Over one-third of adults have listened to a podcast in the last month, according to the latest data from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Across 23 key markets in 2018, podcast penetration was 33.5%. This was particularly strong in Asia Pacific (42.0%), while North America registered at 30.5% and Europe at 27.9%.
News and politics proved the most popular genre, with 14.2% of respondents. This is followed closely behind by specialist podcasts, covering topics like business and technology, and the lifestyle genre, which includes topics like food and art. Sport was the least popular, at just 8.1%.
Globally, audio consumption continues to rise, growing half an hour since 2012. Interest in podcast advertising has increased recently, likely due to the personal voice and strong listener attachment that they provide. However, brands must clearly signal their presence in order to distinguish between advertising and content.