only consumption for the first time in Q3 2025 Edison Podcast Metrics, with 82% of weekly podcast consumers actively watching video compared to 78% listening to audio only.
- 16.
57% of Americans age 12+ had both listened to and watched a podcast as of January 2026.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026 (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among Americans age 12+, 57% have both listened to and watched a podcast
- 17.
80% of U.S. monthly podcast consumers both watch and listen to podcasts, while 13% only listen and 7% only watch, according to Triton Digital's 2025 report.
Triton Digital, Video Podcasting in 2026: What the data tells us (2026)
Exact wording at the source
13% are listen-only 7% are watch-only 80% of monthly podcast consumers both watch and listen
- 18.
44% of U.S. podcast consumers watched a video podcast in the past week in 2026, up from 40% in 2025.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among podcast consumers, 44% watched a video podcast in the past week, up from 40% in 2025.
- 19.
Only 17% of U.S. podcast consumers expected podcasts to be audio-only in 2026, down from 21% in 2025, while 83% said video can be part of the format.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Just 17% now expect podcasts to be audio-only, down from 21% in 2025, while 83% believe video can be part of the format.
- 20.
27% of U.S. consumers said they watch video podcasts weekly in Deloitte's Fall 2025 Digital Media Trends survey, led by Gen Z and millennials.
Deloitte, Video podcasts reach new audiences: TMT Predictions 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
For their part, as of the Fall 2025 Digital Media Trends report, 27% of US consumers say they watch vodcasts weekly, a trend that is led by Gen Zs and millennials.
- 21.
YouTube had more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content worldwide as of January 2025.
YouTube, Drop the mic: Celebrating 1 billion monthly podcast users on YouTube (Feb 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Today, we’re announcing that there are more than 1 billion monthly active viewers of podcast content on YouTube .
- 22.
More than 500 million Spotify users had streamed a video podcast by May 2026, up nearly 50% from a year earlier.
Spotify, Spotify Levels Up Our Podcast Experience With New Features for Fans and Creators (May 2026)
Exact wording at the source
More than 500 million users have streamed a video podcast , up nearly 50% year over year.
Platform share: YouTube, Spotify, Apple and Netflix
- 23.
YouTube was the most used podcast platform for 40% of U.S. podcast consumers in 2026.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Apple Podcasts saw its share decline from 11% to 8%, while YouTube maintained its position as the most used podcast platform at 40%.
- 24.
Apple Podcasts' share as the most used podcast platform among U.S. consumers fell from 11% in 2025 to 8% in 2026.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Apple Podcasts saw its share decline from 11% to 8%
- 25.
Only 15% of U.S. podcast consumers named a dedicated podcast app as their most used platform in 2026, down from 19% in 2025.
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Just 15% of podcast consumers now identify a podcast native app as their most used platform, down from 19% in 2025.
- 26.
In its first year carrying podcasts, Netflix was used by 21% of U.S. podcast consumers in the past 12 months, third behind YouTube (63%) and Spotify (33%).
Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In its first year carrying podcasts, Netflix was named by 21% of podcast consumers as a platform they had used in the past 12 months, placing it third behind YouTube (63%) and Spotify (33%), and ahead of Apple Podcasts (15%).
- 27.
In Q1 2026, 64% of U.S. weekly podcast consumers had ever used YouTube for podcasts and 42% had used Spotify, against 14% for Netflix.
Edison Research at SSRS, How Popular is Podcast Consumption on Netflix and Tubi? (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Keep in mind that other media platforms, such as YouTube and Spotify, are much more popular destinations for podcast consumption, with 64% and 42% of weekly podcast consumers respectively ever using them to consume podcasts.
- 28.
14% of U.S. weekly podcast consumers had used Netflix to consume podcasts and 4% had used Tubi in Q1 2026, the first quarter both were measured.
Edison Research at SSRS, How Popular is Podcast Consumption on Netflix and Tubi? (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
From this first wave of data, 14% of weekly podcast consumers have used Netflix to consume podcasts, and 4% have used Tubi.
- 29.
In the UK, 29% of weekly podcast listeners 15+ used YouTube most for podcasts in 2026, passing Spotify (28%) for the first time.
Edison Research at SSRS, YouTube Surpasses Spotify as UK's Preferred Podcast Platform (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
According to Edison Podcast Metrics UK, 29% of weekly podcast listeners ages 15+ choose YouTube as the service they use most to consume podcasts, surpassing Spotify (28%) for the first time on record.
- 30.
61% of U.S. podcast listeners said they discovered their favorite podcast through YouTube or social media in 2026.
Sounds Profitable, 61% of Podcast Listeners Discover Their Favorite Shows Through YouTube and Social Media, New Sounds Profitable Research Finds (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
When social platforms including Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are added to the equation, 61% of listeners attribute discovering their favorite podcast to either YouTube or social media.
Chart
U.S. podcast consumers who used each platform in the past 12 months, 2026
Survey of U.S. adults who consume podcasts, published October 2026. Respondents could name more than one platform.
- YouTube63%
- Spotify33%
- Netflix21%
- Apple Podcasts15%
Source: Sounds Profitable, Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds
Podcast advertising revenue
- 31.
U.S. podcast advertising revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2025, up 17.6% from 2024 and about 1% of all digital ad revenue.
IAB and PwC, Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to Nearly $300B as IAB Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Podcast $2.9B 17.6% 1%
- 32.
U.S. podcast advertising revenue was $2.43 billion in 2024, up 26.4% from 2023, a rebound from 5% growth the year before.
IAB and PwC, IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024 (Apr 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Podcast $2.43B 26.4% 0.9%
- 33.
Deloitte predicts global ad revenue for audio and video podcasts will reach about $5 billion in 2026, up nearly 20% from 2025.
Deloitte, Video podcasts reach new audiences: TMT Predictions 2026 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Deloitte predicts that the annual global ad revenues for podcasts and vodcasts will reach roughly US$5 billion in 2026, marking a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in revenues.
- 34.
iHeartMedia's podcast revenue rose 24.4% year over year to $173.7 million in the third quarter of 2026.
iHeartMedia, iHeartMedia, Inc. Reports Results for 2026 Third Quarter (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Podcast revenue, which increased $34.0 million, or 24.4% YoY, to $173.7 million, primarily due to a continued increase in demand for podcasting from advertisers
- 35.
Acast's net sales were SEK 802.3 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 25% from SEK 642.1 million a year earlier.
Acast, Q3: Record revenue, record margins (Interim report January to September 2026) (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Net sales in the quarter amounted to SEK 802.3m (642.1), corresponding to net sales growth of 25% (35%).
- 36.
Acast's North American net sales grew 54% in the third quarter of 2026, the main driver of its growth.
Acast, Q3: Record revenue, record margins (Interim report January to September 2026) (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The growth was driven by strong performance in North America, where net sales grew by 54% (58%).
- 37.
UK podcast advertising revenue was around £90 million in 2024, out of roughly £175 million of digital audio advertising, the first year podcasts led digital audio.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, The changing shape and new economics of news podcasting (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In the UK, total advertising revenue for podcasting is much smaller but audio advertising still reached approximately £175 million in 2024, with podcasts accounting for around £90 million – surpassing other sources of digital audio for the first time.
Catalogs, hosting and creator payouts
- 38.
Spotify listed about 8 million podcast titles alongside more than 100 million music tracks in 2026.
Spotify, About Spotify (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Today, more listeners than ever can discover, manage and enjoy over 100 million tracks, 8 million podcast titles, and 800,000 audiobooks in select markets on Spotify
- 39.
Apple Podcasts offers automatic transcripts across more than 125 million episodes in 13 languages.
Apple, Apple introduces a new video podcast experience on Apple Podcasts (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
automatically created chapters, timed links, and transcripts across over 125 million episodes in 13 languages
- 40.
Apple Podcasts is available in more than 170 countries and regions.
Apple, Apple introduces a new video podcast experience on Apple Podcasts (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
already offers in more than 170 countries and regions
- 41.
Acast connects more than 140,000 podcast creators with more than 4,000 advertisers worldwide.
Acast, Q3: Record revenue, record margins (Interim report January to September 2026) (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
As the world’s largest pure-play podcast company, we connect 140,000+ storytellers with 4,000+ advertisers globally.
- 42.
In January 2026 Spotify cut the audience threshold for its Partner Program from 2,000 listeners to 1,000 engaged audience members over 30 days.
Spotify, Get Engagement, Get Paid: Making It Easier for Video Podcasters to Earn on Spotify (Jan 2026)
Exact wording at the source
From 2,000 listeners to 1,000 engaged audience members on Spotify, based on plays over the last 30 days.
News podcasts and listening outside the U.S.
- 43.
32% of U.S. adults got news from podcasts at least sometimes in 2025, including 10% who did so often.
Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
When it comes to news specifically, around a third of U.S. adults (32%) say they get news from podcasts at least sometimes, including 10% who say they do this often.
- 44.
The share of U.S. adults who get news from podcasts at least sometimes rose from 22% in 2020 to 32% in 2025.
Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
This share has grown since we began asking Americans about podcasts in 2020, when 22% said they got news from podcasts at least sometimes.
- 45.
Just 6% of U.S. adults paid for or gave money to news-focused podcasts in the 12 months to August 2025.
Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Just 6% of U.S. adults say that they have directly paid for or given money to podcasts that focus on news in the past 12 months.
- 46.
53% of U.S. adults who get news from podcasts trust it about the same as news from other sources; 23% trust it more and 23% less.
Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Among those who get news from podcasts, 53% say they trust news there about the same as the news they get from other sources.
- 47.
About 15% of Americans consume a news podcast weekly, similar to the share who read a printed newspaper.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, The changing shape and new economics of news podcasting (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
While around one in seven Americans (15%) consume a news podcast weekly – a proportion similar to those that read a printed newspaper or listen to news and current affairs on the radio – it is a different story in Europe.
- 48.
Weekly news podcast use was 11% in Norway and 7% in the UK, where news radio remains much more popular.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, The changing shape and new economics of news podcasting (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In Norway and the UK weekly news usage is 11% and 7% respectively, with traditional news radio still much more popular overall.
- 49.
55% of Australians age 10+ consumed podcasts monthly in 2026, up from 52% in 2025.
Edison Research at SSRS, Key Findings from the 2026 Infinite Dial Australia (Jun 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The majority (55%) of Australians 10+ now consume podcasts monthly, up from 52% in 2025.
Chart
U.S. adults who get news from podcasts at least sometimes
Share of all U.S. adults saying often or sometimes, from Pew surveys conducted each year from 2020 to 2025.
- 202022%
- 202123%
- 202223%
- 202330%
- 202427%
- 202532%
Source: Pew Research Center, Podcasts and News Fact Sheet
Questions readers ask
- How many people listen to podcasts in the U.S.?
- Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 found 58% of Americans age 12+, about 167 million people, consumed a podcast in the last month and 45%, about 130 million, in the last week. Pew Research Center found 54% of adults listened in the past 12 months in 2025.
- What is the most popular podcast platform?
- YouTube. In Sounds Profitable's 2026 survey, 40% of U.S. podcast consumers named YouTube as their most used platform, and Edison found it took 32% of daily U.S. podcast time in Q4 2025, ahead of Spotify (25%) and Apple (20%). YouTube also passed Spotify in the UK in 2026.
- How much money does podcast advertising make?
- IAB and PwC put U.S. podcast ad revenue at $2.9 billion in 2025, up 17.6% from $2.43 billion in 2024. Deloitte expects global ad revenue for audio and video podcasts of about $5 billion in 2026.
- Are video podcasts replacing audio?
- Not yet. Edison found 82% of U.S. weekly podcast consumers watched video in Q3 2025 against 78% who listened to audio only, and Triton Digital found 80% of monthly consumers do both while only 7% only watch.
- How much time do people spend with podcasts?
- Edison's Share of Ear estimates Americans 13+ spent 812 million hours a week with podcasts in 2026, up from 167 million in 2016. Daily podcast consumers give 36% of their audio time to podcasts.
Where these numbers come from
We chose figures from the organizations that collected the data: survey firms (Edison Research at SSRS, Pew Research Center, Sounds Profitable, Triton Digital, Deloitte), industry revenue studies (IAB and PwC), research institutes (Reuters Institute) and company reports and newsrooms (Spotify, YouTube, Apple, iHeartMedia, Acast). Each quote was checked against the live source page. Surveys differ in age range (12+, 13+, 15+ or adults), country and question wording, and some count watching video podcasts while older ones counted only listening, so compare figures within a source rather than across sources. Platform user counts from YouTube and Spotify are global company figures, not independent audits. Revenue figures are nominal and in the currency each source reports. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- Acast. Q3: Record revenue, record margins (Interim report January to September 2026) (Oct 2026).
- Apple. Apple introduces a new video podcast experience on Apple Podcasts (Feb 2026).
- Deloitte. Video podcasts reach new audiences: TMT Predictions 2026 (Nov 2025).
- Edison Research at SSRS. The Infinite Dial 2026 (Mar 2026).
- Edison Research at SSRS. Total Podcast Consumption Time Up 386% Since 2016 (Jun 2026).
- Edison Research at SSRS. The Podcast Consumer 2026 (Jun 2026).
- Edison Research at SSRS. How Popular is Podcast Consumption on Netflix and Tubi? (Jun 2026).
- Edison Research at SSRS. YouTube Surpasses Spotify as UK's Preferred Podcast Platform (Jul 2026).
- Edison Research at SSRS. Key Findings from the 2026 Infinite Dial Australia (Jun 2026).
- IAB and PwC. Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to Nearly $300B as IAB Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary (Apr 2026).
- IAB and PwC. IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024 (Apr 2025).
- iHeartMedia. iHeartMedia, Inc. Reports Results for 2026 Third Quarter (Nov 2026).
- Pew Research Center. Podcasts and News Fact Sheet (Sep 2025).
- Pew Research Center. Study shows Americans now listen to podcasts more than talk radio (2026).
- Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The changing shape and new economics of news podcasting (Apr 2026).
- Sounds Profitable. Podcast Reach Holds Steady as Netflix and Video Reshape How Americans Consume Podcasts, Sounds Profitable's Podcast Landscape 2026 Finds (Oct 2026).
- Sounds Profitable. 61% of Podcast Listeners Discover Their Favorite Shows Through YouTube and Social Media, New Sounds Profitable Research Finds (Jun 2026).
- Spotify. Get Engagement, Get Paid: Making It Easier for Video Podcasters to Earn on Spotify (Jan 2026).
- Spotify. Spotify Levels Up Our Podcast Experience With New Features for Fans and Creators (May 2026).
- Spotify. About Spotify (2026).
- Triton Digital. Video Podcasting in 2026: What the data tells us (2026).
- YouTube. Drop the mic: Celebrating 1 billion monthly podcast users on YouTube (Feb 2025).
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HearSmart. (2026, November 13). Podcast Statistics 2026. https://hearsmart.org/podcast-statistics
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