The Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2021 spans many media types, with global survey work displayed across 164 pages. (PDF HERE.) Podcasts are a main focus of the Audio section.
Interestingly, the survey queries respondents about how they discover podcasts. As in other survey work, personal recommendations rank highly in both the US and Europe:
Among people who don’t listen to podcasts, reasons range from the practical (not enough time) to subjective generalization (they’re all uninteresting):
“Overall, podcasts remain a fast moving and dynamic part of digital consumption,” the Reuters INstitute says. “They are of particular interest to publishers because they attract younger and more affluent users that are highly sought by advertisers – and are potentially the next generation of subscribers.”
.